Lamborghini Announces New Rear-Wheel Drive Huracán EVO

Lamborghini has announced that a more driver-focused, rear-wheel drive example of the Huracán EVO will be joining its line-up later this year. Power and torque from the Audi-built 5.2-litre V10 has been confirmed at 610hp and 413lb ft (560Nm) respectively, all of which will be sent rearwards.

Like the previous RWD Huracán, and the Gallardo predecessor that reignited the concept of rear-wheel drive Lamborghinis for the first time since the Diablo, focus is almost exclusively on driving engagement rather than ungainly 0-100kph sprints and flat chat triple tons. Indeed, Lamborghini CEO Stefano Domenicali explains that the “the driver is at the centre of the Huracán EVO RWD’s performance, with unfiltered feedback and an emotive and more engaging driving experience controlled by the pilot.”

A large part of the more visceral performance comes down to the weight saving, the RWD EVO dropping to 1,389kg over its AWD predecessor’s 1,422kg. Admittedly, the resultant lack of traction means the RWD’s 3.3-second 0-100kph run is now four-tenths slower than its all-wheel drive contemporary, but that, plus a 325kph top speed, is hardly something to sniff at for a ‘baby’ Raging Bull. Both models will continue to come as standard with a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.

Where the real work comes though is via the “specially tuned traction control system.” Unlike the AWD model, the new RWD EVO’s Performance Traction Control System does without four-wheel steering and four-wheel torque vectoring, though the P-TCS has been calibrated to keep the torque flowing even on opposite lock.

Interested customers though will have three different traction settings to choose from: Strada provides the driver with an electronic safety net; Sport allows more slip and thus larger slide angles; lastly, Corsa optimizes the car’s traction and agility when exiting a corner, improving corner-exit traction by 20% over the previous Huracán RWD model and enhances oversteer by 30%. The hairier-chested Lamborghini aspirants amongst you also have the option to turn traction control off entirely. Gulp!

How will you be able to tell a rear-wheel drive model from an all-wheel drive? Well that’s going to be tricky, given that, aesthetically, the only difference will be (presumably) the restyled emblem, a new front splitter, vertical fins over the air intakes, a gloss black rear bumper, and a new diffuser “unique to the Huracan EVO RWD.”

North American customers will be asked to part company with $208,571 USD for the newboy, while interested parties in the UK and Europe will need to fork over £137,000 and €159,443 respectively. Excluding tax, of course.

*Images courtesy of Lamborghini