2020 Lamborghini Huracán Evo Pros and Cons Review: More With Less

Pros

• Amazing engine
• Absolutely planted
• Outrageous handling
  

Cons

• Body structure issues
• Infotainment UX
• No room for stuff
  

The Lamborghini Huracán Evo had somewhat of a chip on its shoulder coming into the 2020 Best Driver's Competition. See, the Performante version of the Huracán had won it all back in 2018, but that was a fully built, track-focused, special performance edition of a supercar. The Evo? It's "just" the midcycle refresh of the plain-old entry-level two-door Lambo.

Let's be honest, the Huracán itself is just a gussied-up Audi R8, right? Sure, when Sant'Agata makes an all-in move with the likes of a Performante, it can win. But just a regular production car? In bocca al lupo. We probably should mention, however, that the Evo does get the Performante's 630-hp humdinger of a V-10, which screamed loudly enough to break the sound meter at Sonoma Raceway even though we were at Laguna Seca. I kid. A little.

What is the Evo? Essentially, you get Performante levels of straight-line thrust but without the controversial active aerodynamics system called ALA. Why controversial? To sum up years of keyboard warrior YouTube and Instagram comments quickly, if this sort of aero sorcery was so effective, surely the wizards of Formula 1 racing would have thought of it first. Never mind that Lambo holds the patent.

We also had a nice demonstration of what a Performante with the ALA removed performs like. This year, our resident racer Randy Pobst went 2.85 seconds slower per lap in the Evo around Laguna Seca than he did in the Perf: 1:32.85 versus 1:30.00. We asked the Lamborghini representative with us why that would be, and that person plainly said, "The Evo doesn't have ALA." Straight from the cavallo's mouth, people. Also, the Evo has four-wheel steering. The Performante doesn't.

2020 Lamborghini Huracán Evo: Raging Bull

ALA or not, we like this car. First of all, the Evo drives great. Tearing through the valleys that define California's Coast and Transverse ranges, the Huracán Evo lulls you into that perfect state of driving bliss. That last part means you're at peace with the supercar.

"I've driven Lambos that were twitchy and itchy," editor in chief Mark Rechtin said, "but after driving the BDC-winning Huracán Performante a few years back, I learned to trust the raging bull."

The Evo is identical in that regard. It's also pretty similar to the Performante on the track. "Tremendous cornering grip, quick turn-in, real quick steering response, but absolutely planted in the back," Pobst said. Every judge enjoyed and felt confident in the Evo on the street and on the racetrack.

Stil, the Huracán Evo isn't perfect. Pobst somehow got the brakes to fade a little after a few laps, which he chalked up to new pads. Something in the passenger door was loose and rattling over bumps. The bulkhead between the cabin and the engine creaked like an old wood floor when you were entering or exiting a driveway. The iPad-sized touchscreen in the center console is full of indecipherable alien petroglyphs and impossible to use while driving.

 

2020 Lamborghini Huracán Evo: Taking It by the Horns

Plus, it doesn't seem to do a whole bunch when you're parked. If you're going on a trip, don't bring a passenger, as the second seat is your luggage compartment. The Huracán Evo was also 0.58 second slower around Laguna Seca than the Ferrari F8 Tributo, though Pobst attributed the twin-turbocharged F8's lap time to its extra 81 hp and 125 lb-ft of torque.

With the Lamborghini Huracán Evo, the good definitely outweighs the bad. "You can drive it like you stole it, and it'll be there for you," road test editor Chris Walton said. "The steering and handling are world-class. It makes all the noise."

Regardless of where it places in this year's competition, know that the men and women of Sant'Agata are dead serious about making world-class "super sports cars," as they insist on calling them. The Evo is the latest in what's becoming a long line.