Thursday 28th May 2015

Lamborghini Huracan: Delivery miles

Values suggest the Huracan isn't quite capturing the imagination of supercar buyers - why?

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It may be only a year old, but the the Lamborghini Huracan might be struggling to make its mark with buyers, if market value is anything to go by.

Perhaps its problem is that it's priced so closely to the car it was created to go toe-to-toe against, the Ferrari 458 Italia. In fact, it's about £2K more expensive.

'Arancio Borealis' a typically subtle Lambo hue

On paper, the Huracan does have its advantages. That 5.2-litre V10 engine produces 610hp at a sizzling 8,250rpm - 40hp more than the 458. It's also got four-wheel drive for better traction, and it'll do the 0-62mph sprint in a claimed 3.2sec (0.2sec faster). Both cars max out at an identical 202mph.

On the downside, the Huracan's Audi R8 underpinnings really don't do it any favours in its class war with Ferrari. Opinions on styling will vary from individual to individual.

Hurry up Huracan
So what evidence do we have that the Huracan might still be finding its niche? The raw evidence of real-world pricing is impossible to ignore.

The list price for a base-spec LP610-4 is £181,875. But of course no one buys a car like this without options, some of which can be shockingly expensive. Take the matt paint option at £8,750, for instance - something I'd never recommend, frankly - or the transparent engine cover (£4,380), forged alloy rims (£3,500) or the magnificently named magnetorheological suspension at £2,100.

So what price a brand new, specced-up Huracan in the wild? The cheapest new one we could find (well, virtually brand new, anyway) is £192,950 for a 64-plate car. It's a Bianco Icarus/black leather example with no public road use as yet, and delivery mileage only. Among its long list of added options are sat-nav (really - sat-nav is optional?), a lifting system ("a must" says the ad), parking sensors, Alcantara roof lining and a tracker. The price with options looks pretty much the same as the asking price, so this is effectively a new car at list.

There has to be some orange on your Lambo

Actually, it is possible to go even cheaper if you're not fussy about having LHD. OK, this ArancioBorealis (orange to you and me) left-hooker is a 2014 model, but it's got just 65km on the clock so it's virtually new. With even more extras than the £192K one (including Dynamic Steering and that pricey transparent bonnet showing off the carbon engine bay), it looks something of a steal at £165,000.

Most delivery-mileage Huracans in fact fall into the £200K-£210K bracket, which means they're being offered at a slight premium on the list price with options. For instance, speccing a Huracan to the same standard as thisblack example (up for £210K) comes out at £201K.

Huracan or Italia?
Even at £210K that's still less money than the new-with-options price of its arch-rival, the Ferrari 458 Italia. Despite its advancing age, and the imminent arrival of the 488, the 458 continues to capture buyers' imaginations. One company is advertising a new RossoCorsa/Crema leather 458 with a smattering of options for £224,969. I'd be tempted by the pretty wonderful 458 Speciale, with its extra power, harder spec and aero kit, but even with a mere 1,000 miles on the clock, you're looking at a quarter of a million.

So, which supercar floats your boat at £200Kish - Huracan or Italia?

[gsuk1]

650S please!

[gsuk1]

I think that's the thing.

Years ago this market was Lambo, Ferrari or Porsche.
Then Lambo and Ferrari moved more upmarket than Porsche, with them now being about £100k more than a turbo S.

So then it really was Lambo or Ferrari...

But that's just not the case any more, now you've got the McLaren (my personal choice), the new Audi R8 coming out soon, The Porsche turbo's and GT's are still in the mix, if your going to consider the Porsche you've also got Aston Martin... Its a much bigger market now.

Also the Lambo has crap steering (apparently, I've never driven one) and its 'just' an Audi R8 underneath.

And what's the best guess of the ticket price for the new Audi R8 V10 Coupe (Lambo spec in other words), I'd guess about £160k??? So wait and buy the Audi (which is really the Lambo) and then get a BMW 135i with the change... and a 2 week a holiday... and some skittles!