The Rag-top Racer

As asinine as it may sound, the Huracan supercar is the baby of the Lamborghini family. It came into the scene in 2014 and took the supercar world by storm, quickly dismissing presumptions of being too civilised and less 'Lambo'. The LP 580-2 variant that followed had a negligible power deficit but the rear-wheel drive characteristics made it a driver's dream. To that superlative series of Huracans, Lamborghini has now added the LP 610-4 Spyder. Being the most flamboyant of the lot, we didn't need an excuse to try one. But as a reviewer, we would take this opportunity to point out a few specific shortcomings as well.

DESIGN & AESTHETICS
Making an entrance in a Lamborghini Huracan is as subtle as dropping a plate in a library. from the second floor. The Huracan may not have the fantasy scissor doors or a giant rear wing, but it embodies all the other jaw-dropping Lamborghini attributes that you fantasied about as a child.
Its sharp nose and low-slung profile creates the quintessential aerodynamic silhouette that is ready to cut through wind and everything else in its way. Its pointy arrow, Y-shaped LED headlamps, which double as the amber turn signal indicators, draw out the 'anger' - or, shall we say, passion and spirit - that was used to build the car. From the rear, the LP 610-4 Spyder remains true to the aggressive coupe design, with horizontal red LED strips placed over the quad tail pipes that are ready to thunder away at the hint of an open throttle. Finally, a sculpted lip spoiler almost invisibly does the job of creating greater downforce than a Gallardo Spyder. Giving this Italian exotic poise are 20-inch wheels with a special narrow-spoke design that exposes the texture of the brake discs; they come wrapped in ultra-low profile 245-section tyres in front and 305 mm wide Pirelli P Zero at the back - and are as close to racing slicks as you can get on a street car.
The most obvious distinction is the roof construction. In the Spyder, the metal roof has been replaced by a three-tier fabric roof, with a synthetic rubber mid layer for improved insulation from the elements. And like Ferrari with the 488 Spider and Porsche with the 911, Lambo too have managed to seamlessly integrate the rag top with the rest of the body (unlike some hideous contraptions atop other cars).
With the press of a button, the roof folds neatly into the rear bodywork in 17 seconds, which may seem like a pedestrian pace compared to the 911 Boxster's 9 seconds and the 488's 14 seconds - but this is all about showing off so, in some ways, the longer it takes, the better. It is also operational on the move (upto 50 km/h). By keeping it open, you turn the focus from the emphatic lines of the Huracan to the occupants, and that is precisely what a person driving a Lambo desires - more attention. From experience, let us tell you that keeping the top open is the easiest way to get in too.
The seat is set low - which is fine if you're young and healthy, but for those tending toward the magic 40 or with knees giving way, do enter with caution. The cabin is surprisingly spacious (tall folks included), and the wedge and crystalline theme from the exterior is present in the cockpit too. The beautiful 3-spoke flat-bottom steering - seen as artwork to many petrolheads - has a mix of alcantara, leather and metal-shaded plastic parts, and falls well in your hands.
Lamborghini has attempted to create a clean look by removing the steering column stalks and relocating the controls for high beam, washers and turn indicators to the spokes on the wheel, which some may find finicky to use. Some may also disagree with the long paddle shifters being attached to the column rather than the steering wheel, but we found it convenient for street drives. The reverse gear, a large, pull-back toggle, and a starter button that partially conceals itself under a red flap, almost like a jet fighter, add to the visual drama.
In the Spyder, the glance-away screen on the centre stack has been replaced with a driver-centric 12.3-inch full-color TFT screen for instrument gauges and everything else. As for navigating the menus, the Audi-derived MMI 4-quadrant controls are at your disposal with on-screen graphics that mix video games perspectives with future tech, but it remains legible. There is also a slim display for the climate control, which can be switched to show oil pressure, oil temperature and voltage, that sits above the row of fighter-jet style toggle switches for secondary functions like windows, hazard signal etc.
The space-ship inspired cabin comes with seats drapped in Nero Ade black with soft leather and alcantara. The padding on the seats are more firm than soft, but provide great lateral support. Keep the drives to a few hours and the suspension that rattles your spine won't go chronic.

