Lamborghini Huracan STO Prototype 2021 Review

Nobody could accuse the Huracan Evo of being a shrinking violet, but the bewinged beast crouched just a couple of metres away at the Nardo Handling Track looks positively evil by comparison.

All bulges and sinew, the low-slung bodywork of the Lamborghini Huracan STO is replete with an assortment of scoops, vents and sharp edges. The fact that this particular vehicle is a prototype, which we’re driving ahead of the official unveiling today, means it’s clad in psychedelic camouflage, adding to its sinister appearance.

The STO was conceived as a last hurrah for the current-generation Huracan, and it’s a fitting send-off for the V10 supercar, which has broken all sales records for the brand – at least until the Urus SUV came along – since its 2014 launch.

STO is an acronym for Super Trofeo Omologato (Italian for ‘Homologation’) and, as the moniker suggests, this last-of-the-breed hypercar was inspired by the Super Trofeo Evo that Lambo builds for its one-make race series.

The STO was engineered to capture the fast and ultra-focused feel of the latter while still being road-registerable and usable out in the real world.

The STO is an embodiment of the Squadra Corse racing division’s mantra of “races are won on corners, more than straights” and, to this end, it scores a comprehensive aero package, suspension upgrades and weight-saving measures to boost its dynamic envelope and trim seconds off lap times. It’s three seconds a lap faster than the Huracan Performante at Daytona International Speedway, for example.

The other key differentiator between the STO and its Huracan Evo and Performante stablemates is that it dispenses with all-wheel drive, relying solely on the chunky rear tyres to transmit drive to the tarmac.

Even without the camouflage, there’s no mistaking the Lamborghini Huracan STO for one of its lesser siblings.

It makes do without the ‘aero vectoring’ of the Performante (there’s no active aero whatsoever), but the massive rear wing has three angles of attack that can be adjusted in the pit lane to suit different track layouts.

Just ahead of this sits a bespoke louvred engine cover and a shark-like central fin that’s designed to keep the car stable during high-speed cornering. In addition, there’s a roof-mounted snorkel intake to feed air to the free-spinning V10.

Out front sits an aggressive – and complex – splitter/spoiler assembly with an assortment of ducts to channel air through the radiators and front brakes. There’s a pair of massive ducts in the bonnet to direct air exiting through the radiators over the roof and across the rear wing.

There are also vents in the front fenders to smooth air flow around the side of the car and extract heat generated by the front brakes.

The aero upgrades contribute to 53 per cent more downforce than the already hardcore Huracan Performante, along with 37 per cent greater aero efficiency.

The STO also weighs 43kg less than the latter (Lambo quotes a dry weight of 1339kg), and this is the result of its carbon-fibre reinforced plastic (CFRP) body panels, magnesium rims and a ‘naked’ interior trimmed in Alcantara and Carbon Skin. It even dispenses with conventional door handles in favour of a pull strap.

Fortunately, the hip-hugging seats have rake-adjustable seatbacks, so it’s not hard to conjure up an optimal driving position.

The STO comes with a four-point harness, so you just need to remember to pull the door shut before you fasten them, otherwise you won’t be able to reach.

Although this particular car is a prototype, Lamborghini R&D boss Maurizio Reggiani says the only revisions between this vehicle and the final production version are various tweaks to calibration. All the hardware remains as per this car.

Nestled under the louvred engine cover of the Lamborghini Huracan STO is the same 5.2-litre V10 and seven-speed dual-clutch transmission as the Huracan Performante, but fire it up and your eardrums are instantly assaulted by a louder and angrier bark than the latter, thanks to a bespoke exhaust system that spits spent gases out of a pair of flame-thrower-like pipes integrated into the elaborate rear fascia.

The V10’s output of 470kW remains unchanged but maximum torque is down from 600Nm to 565Nm (at 6000rpm). The pedal map has been recalibrated for sharper throttle response, and with less than 1.5 tonnes to propel (even with all fluids on board), straight-line performance is nothing less than electrifying.

The STO has wider front and rear tracks than its siblings, along with stiffer anti-roll bars and suspension bushing. It also scores specifically developed asymmetric Bridgestone Potenza tyres that are claimed to enhance steering response and cornering stability.

Meanwhile, stopping power is upgraded by 25 per cent via a new CCM-R braking system (the ‘R’ stands for Racing) that’s also more resistant to fade than conventional carbon-ceramic brakes.

Rather than having the usual Strada, Sport and Corsa drive modes you’d find in other Lambos, the Omologato has STO (road), Trofeo (dry race) and Pioggia (wet race) settings that are selectable via a red toggle switch on the steering wheel.

