Frankfurt show: Lambo lifts Huracan's lid

LAMBORGHINI has lifted the lid on its drop-top Huracan LP 610-4 Spyder at the Frankfurt motor show that will carry a price tag of $470,800 plus on-road costs when it hits Australian shores next year.

The soft-top roadster brings a $42,800 premium to the $428,000 coupe that arrived Down Under in September last year, and it is pricier than Ferrari's California T ($409,888), but undercuts the Porsche 911 Turbo S Cabriolet ($466,500).

The underpinnings and body are essentially the same as the coupe, but the Spyder gains an electro-hydraulic lightweight soft-top that can be lowered in 17 seconds at speeds of up to 50km/h, and the roof is offered in thee colours – black, brown and red.

Occupants can electronically open the rear window which functions as a windscreen when closed, but when it is open, it acts as an amplifier for the V10 engine that sits behind the cabin.

Lamborghini says when the roof is down, the Huracan maintains the Spyder’s “perfect centre of gravity” and reveals “the athletic and equally powerful lines of the open car”, and when the roof is up, the soft-top fits “perfectly” into its silhouette.

It features hidden automatic pop-up safety bars and a pair of moveable 'fins' that rise up behind the seat-backs over the folding roof casing, while an integrated duct reduces turbulence in the headroom when the top is down.

The Italian supercar-maker is offering the Spyder with two removable lateral wind guards to help improve the acoustics during open-top driving so occupants can still converse.

Behind the passenger cell is a ballistic 5.2-litre V10 engine delivering 449kW at 8250rpm and 560Nm at 6500rpm ensuring a top speed of 324km/h, a 0-100km/h sprint of 3.4 seconds – 0.2s slower than the hardtop coupe – and 0-200km/h in 10.2s.

It is matched with the 'Lamborghini Doppia Frizione' (LDF) seven-speed dual-clutch transmission with a hydraulic multi-plate coupling and switches torque between the two axles for a 43/57 front/rear weight distribution.

Three driving modes – Strada, Sport and Corsa – change the transmission mapping, engine, sound, all-wheel drive, ESC and handling systems.

A lightweight chassis made from aluminium at the front and rear with extensive use of carbon-fibre for the passenger cell improves torsional stiffness by 40 per cent over the old Gallardo Spyder with the Huracan weighing 1542kg.

As part of a 2016 model year update to the Huracan range, Lamborghini has introduced idle-stop and cylinder-on-demand technology, with the latter deactivating one cylinder bank under partial load, helping to lower fuel consumption to 12.3 litres per 100 kilometres.

Inside, the Spyder follows the coupe with a 12.3-inch TFT display housing the Lamborghini Infotainment System II, steering wheel controls, Alcantara and fine Nappa leather trim, five trim combinations with 17 interior colour options. It also comes standard with 20-inch Giano wheels and options include a Style package, Lamborghini's Dynamic Steering system and a high-end sound system.

Automobili Lamborghini president and CEO Stephan Winkelmann said he expects the Huracan Spyder to outsell its predecessor, the Gallardo Spyder, which was the best-selling open-top Raging Bull model in history.

“The Huracan LP 610-4 Spyder is the next chapter in the success story of the naturally aspirated V10 Huracan, and continues a Lamborghini tradition of open air motoring,” he said.

“The Huracan Spyder combines the innovation, performance and appeal of the Huracan coupe, with new technologies and an added emotional dimension. Its predecessor, the Gallardo Spyder, was the best-selling open top model in Lamborghini’s history: we expect the Huracan Spyder to exceed its predecessor in every way.”

Keen Lamborghini fans can place an order with their nearest dealer now, with Australian deliveries kicking off early next year.