My Lamborghini Story and the Huracan STO

This year marks the 10th year of the Huracán, the car which replaced the equally rambunctious Gallardo. That also means that a new model is impending. It’s a poignant time to ponder and reflect not just about the Huracán, but also my Lamborghini story and how it all started.

So, Lamborghini organised a final drive in none other than the swansong Huracán STO for this very purpose. I flinched with excitement about being behind the wheel of the STO. When I drove it for a review a few years back, I thought it would really be the last time. So it’s a pleasant surprise to be able to experience the STO’s visceral pleasure once again.

How did it all begin? Pray tell.

Let’s start from the beginning. The very first Lamborghini I interacted with at length was the Gallardo LP560-4. The complicated descriptors behind the Gallardo name stipulated that it was the facelifted model of the original Gallardo, unveiled in 2008. ‘LP’ stood for longitudinal posteriore, or the north-south layout of the engine, while 560 referred to the output of the car in PS (40 more than before). Finally, the ‘4’ referred to the all-wheel drive configuration.

A friend bought his brand new back then, finished in a gorgeous yellow hue. I couldn’t refuse a ride in his car as he went on a drive with some of the most sought after cars of the time. Of course, being all of 20 years old, I never hoped to drive the car and was very content being a passenger. Little did I know that a good 15 years later, I would be given the keys to the Huracan STO.

Lucky you - how is it?

Huracán means "hurricane" in Spanish and just like the Gallardo, the Huracán's name honours a famous Spanish fighting bull, known for its bravery. This time, the 5.2-litre V10 produces 640 PS - a whopping 80 PS more than the LP560-4. However, I’d argue the biggest change to the car is its dual-clutch gearbox, which buried forever any concerns about the Gallardo’s lack of daily usability due to its clunky single automatic clutch gearbox, the E-Gear. Thanks to the dual-clutcher, the most extreme form of the Huracan is perfectly smooth and fuss-free to drive daily.

The next thing Lamborghini did was to start offering rear-wheel drive (RWD) variants of the Huracan as a permanent fixture on the model line-up, in contrast to the Gallardo which dabbled with RWD only in special editions. The LP580-2 was one of these, along with the LP610-2 Evo RWD, STO and Tecnica that came with the facelift (among others). This changed Lamborghini’s character ever so slightly to be edgier, more enthusiast focused and purist - a good direction in my books.

But just as I first sat in the Gallardo so many years back, the incredible sensation of being in a Lamborghini never left as I slotted myself into the Huracan’s thinly padded seats. The impossibly low slung roofline, the storming soundtrack and the arresting looks all remained. The Gallardo’s impressive swoopy interior set the benchmark for the Huracan, which remarkably was even better, taking technology from the Volkswagen Group and making it their own. Inside and out, it feels like a very, very special car.

And the drive, well, need I even say more? Check out my video review here:

Ciao, Huracan!

Here’s a toast to the Huracan, a befitting extension of the indelible memories I held with the Gallardo, now etched with the STO. I feel privileged to be alive in this era when I could experience all of these cars first hand. Lamborghini is one of those very few brands that ‘get it’, and I reckon it will stay true to its roots as it builds the Huracan successor.

Photos by James Wong

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