The 2023 Lamborghini Huracan Tecnica Makes The Hardcore Approachable
The best family recipe, the kind that’s been carefully crafted through generations and creates a dish so tasty it uplifts even the glummest spirits, is nothing more than the product of two things: repetition and fine-tuning. But it’s these minor adjustments that, through years of experience, can transform an otherwise forgettable meal into a holiday centerpiece.
Looking back, the Lamborghini Huracan’s unveiling for the 2015 model year now feels like the introduction of a brand new dish. Its recipe had strong foundations; it just needed more time to marinate. It’s no surprise that the Huracan has evolved considerably throughout the last nine model years, progressively becoming lighter, racier, and more engaging with each subsequent iteration.
The 2023 Lamborghini Huracan Tecnica is perhaps the greatest example of this. The LP 610-4 wasn’t a bad car, but the Tecnica is a significant improvement in every metric. It’s lighter, stiffer, and, thanks to its STO-sourced engine, far more engaging to drive. With all 631 horsepower going to its back wheels, it’s pretty lively too. And despite borrowing heavily from the STO’s playbook, the Tecnica’s softer shocks make it the far more usable machine. It’s a hardcore track toy you can use daily.
The best way to understand the Huracan Tecnica is to first look at the track-focused STO because it pushed the baby Lambo to extremes. Gone was its front storage compartment, replaced by a massive carbon fiber clamshell, while it added a wide roof scoop, a louvered engine cover, and an enormous adjustable wing out back. It became stiffer, too, to handle the aerodynamic loads generated by its new body, which, at 173 mph, can generate up to 935 pounds of downforce.
The STO is still one of the most exhilarating cars I’ve ever tested, but it’s quite a compromised machine. With virtually zero storage space, painfully stiff suspension, and what has to be the loudest exhaust note of any new car on sale, it excels on a track or a canyon road but not so much everywhere else. The Tecnica, on the other hand, takes the STO’s best bits and incorporates them into a softer, more usable package that’s just as thrilling to hustle up an empty road.
The first and most significant borrowed component is the STO’s beefed-up 5.2-liter naturally-aspirated V10, which produces 631 hp and 417 pound-feet, the most of any Huracan ever. It’ll sprint to 62 mph in 3.2 seconds and top out at 202 mph. It counts on the same seven-speed dual-clutch transmission to send that power to the rear wheels, which also carry over the STO’s rear-axle steering system. It even puts its power to the ground via the same bespoke Bridgestone tires and comes to a stop thanks to the same standard set of carbon ceramics.
By replacing the STO’s aggressive front splitter and its adjustable rear wing with far subtler components, the Tecnica generates far less downforce. Although its fixed rear spoiler still increases downward pressure by 35 percent over an EVO RWD without creating added drag, the Tecnica’s less aggressive bodywork doesn’t need rock-hard shocks to cope with the added weight at higher speeds. And while this doesn’t make the Hurcan as plush as a Phantom, it allows it to be far more compliant over even significant road imperfections.
There are other livability improvements, too, like the reintroduction of its front storage compartment and small niceties inside, like a set of actual carpets and more robust sound deadening. Still, much of the STO’s racing spirit remains as the Tecnica carries over its carbon fiber doors, with contrasting red pull tabs and a set of firm carbon-backed bucket seats. So, while the Tecnica may be a softer take on an STO in many ways, it’s by no means laid back.
On an empty canyon road, the Huracan Tecnica is as agile, quick, and exciting as its competitors. Although it lacks the turbocharged wave of torque that has become so ubiquitous amongst modern supercars, its NA V10 is a joy to hustle up to its 8,500 rpm redline. It’s deafeningly loud, and I wouldn’t want it any other way as you’re constantly in the tach’s upper end trying to extract its full power. From a dig, you can hear it joyfully bouncing off its limiters as you rip through the first couple of gears with its rears fully lit up.
Of its three drive modes, Strada, Sport, and Corsa, it’s the middle of the set that’s most usable on public roads. Although Corsa allows for far more slip from the rear, the Tecnica is a car that comes around quickly and sometimes unexpectedly, as I found out last year at The Thermal Club when I accidentally ripped a massive powerslide joining the South Palm circuit’s back straight at a speed I won’t soon forget.
As such, it’s best to keep the Tenica’s stability and traction control in the middle Sport setting, allowing the Huracan to confidently put all its power down without much fuss. With no front differential weighing down its nose, it dives into corners with an immediacy I’ve never felt in an all-wheel drive Lambo. Although it’s 89 pounds heavier than an STO, you’d need back-to-back runs on a track to tell the pair apart. The important thing is that the Tecnica feels very light on its feet and, despite its softer shocks, remains nicely balanced and composed in the bends.
Its steering is light and direct but doesn’t generate significant feedback, meaning you’ll hear the front end go before you feel it. In contrast, its brakes, which require a firm press to summon their full stopping power, are pretty talkative, letting you know well in advance that you’re approaching their limits. But as much of a willing dance partner the Tecnica may be, it excels on more than just Sunday morning drives.
Unlike the STO, the Huracan Tecnica is perfectly happy puttering around town at low speeds. So much so that when presented with the choice of driving it or the Rolls-Royce Spectre it shared a garage with for a few days, I mostly spent time in the Lambo. Its front trunk has enough space for a small grocery run, while the Tecnica’s relatively small footprint means it’s genuinely maneuverable even through tighter city streets. Just don’t expect to be able to see out of the thing, as its windows are merely glorified slits.
Although the EVO Spyder is technically the least expensive trim level currently on sale, buyers looking for a Huracan with a fixed roof will have to step into a Tecnica, which starts at $244,795, including a $2,100 gas guzzler tax and a $3,695 destination fee. However, my tester, with options such as its $16,500 Grigio Acheso paint, $10,800 set of 20-inch wheels, and $6,100 carbon door panels, pushes its as-tested price up to $312,872. For context, this places it about in line from a pricing perspective with competitors like the McLaren Artura and the Maserati MC20 but below the Ferrari 296 GTB.
While I don’t think the Lamborghini Huracan Tecnica will become anyone’s daily driver, its added usability means you’ll be more willing to take it out more of the time. After all, what good is having a hardcore supercar if its compromises mean you won’t log any meaningful mileage?
As much as the STO is a performance masterpiece, it’s the Tecnica that’s right for most buyers looking for a weekend thriller. It’s exciting thanks to its high-revving naturally aspirated V10, the last of a dying breed, but still usable thanks to its more isolated interior, added storage space, and softer shocks. It may have taken the Huracan nine model years to reach this point, but the Tecnica proves just how much of an impact continuous development and obsessive fine-tuning can make.