POWERTRAIN & PERFORMANCE
Unlike the coupe, which has a glass cover that leaves the vicious naturally-aspirated 5.2-litre V10 disclosed, the Spyder has an opaque rear panel with vanes that you need to flip open to view the mechanicals. It may not be force-fed, but it uses several technologies like both port and direct injection to generate some prodigious race-bred horsepower and tractor-towing torque at all revs.
This V10 will easily crank out the same 600 horses at 8,250 rpm and the same torque of 560Nm at 6,500 rpm as the coupe - which are monumental stats - but it also has to deal with greater mass. At 1,542 kg, it is some 120 kg heavier than the coupe. In conjunction with the V10, the Spyder employs Audi's 7-speed dual-clutch transmission, called LDF or Lamborghini Doppia Frizione.
Having finished adoring the interior and exterior bits, we settled into race mode and cranked up the engine. Beware if you are parked in a basement: it will scare the ghost out of you. An explosion of noise, the thundering exhaust note can wake up a whole zip code if provoked. As expected, we were careful to adjust to the relatively broad dimensions and the tarmac scratching body, but once accustomed, we went into joyride mode, racing down streets, ripping tarmac and raising dust. Like the coupe, it pulls hard in virtually any gear that is engaged. In moments you can go from stationary to escaping velocity. With 'Thrust mode' active, it will blitz past the 100 km/h mark in a claimed 3.4 seconds and hit 200 km/h in 10.2 seconds. Given the weight disadvantage, it's no surprise that the coupe is a few tenths quicker and turbocharged rivals like the 488 Spider and the 911 Turbo S does it in a scantier 3.0 seconds. But when you're that deep in triple digits, with the scenery turning into a blur and blood rushing through your veins, you really can't make out much of a difference.
The 'Adaptive Network Intelligent Management' - abbreviated to ANIMA, and translating to soul in Italian - is the Huracan Spyder's drive mode shifter. A red toggle on the steering wheel puts it into a variety of drive modes such as STRADA for everyday driving, SPORT for keeping the engine revved up and suspension stiffened, and CORSA for high-velocity antics around a circuit without the electronic nannies. The latter purposely incorporated jolts between shifts for that extra 'josh'.
With the older Italian exotics, one wrestled with the steering to coerce it into the intended lines, but the Spyder's Lamborghini Dynamic Steering variable steering ratio system makes it easy to drive within city limits and makes it heftier at high speed for stability. It also inspires confidence around curves and offers superior grip from massive tyres and the rear-biased all-wheel drive system that don't break traction easily.
It gets magneto-rheologic suspension damper that somehow uses synthetic oil as well as tiny, contained magnetic metal pieces and voltage variations to adjust suspension damping in real time. That, combined with the double wishbone suspension on all four corners, makes the ride bearable for the passenger who isn't in communion with spirited driving.  
The AWD Spyder, with its standard carbon ceramic brakes, uses 6-piston and 4-piston at the rear and makes for a composed, at times abrupt, braking experience. It was something we could easily appreciate. And while the fuel economy figure of 12.3 L/100 km makes it a true gas guzzler, we appreciate how Lamborghini uses cylinder deactivation technology to switch off a complete bank of cylinders to reduce consumption, highlighting their desire to keep Nature unhurt.

FEATURES & FUNCTIONALITY
Unlike Lamborghinis of the past where you'd need to graft a new nose every time you scraped a hump, the Huracan Spyder utilises push-button hydraulics to raise the front suspension when required to help you over a hump.
Safety is never the first thought in a supercar but Lamborghini has enough features to keep your body parts intact. In the event of an accident, you have four airbags and belt tensioners to reduce impact. A reversing camera helps with the chore of parking, which you sorely need considering the view out of the rearview mirror is nothing but sky and the roof of the car behind you. Being the convertible that it is, you have a pop-up roll bar that will keep your head attached to your inverted body in case the car flips.
While on the move, with the top down, a power operated rear window eradicates buffeting and two other removable, seemingly fragile side pods keep the wind swirl at a minimum within the cabin. Automatic climate control comes as standard and it proved its worth in keeping both the sun's radiation and the V10 thermal emissions away from occupants.
The infotainment system comprises of a radio with CD/DVD drive, an AUX interface and six speakers. The navigation system uses detailed 3D graphics but, given that Lamborghini is a subsidiary of VW, they could have sourced Audi's system that incorporates Google Maps as a background, especially at this price point. The available Bluetooth connectivity allowed us to sync and play our tunes as desired. But the big issue is that there isn't any place to keep one's stuff - not even cupholders!

VERDICT
The 2017 Lamborghini Huracan LP 610-4 Spyder is a white-knuckle supercar above all. Its outlandish styling and deafening exhaust note can threaten the owners of rival models. Ignore the poor rearward visibility, badgering suspension bits beyond a certain point and lack of cupholders, and you can live your 200 mph dreams with the sun, skies and wind as witness.
wknd@khaleejtimes.com