Trofeo is obviously the right choice for this occasion, given that we’re about to head out on a bone-dry track, as this mode increases the slip threshold without entirely deactivating the electronic safety net.

We get to sample the full extent of the Lamborghini Huracan STO’s dynamic capabilities as the Nardo Handling Track is a proper big-balls circuit.

Adding to the challenge, it’s my first time here. Built in 2008, the Handling Track’s dipping, diving 6.222km layout is meant to be a mini-replica of the fearsome Nurburgring Nordschleife.

With blind crests, numerous little bumps (to mimic real-world country roads), minimal runoffs and a ‘yump’ that gets your helmet-clad head bouncing against the roof when taken at pace, it’s not for the faint-hearted.

With an assortment of fast third-, fourth- and fifth-gear corners, it takes commitment to string together a quick lap around here.

Setting the pace up ahead is chief test and development driver Mario Fasanetto, and he’s strapped into a Huracan Super Trofeo Evo on slick tyres. Fasanetto has completed tens of thousands of laps around this circuit, so he’s the ideal pace-setter for today’s exercise.

It only takes a minute or two behind the wheel to sense that the STO instils a more raw, connected feeling than the already hard-core Performante.

The steering has a nice meaty weighting and it relays plenty of feedback to your fingertips, although still falling fractionally short of the superbly telegraphic tiller in the Ferrari 488 Pista.

The alloy flappy paddles are also wonderfully tactile, and they’re large enough to enable you to up- or downshift even with some steering lock wound on.

The V10 spins effortlessly to its 8500rpm redline, so it’s not hard to bounce up against the rev limiter as there’s no auto upshift in Trofeo mode. Although its best work is done in the upper half of its rev range, the V10 also pulls wholeheartedly from low to middling revs.

Given that the STO has to transmit its full 565Nm quota to the bitumen via only the rear wheels, you need to be a bit more patient in applying the throttle out of slow corners. Jump on the gas too early and the car steps sideways, causing you to lose momentum and compromise your run down the following straight.

The STO is marginally less forgiving than the Performante and Evo, so the key is to be smooth and progressive with all your inputs to get the most out of it.

The STO’s stiffer bushes and anti-roll bars pay obvious dividends in keeping the car flat and planted even under heavy cornering loads – you’ll barely discern any roll from the driver’s seat – but this comes at a cost to ride quality.

The surface of Nardo is strewn with small bumps, and the STO transmits most of these to your backside, so I find my head bobbing up and down like a marionette through the course of each lap.

What this suggests is that this Lambo wouldn’t cosset its occupants on lumpy back roads out in the real world. It’s not bone-jarring, but don’t expect a grand touring experience in the hard-core STO.

On the plus side, the stiffer suspension set-up and sharpened throttle calibration enable you to carry enormous velocities through corners – far more than you initially imagine – and there’s a great feeling of adjustability even if the car gets a little unsettled in mid-corner.

In short, its formidable dynamic capabilities feel very accessible, even if one isn’t a pro driver like Mario up ahead.

The power delivery also comes on in very linear fashion – rather than in a big gob, as is the case with the twin-turbo powerplants in the Ferrari 488 or any McLaren – so you needn’t get sweaty palms when standing on the throttle.

Nardo dishes up some big braking points where you need to wipe off huge speeds, but the CCM-R brakes are up the task of sustained fast laps, showing no signs of performance drop-off even by the end of our track session.

All in all, the Lamborghini Huracan STO is a hugely satisfying car to punt on a racetrack, or on the right road out in the real world.

It’s no bargain-basement special, as European pricing (excluding taxes) starts at €249,412, which is a hefty premium of almost 30 per cent over the Performante and 35 per cent over the Huracan Evo.

So, figure on an Australian price tag of around $620K (plus on-road costs) when it goes on sale in mid-2021.

Its uncompromising nature means it won’t be for everyone, but the STO is the perfect weapon of choice for track-day regulars.

It also stands to be a future collectible as there’s every possibility that upcoming EU7 emissions regulations will force the Huracan’s successor to ditch the V10 in favour of a downsized twin-turbo V8.

If that’s the case, the STO will forever remain the ultimate iteration of this charismatic and sonorous recipe.

How much does the 2021 Lamborghini Huracan STO cost?
Price: $620,000 estimated (plus on-road costs)
Available: Mid-2021
Engine: 5.2-litre V10 petrol
Output: 470kW/565Nm
Transmission: Seven-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel: 13.7L/100km (TBC)
CO2: 332g/km (TBC)
Safety rating: Not tested