2023 Lamborghini Huracán Tecnica

2023 Lamborghini Huracán Tecnica

TECNICAly The Best Huracan Yet

Episode 4222
Auto Value and Bumper to BumperTire Rack "The Way Tire Buying Should Be"

While we’d all like to see a Lamborghini Huracán STO sitting in our garage, it’s one car that truly does belong on a racetrack. Now, if there was only a way to get the STO’s performance in a street-friendly ride that’s as easy to drive as it is easy on the eyes. Well, Lamborghini has granted our wishes with the Huracán Tecnica!

Unless you spend a lot of time following all the goings-on in the exotic performance car world, you might find it hard to keep up with Lamborghini. Since they established a whole new level of supercar accessibility with the entry-level Huracán for 2015, they’ve been constantly evolving it, even adding Evo to the name of its current base model to drive the point home.

Their latest wind of change is this 2023 Lamborghini Huracán Tecnica which takes most of what makes the top STO great, including its engine, and puts it in a something a little more street-able; essentially creating an additional tweener model between mild and wild. Regardless, it’s a Lamborghini, so we couldn’t wait to get on the track at Savannah, Georgia’s Roebling Road Raceway. 

With all of its performance potential, it’s clear right away that the friendly Huracán nature remains fully intact. Your senses tell you to take it easy the first few laps, but you soon find yourself pushing harder and harder. 

Much of the STO’s outlandish aero treatments are gone, that means a smaller wing and fewer air intakes. But the car’s shape itself still creates an amazing amount of downforce, providing grip aplenty for the tires; which are 245/30 Bridgestone Potenza Sports in front, 305/30 in rear; all mounted on diamond-cut 20-inch wheels. The front splitter is unique, as is the rear fascia, along with a subtle reshaping of the panel at the base of the windshield.   

Lamborghini’s LDVI integrated driving dynamics control works through Strada, Sport, and Corsa drive modes, staying mostly behind the scenes enhancing your abilities, not holding back the car’s. For track use, Corsa puts you mostly in total control, though there always seems to be a safety net in place.  

The Tecnica is rear-wheel drive only, so the front end feels lighter than AWD variants, and more willing to turn in; aided by good steering feel for precise inputs, as well as standard rear-wheel steer. Carbon-ceramic brakes are included, giving great feel and consistent results throughout our track days. It absolutely wails going around the track thanks to the free-flowing exhaust of that glorious mid-ship mounted V10 engine.  

This 5.2-liter naturally aspirated V10 was an outlier when it first arrived; no turbos, superchargers, or battery assist. It’s even more so now, and we love hearing every one of its 631-horsepower and 417 lb-ft. of torque being made. It still works through the same 7-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.  

Put to the straight-line test, despite being rear-drive only, there was no lack of grip off the line. Just immense power flowing non-stop. We hit 60 in only 2.9-seconds and finished the ¼ in 10.7-seconds at 134 miles-per-hour. 

Lamborghini has already said that they’ll be winding down Huracán production soon; so, were not sure whether to be sad about that, or excited for what’s next. At its base level, the Tecnica is more luxurious and less purposeful than the STO, but with the full cannon of Lamborghini customizations available, buyers can basically add in as many of the STO’s goodies as they want, including lots of carbon fiber.

Driven on the street, it’s not quite like a Camry, but it is comfortable and surprisingly easy to drive; though thankfully you can still hear plenty of mechanical noises, and you’re obviously well conscious of your investment.

While performance-wise the Tecnica is situated in between the base Huracán Evo and top STO, Lamborghini no longer offers a rear-wheel drive base Huracán, so the Tecnica actually starts a few thousand less, at $244,795.  Meaning, unless you absolutely need all-wheel drive, you can get the best of both Huracán worlds, and still pay a tad less for it.

So, while most people in our world today tend to look at compromise as a dirty word, it’s the very thing that made the Huracán a true game changer when it arrived, and what has continued to make it a longtime success story. The 2023 Lamborghini Huracán Tecnica takes that theme to the extreme; though engineered for the street, it feels equally at home on the track, making it “TECNICAly”, the best Huracán yet.

 

Specifications

  • Engine: 5.2L V10
  • Horsepower: 631
  • Torque: 417 lb-ft
  • 0-60 mph: 2.9 seconds
  • 1/4 Mile: 10.7 seconds at 134 mph
2024 Polestar 2 3/4 Front

2024 Polestar 2

More Range And More Power For The Polestar 2

Episode 4333
Auto Value and Bumper to BumperTire Rack "The Way Tire Buying Should Be"

Volvo is well on their way to making the transition to an all-electric brand, but their sister-brand Polestar is already there. Now, we’ve spent lots of time in their all-wheel drive, five-door Polestar 2, having tested it in 2021, and a year later when a two-wheel drive version arrived. But, EV updates are coming quickly. So, let us be your guide for all that’s new with the Polestar 2.

While we are driving more EVs than ever, we’ve also been spending a lot of time recently circling back to ones we’ve previously tested. As in this new era of electrified vehicles, significant updates are arriving quickly, with R&D investments increasing and retrofitting them easier than ever. This is often done through software updates that can even be accomplished over the air. For 2024, the Polestar 2 has indeed gotten some software updates, but some physical ones as well.

