With the E-word buzzing in every corridor of the automobile world, any new supercar is a breath of fresh air for petrolheads. Naturally, when Lamborghini unveiled the Huracán Tecnica, it did cause a kind of a storm of fresh air. More so, since we know that hybrid and electric Lamborghinis are not too far away now. The mighty Aventador’s 11-year run is almost at an end, and the Tecnica might be the last pure V10 in the Huracán range, making it an even more important car — for the marque, as well as its fans. With the Huracán Tecnica expected to land on Indian shores very soon, we caught up with Mitja Borkert – Head of Design at Automobili Lamborghini and Rouven Mohr, Chief Technical Officer, Automobili Lamborghini, to talk about the latest iteration of the Huracán. Edited excerpts from the interaction:
MW: What kind of personality did you have in mind for the Huracán Tecnica when you started the project?
Rouven Mohr: The Huracán Tecnica is what we call the best combination of performance and practicality. This is a car you can take for an evening out or a weekend in the mountains, and also take it to the racetrack. This was our starting point, we decided to look at the Huracán STO for the drivetrain and the suspension setup, and made it more versatile and more lifestyle-oriented as well. We improved the insulation of the cabin too, to make it more usable on a daily basis. Our customers like driving their cars, and we want them to be able to use their cars more. With the Tecnica, the mission was to really offer the most emotional driving experience in every condition.
MW: Would it be fair to call the Tecnica, say, more of a GT version in the Huracán family?
RM: Maybe, a little bit. Although I should tell you that the drivetrain setup is very very close to the Huracán STO, which is a race track-oriented model. We have for sure improved the noise insulation, when compared to the STO, and made changes to improve the usability of the car. The STO is a radical car and more advanced, whereas with the Tecnica, we want to keep it a little bit street-oriented too. So, part of the development target with the Tecnica was, for example, how to improve cooling on the car so it can deliver the performance expected at a race track. In a nutshell, the Tecnica is very similar to the STO technically, but wears a different suit.
MW: Since the Tecnica derives a lot from the Huracán STO, did form follow function, or was it the other way around?
Mitja Borkert: First of all, I do not see Lamborghini as a form-follows-function company. I think other manufacturers follow this approach but at Lamborghini, we are much more emotional. We follow our successful design DNA, which you have seen in all our cars. For us, it is all about following the DNA, and the shape, silhouette has to be Lamborghini. The Huracán itself is very important for us, and as Rouven said, for us it is essential that our clients can really spot the difference and know the different models we have in the range. For example, we have the STO, which is a track tool and the big wing and the clamshell and so on, making it crystal clear that it is a race track-oriented car. With the Tecnica, our aim has been to reach the best possible compromise — an everyday Huracán that you can enjoy with the performance.
In terms of design, we really wanted to make a big design update to make the car look really fresh and cool. When you look at the front of the Tecnica, you see there’s this new lightweight front hood and the front wings, which are very significant. With the front view, we have tried to create a more three-dimensional shape. A lot of design changes have been done with the clear intention of increasing downforce, and decreasing the drag. We have redesigned the front of the car to improve the brake cooling. In the profile, you can see the window line, which climbs up and creates this little rear glass which also helps with air intake. We were very clear from day one, this has to be a fun-to-drive car, and we really wanted to do something with the rear tyres. So we changed the rear fender — they are more pronounced now, more lightweight, and integrated this half rear wing, which is fixed, but helps with downforce. This also gives the profile a more dynamic look, but the aim is to create more downforce.
Last but not the least, when you look at the rear of the car, we have a completely new diffuser and a new rear, which is also inspired from our race cars. We have a hexagonal exhaust pipe, which creates the beautiful Lamborghini sound. You can find the hexagon on the new 20-inch wheels and even in the interiors. I must add that the interiors we have created for the Tecnica will make the driver feel like a pilot. We now have sport seats, we have amazing colours and trim options, and there is a lot you can do with carbon fibre. Everything on the Tecnica seamlessly fits in with original Huracán shape. We have done a lot to make this chapter of the Huracán a lifestyle-oriented car, which is ready for track days too.
MW: Is there an element or feature on the Huracán Tecnica which you wanted to include in the car, but you were not able to?
RM: From a technical point of view, I can confidently say no. We started with the aim of increasing the fun-to-drive quotient and to increase the everyday usability, and I think we have achieved that. At Lamborghini, all teams work together on model lines, and we together define the target of what a particular model should achieve. We are really proud of the car, and I don’t think there is anything we wanted to have but it is not on the final car.
MB: I am really happy with what we have achieved with the Tecnica, it is a perfect car. We have had a lot of feedback on the car and it is being received very well. Everyone can see the effort we have put in, both in terms of design and technology and the feedback is very good. Huracán customers will be able to separate the different models in the family and as you know, a lot of our customers own more than one Lamborghini. Some are even collectors, and it is important for us to create new models that have a strong character, a strong profile, and a strong design of their own. We want to keep on making cars that fulfill the dreams of our customers.
