LOS ANGELES -- What’s old is new again at Lamborghini.
After years of building supercars that were almost exclusively all-wheel drive, the Italian brand is going back to rear-wheel-drive basics with the debut of the Huracan LP 580-2.
Announced a day before the 2015 Los Angeles Auto Show, the midengine, V-10 coupe is the third -- and cheapest -- Huracan road car after the awd coupe and convertible variants.
“The Lamborghini Huracan LP 580-2 continues the Lamborghini tradition of pure, visionary and technology-driven models,” Lamborghini CEO Stephan Winkelmann said in a statement. “The rear-wheel drive model fits perfectly into our Huracan family, appealing to those wanting an even more intense driving experience, or who currently drive other rear-wheel-drive marques and aspire to driving a Lamborghini.”
The Huracan LP 580-2 uses the same naturally aspirated, 5.2-liter, V-10 engine as its awd counterparts. Power drops to 572 hp from 601 hp, and torque drops to 398 pounds-feet from 413 pounds-feet. Cylinder deactivation remains in the name of saving fuel, as does the Huracan’s seven-speed dual-clutch transmission.
The 580-2 is 73 pounds lighter without the weight of the awd system. Lacking the Earth-gripping traction on takeoff, the rwd model’s 0-to-62-mph time is 3.4 seconds, 0.2 seconds slower than the Huracan LP 610-4 coupe.
The suspension, steering and stability and traction controls all have been recalibrated for the revised setup, Lamborghini said. The Pirelli tires are also unique, as is the 580-2’s front fascia.
The Huracan LP 580-2 will start at $201,100 including a gas guzzler tax, or about $39,000 less than the awd LP 610-4 coupe.