Clearly aimed directly at Tesla’s Model 3 when it arrived; the Polestar 2’s build quality was vastly better, but range definitely came up short. So, addressing that was priority No. 1; and for ’24 the Polestar can travel up to 20% farther than before while consuming 9% less energy, and when it comes time to charge it back up, it can do that 34% faster too.

2024 Polestar 2 Dead Front
2024 Polestar 2 Profile
2024 Polestar 2 3/4 Rear
2024 Polestar 2 Dead Rear
2024 Polestar 2 Charge Port
2024 Polestar 2 Wheel
2024 Polestar 2 Badge
2024 Polestar 2 Badge 2
2024 Polestar 2 Dead Front2024 Polestar 2 Profile2024 Polestar 2 3/4 Rear2024 Polestar 2 Dead Rear2024 Polestar 2 Charge Port2024 Polestar 2 Wheel2024 Polestar 2 Badge2024 Polestar 2 Badge 2

Range in the Single Motor version increases from a max of 270 to 320 miles thanks to a larger 82-kWh battery pack, and that solitary motor now powers the rear wheels, not the front wheels. It’s also bigger, coming in at 220 kW compared to the previous 170 kW front-wheel drive version, going from 231 to 299 horsepower.

Dual Motors keep the same 78-kWh battery, but still sees a boost from 260 to 276 miles and takes advantage of the larger rear motor for a new combined 310-kW output with 421 horsepower. Our test car has the added Performance Pack, which uses an additional 35 kW to deliver 455 horsepower and 546 lb-ft of torque, though max range drops to just 247 miles.

The new battery in rear-drive 2s will also charge faster, now accepting up to 205 kW for an 80% charge in 20 minutes; max for dual-motors stays at 155 kW, which puts an 80% charge at 34 minutes. Using 32 kWh of electricity per 100 miles, the Dual Motor earns a good efficiency rating.

The [Polestar] 2 has always been one of the most enjoyable EVs to drive, even more so now with that additional power coming from the rear motor.

Unfortunately, extremely cold temperatures kept us from seeing that increased range, as we were only on pace for about 194 miles in our test.

The 2 has always been one of the most enjoyable EVs to drive, even more so now with that additional power coming from the rear motor. And especially when equipped with the Performance Pack as it not only includes more power, but adds 20-inch forged wheels, upgraded brakes, and adjustable Ohlins Dual Flow Valve performance dampers. It greatly improves handling prowess without affecting ride quality, and is easily worth the $5,500 charge if you at all enjoy driving.

Even on a 20-degree track day there was plenty of grip through our handling course. No understeer or oversteer, and lots of feedback through the wheel. There was a nice, strong launch off the line that properly planted us firmly in the seat, and rocketed us to 60 in 4.5 seconds. Power delivery stayed pretty intense up until about 80 mph when there was a definite tapering off. Still, it was a 13.4-second quarter-mile at 102 mph; smooth, quiet, and stable the whole way.

2024 Polestar 2 Driver Side Dash
2024 Polestar 2 Passenger Side Dash
2024 Polestar 2 Front Seats
2024 Polestar 2 Steering Wheel
2024 Polestar 2 Instrument Cluster
2024 Polestar 2 Center Display
2024 Polestar 2 Shifter
2024 Polestar 2 Rear Seats
2024 Polestar 2 Front Trunk
2024 Polestar 2 Trunk
2024 Polestar 2 Driver Side Dash2024 Polestar 2 Passenger Side Dash2024 Polestar 2 Front Seats2024 Polestar 2 Steering Wheel2024 Polestar 2 Instrument Cluster2024 Polestar 2 Center Display2024 Polestar 2 Shifter2024 Polestar 2 Rear Seats2024 Polestar 2 Front Trunk2024 Polestar 2 Trunk

When this car debuted, its Google-based infotainment setup was a novelty, but since then, more and more manufacturers are just “Googling it” so it doesn’t seem out of place at all. The wireless phone charger is easy to access, and there’s a great Harmon/Kardon sound system and panoramic sunroof to enhance the in-cabin experience. Exteriors have also been enhanced with a smooth grille insert and new wheel choices.

Hatchback practicality means 14.3 cu-ft of easy to access cargo space with split-folding seatbacks for longer items and expanding the space to 38.7 cu-ft. Plus, there’s even a sizeable storage bin up front under the hood.

Single Motor Polestar 2 pricing now starts at $51,300, with Dual Motors starting at $56,700; topping out at $64,400.

For a car manufacturer that hasn’t even been around for a decade yet, Polestar has kept itself busy, totally transforming their latest model in just a few years, making the 2024 Polestar 2 even more appealing. They are certainly off to a good start, and with a host of Polestars just over the horizon, including some all-important utility vehicles, this star will be shining even brighter.

Specifications

As Tested

  • Motor Setup: Dual Motor
  • Horsepower: 455
  • 0-60 mph: 4.5 seconds
  • EPA Range: 247 miles
  • Efficiency : 32 kWh / 100 miles
  • Battery Size: 78-kWh
  • Torque: 546 lb-ft
  • 1/4 Mile: 13.4 seconds at 102 mph
  • MW Test Loop: ~ 194 miles
  • Peak Charging Rate: 155 kW