First Impressions

We live in a time where people want what they want...and we want a lot. Performance car makers like BMW, Mercedes, and Porsche have been accommodating of late by making tweener models that offer most of the performance of their track stars with the every day drivability of their base level counterparts. Well now Lamborghini is doing the same with this Huracan Tecnica. And, they flew me out to Valencia, Spain to put its tweener traits to the test.

Over the last eight years Lamborghini has offered seemingly endless Huracan variants, all upping the performance bar eventually reaching a level never before seen from the Italian brand with a hardcore track version dubbed the STO. Well this 2023 Huracan Tecnica is an STO in sheep’s clothing and Lamborghini’s version of a sleeper.

No Lambo could ever be described as subtle, but compared to the STO the Tecnica is as close as it gets. The massive rear wing is gone and so are the front air ducts. Still, from a design standpoint, this isn’t your standard issue Huracan. The body receives aggressive front and rear touches which are also functional resulting in 35% more downforce and 20% less drag than the rear-drive EVO.

The interior of my test car is heavy on the STO vibes with carbon fiber door panels, sport seats and a carpetless floor. But these are options based on what Lamborghini thinks most buyers will prefer. Standard Tecnicas come comfier with more luxurious materials.

Riding midship is the Huracan’s calling card. A naturally aspirated 5.2L V10 churning out 631 horsepower and over 400 pound-feet of torque. The same as in the STO. Similarly, power travels to the rear wheels via 7-speed dual clutch automatic.

Fortunately I didn’t have to wait long to confirm these numbers as the Circuit Ricardo Tormo was open and accepting new rubber.

"So I'm in Sport mode now which is the middle of the three driving modes: Strada for street, Sport...self explainatory, and of course Coursa for track work. Keeping it in Sport though out here on the track...it will actually shift on its own. You don't have to go up in the manual. But if I go into Coursa here...now I'm shifting on my own. 4, 3, 2, with the paddles. Great paddle feel. Shifts come in an instant. [Laughs] And with each downshift, just a beautiful song.

So the top speed of this thing is actually a little over 200 miles-per-hour, which is higher than the STO. But again, it doesn't have that massive rear wing holding it down. I got to say I'm really enjoying just driving around the track at relaxed pace because I'm learning a lot about the car. If you just keep to your line, focus on your braking zones, making sure you're getting on the throttle at the right times, steering...all the little things, you realize you're actually going really fast. A lot faster than you think you are and that's a testimate to how good this car is on the track because I feel like I'm going faster than I could in probably 99% of cars that I drive on the racetrack but I feel just as comfortable as I would in maybe a Golf or something like that."

Credit for that goes to Lamborghini’s vehicle dynamics processor known as LDVI. Put simply, it’s an on-board computer that’s constantly at work helping you feel like a superhero on the race track. Of course the other half of the Tecnica’s tale is its street manners, which I became well acquainted with on the tight and winding roads outside Valencia.

"I don't get to drive Lambos on the street very often, I'm usually confined to the track and I realize that sounds like a humblebrag but this is pretty cool and important with this car because this is supposed to bridge the gap between the base level EVO and the super high performance STO. As far as daily comfort, I mean I know not many people are going to daily their Lamborghini Huracan but things like general engine noise coming from the back...I mean even in Strata mode it sounds like a party's going on back there but then you up to Sport, get into it a little bit...it just turns into a full-on rager, man. And then of course with the after party with the nice cracks and pops. 

So you hear things like engine noises, transmission noises, actually when you get on the brakes you can hear pad hitting rotor which is cool if you're into that sort of thing...you know they're working. So this does have 4-wheel steering like the STO and you feel it in these tight corners. It really shortens that wheelbase effectively so here...comes around, you can feel the rear end coming out. Not in like a scary "it's going to get away from you" way but in like a "oh, I'm getting help around this corner" kind of way. The STO and the Tecnica I think falls in this category, you have to push it pretty hard to get it to respond the way that really brings out the best in the car. I think at these kind of speeds, its fun and all, but if you really are looking for something that's more suited for a more comfortable drive on a backroad...Tecnica...I don't think that's it. I think it's a really great car, its a really fund car to drive for me. I think its the best value in the Huracan lineup but its not for everyone. That engine noise on the other hand is for everyone."

The Tecnica is the second to last Huracan model Lamborghini will offer and despite the modern appearance and advanced performance electronics, it feels a lot like a classic Italian exotic. 

Coming to the states later this year, the Lamborghini Huracan Tecnica starts just under $245,000. Steep, but a bargain compared to $333,000 STO.

Luckily, our reviews are free of charge and we’ll have more on the Tecnica and others soon on Motorweek.