2021 Lamborghini Huracan STO revealed
The 2021 Lamborghini Huracan STO has been officially revealed.
The spiritual successor to the pre-facelift Performante unveiled in 2018, the STO – standing for Super Trofeo Omologato, the lattermost word being Italian for "homologation" – is the flagship, most track-focused variant in the Huracan model line, serving as both a road-going version of the Super Trofeo race car, and a swansong for one of Lamborghini's best-selling production models.
Powering the Huracan STO is a variant of the same 5.2-litre naturally-aspirated V10 engine mounted behind Performante passengers, producing 470kW of power and 565Nm of torque (down 35Nm), the latter delivered at 6500rpm.
However, unlike the all-wheel-drive Performante, but mirroring its circuit-spec counterpart, the STO is rear-wheel-drive.
As a result, the flagship Huracan covers the standard performance metrics slightly slower than its range-mates, with Lamborghini claiming 0-100km/h and 0-200km/h times one-tenth down versus the Performante, at 3.0 and 9.0 seconds respectively.
Top speed is rated at 310km/h – 15km/h down on the previous Huracan flagship.
Headlining the upgrades for the STO is its race-derived aerodynamics package.
Up front, the 'standard' Huracan Evo RWD has been treated to a dual-vented bonnet and a revised front bumper with a larger adjustable front splitter, while down the side changes include reprofiled rear wheel arches and front wheel-arch-mounted vents to aid brake cooling.
At the rear, a prominent shark fin – which doubles as an air duct to cool the mid-mounted V10 – guides air over a tall, adjustable rear wing inspired by the Super Trofeo race car.
Other highlights include reshaped rear vents with 'STO' branding, a more aggressive rear diffuser and an integrated lip spoiler built into the rear decklid.
The STO's aggressive looks aren't merely for aesthetics, with Lamborghini claiming a 53 per cent increase in downforce compared to the Performante, equating to a total of 450kg at 280km/h.
Around the Daytona International Speedway circuit in the US, the STO splits its road-going and competition-spec relatives, its 1-minute 48.86-second lap time being 2.94 seconds quicker than the Performante and 2.46 seconds slower than the GT3 Evo racer.
Complementing the increased downforce is a strict weight loss program.
The STO tips the scales in 43kg lighter than the Performante (at 1339kg dry), thanks to an array of changes including carbon-fibre-reinforced plastic panels, magnesium wheels, titanium rear wheel-arches, 20 per cent lighter interior trim pieces, a single-piece carbon-fibre front clamshell and the loss of the front driveshaft, with the lattermost saving 30kg alone.
The aforementioned magnesium alloys are wrapped in bespoke high-performance Bridgestone tyres, with an asymmetric tread pattern for "enhanced steering response and cornering stability."
Hiding behind the wheels are motorsport-derived carbon-ceramic CCM-R brakes, which Lamborghini claims deliver 25 per cent more braking power and four times greater thermal conductivity than 'standard' carbon-ceramic brakes.
The suspension has been stiffened to improve the STO's on-track credentials, with wider track widths, firmer bushings, new anti-roll bars and retuned adaptive dampers. It's joined by a fixed-ratio steering rack, rather than less-track-focused Huracans' variable systems, along with the rear-wheel steering system from the 'standard' Evo.
Three drive modes are on offer, controlled by a switch on the steering wheel. STO mode is aimed at road use, while Trofeo and Pioggia modes are targeted at dry and wet track driving respectively.
Inside, upgrades compared with the road-biased Huracan Evo include Alcantara and carbon-fibre trim, race bucket seats with six-point harnesses, a half roll-cage behind the passengers and unique screens for the digital instrument cluster recording lap times and displaying brake disc and fluid temperatures.
Australian pricing and details for the 2021 Lamborghini Huracan STO have yet to be announced.
Below: the 'standard' Huracan Evo RWD