We all know about endorphins. They’re those spunky polypeptides produced by the body that stimulate feelings of immense pleasure and well-being.
Eating chocolate and drinking wine are great endorphin releasers. Of course you knew that.
But there’s another source of endorphin production that’s far more effective than any Godiva or Pinot Noir. Let me introduce you to the newest offering from Automobili Lamborghini, the tangerine dream machine that’s this Huracán EVO RWD Spyder.
The endorphins this 610-horsepower, V10-engined bundle of joy can deliver are up there with hearing Pavarotti hitting the high notes on Nessun Dorma, quaffing a 1961 Château Latour, or being handed a basketful of kittens to cuddle.
There really aren’t enough superlatives in Webster’s to adequately describe the way this hurricane-force Huracán can slingshot itself off the line, dragster-style.
And nothing prepares you for the mayhem as this Angry Bird rocketship spins its rear wheels like a Fourth of July pinwheel and lunge at the horizon in a smokey haze of flambe’d rubber. I’ve driven plenty of super-fast cars before; this one scared the snot out of me.
Time, perhaps, for a few Cliffs Notes on the raging bull from Sant’Agata Bolognese, Italy.
Introduced way back in 2014, the Huracán replaced the much-loved Gallardo as the first rung on the ladder of Lamborghini ownership. Over the years it has evolved, first into the Huracán Performante, then the EVO. But the key here is that it always stuck with all-wheel drive to help wrangle all that power – and keep drivers out of the hedgerows.
For purists, having all-wheel drive has been a bone of contention. They argued that somehow it de-sensitized the car, taking away some of the raw, driver-focused, laser-precise responses.
Last year however, the wraps came off the Hurácan EVO RWD, with that honking mid-mounted 5.2-liter V10 spinning just the rear rims. Lighter, more nimble, more tail-happy, it instantly became the most fun-driving, old-school Lambo you could buy.
And talking of lira, the base price of our Florida orange Spyder convertible came in at $229,428, or around $15,000 less than the $214,366 Coupe version. A raft of must-have options will easily take the sticker north of $250,000.
But toggle a switch and that tight-fitting canvas roof powers back, disappearing beneath a hard cover in a mere 17 seconds, and at speeds up to 31mph. Aaaah, sunshine.
Top down, the Hurácan makes a terrific convertible, with hardly any wind buffeting, even at close to triple-digit velocities. And with the top dropped, it’s all the better for inhaling that insane, manic, Guns N’ Roses V10 soundtrack.
Inside, you sit in hip-hugging, carbon-fiber-shelled seats, gripping a wheel that looks straight out of a race car. And the theater that goes into operating this orange projectile is just so Italian. Flick up a big red flap to hit the start button, pull back on an oversized lever to engage reverse, shift gears with paddle shifters the size of elephant ears; Tom Cruise in Top Gun: Maverick would just feel right at home.
Drive it like you stole it and this newest Huracán is a pure, brutal, passionate assault on the senses. In today’s hyper-car world, zero-to-60 in 3.3 seconds is nothing special – there are kid-toting Teslas that can get there in 2.4 seconds, as will the all-wheel-drive Huracán EVO.
But the fury of the RWD’s acceleration, the brutal 8,700rpm upshifts and that truly spine-tingling, hairs-on-the-back-of-your neck-raising soundtrack makes it feel like the Starship Enterprise going to warp speed.
Rear-drive only boosts those endorphins. The way the car squirms under hard acceleration, the way the back-end can be nudged out of line on a tight corner. Everything feels alive, animate, alert, and dialed up to 11.
Yet, for me, the beauty of this beast is that it can all be dialed back for moments of less frenetic driving. Select “Strada” mode and the exhaust calms, the suspension softens, and the shifts on the 7-speed dual-clutch automatic turn Teflon-smooth.
Here’s without doubt, the best all-round Lamborghini I’ve driven; a passionate, thrilling, open-top supercar you could actually use as a daily driver. And, when it comes to an endorphin release, it’s way better than chocolate.
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