On the Road with Lamborghini’s Huracán Performante through Snowdonia and Anglesey

Hugh Francis Anderson drives Lamborghini’s newest offering to the wilds of north Wales
Hugh Francis Anderson29 January 2018

A heavy mist lies low on the mountains ahead, the ever-darkening clouds threaten to release their armouries, and the deafening rumble of thunder is matched only by the ferocity of the gurgle pouring from the twin-exhaust pipes.

I’m in Snowdonia in the all-new Lamborghini Huracán Performante, trying with all my might to keep this 640bph beast glued to the winding mountain roads.

Alex Carmichael

As the most anticipated addition to the Lamborghini fleet this year, the Performante is nothing short of exceptional. From the outset, this supercar exudes the finesse and ostentation that has garnered the Lamborghini name such worldwide notoriety. As an institution in the Italian motoring line-up, Lamborghini, to many, is the crème de la crème of both design flair and engineering superiority. With a 5.2 litre, V10 engine, the same (although differently tuned) found in the Audi R8 V10 Plus, it puts out an impressive 0-60mph time of just 2.9 seconds, a top speed of 202 mph, and holds the record as the fastest production car around the Nürburgring.

It is, on paper at least, one of the most significant production supercars of the 21st century. But, for me at least, this is of little importance. What I want to discover is how it feels to be behind the wheel, not only from a performance perspective, but from a visceral perspective too. I want to know why there should be such adoration and love for a car like this.

Arriving in Anglesey late at night, my accommodation for the night glimmers in the moonlight. I’m staying in an all-new Airstream, the pinnacle of transportable accommodation. Relaunching at the Motorhome and Caravan Show 2017 this autumn, the £85,000 model I temporarily call home is bright and clean, and offers a welcome respite from the seven hours of driving that I’ve endured, albeit with a beaming smile from the outset.

I go on to enjoy a wonderful meal at the nearby Marram Grass, prepared by Great British Menu finalist, Ellis Barrie, before sleep calls.

Alex Carmichael

The hammering of rain on the aluminium roof wakes me early, and I eagerly rush into the Lamborghini – come rain or shine, this car begs to be driven. Luckily the rain doesn’t last long, and the late summer rays dry the asphalt beneath me post-haste. I look into the distance and see the road snake exquisitely into the horizon, as if this road’s very purpose is to be driven hard. I glance at the steering wheel and toggle from Strada mode, though Sport mode and into Corsa (race) mode. The valves open and the Performante leaps to life. I paddle-shift into first and plant my foot hard on the throttle. With a raucous growl, the £220,000 raging bull propels me forwards at a rate almost unfathomable. Within seconds I’m upshifting through second and third into the first corner. I hold my speed and career into the corner with unfaltering confidence.

You see, the Performante is all-wheel drive, which means its handling capabilities are second to none. Where other supercars might understeer, or oversteer, when cornering at such speeds, the Performante effortlessly grips the road. On exit, I depress the throttle harder and disappear into oblivion. My heart races, the Alcantara-clad steering wheel absorbs the moisture from my hands, and my eyes widen to compute the rapidity of the acceleration my body is experiencing.

Lamborghini Hurácan Performante

1/9

I’ve driven numerous high-performance cars, all of which impress, but the Performante is the first to catch me entirely off-guard. I know that I can’t push this car, I know that it takes a driving-wizard to truly experience its full force, and I like this. Supercars, for me, represent the very pinnacle of possibility, and as such they should make one immediately aware that they are in charge, and that you are merely a passenger. The Performante does this, and then some. It is in this ilk that the Performante crosses two often juxtaposed lines; serenity and disruption. It is both a drivers’ car, and a posers’ cars. It’s highly distinctive style screams out for attention, which I notice it gets almost endlessly as I drive across the country. But under all the beauty lies a level of engineering that requires substantial driving capability to fully discover. It is the personification of form and functionality, and this must be celebrated.

Alex Carmichael

However, it’s not all celebratory adjectives, and it does have minor problems that begin to grate when driving upwards of 6 hours per day. The user interface, for example, is no more impressive than what can be found in many new mid-range cars. In first gear, it takes fractionally longer than desired to propel you forwards, and it’s only in second that the power-band begins to come into full effect. In addition, an 8th gear would be nice to see, especially for the long motorway drives, when the hum of the engine sitting at 3,000rpm begins to numb your senses. But that’s it. Those are my only bugbears. The internal sound system is exceptional, with comfort seats fitted (as this model had) I drove over 1,000 miles in relative comfort, and at 6’6”, that’s difficult to achieve for even a luxury estate. And for long motorway stretches, the Performante even registered at 33mpg, which is truly astonishing. When all is said and done, the Performante certainly jostles for pole position amongst its rivals, and I’m fascinated to see what Lamborghini produce next. As is so often the case, when you’re at the top, there’s ordinarily only one way to go. Let’s pray that in this case the direction is up.

Alex Carmichael

Hugh Francis Anderson is a freelance writer specialising in motoring, adventure travel and luxury lifestyle. Follow him on Instagram @hughfrancisanderson and visit his website hughfrancisanderson.com

Photographs by Alex Carmichael. Follow him on Instagram @alexcarms

Video by Tim Foster. Follow him on Instagram @timfoster_ldn and visit his website timfosterldn.com

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