All About Our Time At Lamborghini Esperienza Corsa At Sepang International Circuit

When I read that I’ll get ‘hands-on experience on track’ with the Lamborghini model range, I wondered if it meant that I’ll get a passenger ride in one of the Super Trofeo cars. Well, it was even better.

We were given an exclusive 3-hour window to go through Esperienza Corsa (or translated as racing experience) with the Urus S, Urus Performante and Huracan Tecnica at Sepang International Circuit. I’ve only driven the Huracan STO on the road prior, so needless to say, I was greatly anticipating driving all of them, on track no less!

But first, a quick recap. The Urus is Lamborghini’s idea of a super SUV, based on the MLB Evo chassis that it also shares with the Bentley Bentayga and Porsche Cayenne. But you could say the Urus is probably the sportiest and most extreme application of the chassis.

The Urus S effectively replaces the ‘standard’ Urus, while the Performante is the go-faster version with standard dampers (as opposed to air suspension), 47 kg less weight and a rally mode - not that we would be able to try this on the F1 circuit. It has the same power output of 666 PS and 850 Nm as the Urus, but for all intents and purposes it is the top dog Urus.

The Huracan, meanwhile, is almost ten years old and thus is nearing the end of its model life cycle. But it’s nowhere near dated, not even close. The Tecnica is the latest iteration and is brought bang up to date - just look at its infotainment system which is futuristic and snappy. The Tecnica sits somewhere in between the Huracan Evo and the STO - it takes on the STO engine but is built upon an improved version of the Evo’s chassis.

In fact, the Tecnica and therefore the Huracan as a whole are becoming more and more relevant even at their final years somehow, maturing like fine wine with its simple but lethal recipe - a mid-engined supercar with a naturally aspirated V10 and a dual-clutch gearbox. No electric assistance here whatsoever, unlike its competitors, which gives the Huracan Tecnica a unique place in the market right now.

Urus S and Performante
The surprising thing about driving both cars is how little between them there is. We first went out in the Urus S and was impressed with its mechanical grip and composure. Yet it was beautifully refined and felt like a true luxury car inside.

The Performante takes Alcantara application to the next level and swathes most of its interior in it. Admittedly, its steering wheel is nicer to hold because of it. Cosmetically it’s racier, but to drive, it’s all very familiar after the Urus S. The steering feel, braking and throttle responses are very similar to the less extroverted Urus. There is perhaps more definition to the exhaust note and how much of it makes into the cabin. A bit more drama, but it’s incremental.

The handling balance of both cars is mostly neutral whether in Strada, Sport and Corsa, and driving it is more about being awed by how much it can make or kill speed despite its size and weight. At high speed directional changes, you start to naturally question defying the laws of physics, but it really is something the car sorts out by itself easily and makes light work of it.

Dynamically, there is nothing much to fault about both Urus variants and it’s as good as you could wish a super SUV can be. Perhaps more adjustability to its handling like having a 2WD mode or more feelsome steering, especially in the Performante, could add a further dimension to the car. I suppose the Rally mode does address the former somewhat.

Huracan Tecnica
It’s the first time we are driving the Tecnica, and we’ve only driven the STO on the road. Instantly, jumping to the Tecnica feels much less intimidating versus the STO. There is more Alcantara than exposed carbon, so sound deadening appears a tad better. It’s not like jumping into an S-Class by any means, but the sum of its parts makes the Tecnica feel like it could be a more forgiving car to drive daily.

Since we only had a few laps, I went straight into Sport mode… And forgot all about switching to Corsa because I was so engrossed in the drive. That’s what it’s like driving the Tecnica. It’s all-enveloping, yet so easy and approachable to exploit. It treads the fine line between fearsome super car and everyday accessibility.

There is beautiful unity between the V10 engine and dual-clutch gearbox, as if they were made for each other. And even if a corner is entered in a gear too high, the flexibility of the engine allows these mistakes to be written off easily. Full bore throttle upshifts are executed with scalpel sharp precision, while downshifts are blipped perfectly, so much so that I really did not yearn for a manual gearbox at all.

And, that engine. It’s as glorious as we remember in the STO. On the straights, the car hit in excess of 200 km/h easily and felt like it could go much faster, if not for the lead instructor car dialling things down a notch from 100%. Turn in is direct and clean, but it is the braking that comes beforehand that’s shockingly good. Pedal feel is phenomenal and the stopping power reigns in the pace of 640 PS way too easily. I think I was most impressed with this from the track drive, followed by the epic drivetrain.

I think it's one of the best supercars out there today, bar none.

Photos by Lamborghini

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