A year on from the debut of the re-styled and re-engineered Huracan EVO and Lamborghini has officially presented a new rear-wheel drive derivative, aptly named the Huracan EVO Rear-Wheel Drive (RWD). Not the dandiest of names, especially for an Italian supercar, but Lamborghini promises to “put the driver at the center of the driving experience”, much like its predecessors, the 2009 Gallardo LP 550-2 that re-introduced RWD to Lamborghini’s range after a decade or so, and the original Huracan before it.
Power comes from a de-tuned version of the all-wheel drive Huracan EVO’s, mid-mounted and Audi-built, 5.2-liter naturally-aspirated V10. It produces a slightly lower 602 HP at 8,000 rpm and 560 Nm of torque at 6,500 rpm. That compares to the AWD model’s 631 HP and 600 Nm. As with the former, it’s only available with a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission with launch control function.
However, less, sometimes means more, and by doing away with the standard car’s four-wheel drive system as well as four-wheel steering and four-wheel torque vectoring systems, the RWD model drops 33 kg weighing in at 1,389 kg without fluids, versus the AWD car’s 1,422 kg dry weight. As you may suspect, it also results in reduced traction making it a hair slower than the all-wheel drive Huracan requiring 0.4 sec more for the 0-100 km/h sprint at 3.3 sec and 0.3 sec more for the 0-200 km/h run at 9.3 sec. the RWD Huracan EVO maintains the same top speed of 325 km/h as the AWD version.
While slower than the Huracan EVO AWD, Lamborghini says the RWD car has been engineered to offer a more fun-to-drive (read less safe in inexperienced hands) experience in both dry and wet conditions. Much of that has been achieved through the new Performance Traction Control System (P-TCS) calibrated specifically for the rear-wheel drive EVO, delivering torque even when the car is realigning following drifting or side-slipping.
The system offers three familiar driving modes selected through a steering wheel button, beginning with the more protective ‘STRADA’ that minimizes rear wheel slippage. Moving on to ‘SPORT’ allows for more slip and larger slide angles while ‘CORSA’ is calibrated to achieve the rear-wheel slip that optimizes the car’s traction and agility when exiting a corner. Lamborghini claims that the redesigned P-TCS improves smoothness of intervention by 30% compared to the previous Huracán RWD model, corner-exit traction by 20% and enhances oversteer by 30%. The RWD model that has a front/rear weight distribution of 40/60 comes with steel springs and hydraulic dampers, but the “MagneRide” electromagnetic dampers are available as an option too.
The Italians made some minor design tweaks to differentiate it from the all-wheel drive coupe including a new front splitter, vertical fins within the larger, framed front air intakes, and a high-gloss rear bumper incorporating a new diffuser. The RWD model rides on 19-inch Kari rims wrapped in specially-developed Pirelli P Zero tires covering ventilated and cross-drilled steel brakes, while as an option, 20-inch rims and carbo-ceramic brakes are available.
A well-equipped Alfa Romeo Stelvio less than the standard AWD Huracan EVO in the States, as prices for the RWD model start at US$ 208,571 compared to the former’s US$ 261,274 MSRP. In the UK, the RWD Huracan EVO is listed at £ 137,000 or about £ 28,000 less than the AWD model.
First customer deliveries of the Huracan EVO RWD are set to begin in spring this year.
