The 2020 edition of MotorTrend’s Best Driver’s Car was a little different from the rest. Due to the ongoing pandemic, the number of cars and judges was reduced in order to comply with the constraints of the safety protocols. Although, MotorTrend mentioned that the cars that were not included would not have ended up as contenders anyway. The judges narrowed the field down to seven cars, all of which were driven around Raceway Laguna Seca in California. Among the judges was racecar driver Randy Pobst.
MotorTrend said: “A MotorTrend Best Driver’s Car winner doesn’t just make a talented amateur feel like a hero. It has to impress and inspire every driver, from a rookie to a pro. And in this aspect, there was no question: the Lamborghini Huracán EVO is the 2020 Best Driver’s Car. It all boils down to one thing: driver confidence.”
A driver’s confidence comes out and builds up when the car can and will do what the driver wants, when he wants, and performs it well, executed safely of course. This was particularly evident in Raceway Laguna Seca’s turn 1, just past the start/finish bridge. It is a “blind-crested kink that vanishes to your left as it drives toward a tricky, double-apex hairpin.” Turn 1 is not a turn where you apply the brakes. You either keep your foot on the pedal or apply more power. You then perform hard braking as you approach the hairpin, then gun the throttle again as you exit.
This crucial portion of the race track, where pile ups occur in actual races, became the most talked-about segment of the test run by all the judges. They all rattled off their amazement on how well the Huracán EVO took the turns, both for rookies and pros. “Tremendous cornering grip, quick turn-in, real quick steering response, but absolutely planted in the back,” exclaimed Pobst.
The Huracán EVO is equipped with an uprated 5.2-liter naturally aspirated V10 engine that produces 640 hp at 8,000 rpm and 600 Nm at 6,500 rpm. The engine allows the EVO’s all-wheel-drive to accelerate from a standstill to 100 km/h in 2.9 seconds, and to 200 km/h in 9.0 seconds. The top speed is over 325 km/h. Its titanium intake valves and new lightweight exhaust system emits a more emotional sound.
The Huracán EVO features rear-wheel steering, torque vectoring, and the Lamborghini Dynamic Veicolo Integrata that controls the car’s dynamic systems, and set-up to anticipate the next move and needs of the driver. The enhanced Lamborghini Dynamic Steering system ensures agility at low speeds, as well as stability during high-speed cornering and under braking. Three driving modes (Strada, Sport, and Corsa) can be selected via the Anima controller.
The Huracán EVO’s design emphasises the supercar’s aerodynamics and enhanced driving dynamics. A new front bumper gets a splitter with integrated wing, as well as enlarged air intakes. At the rear is a new sports exhaust system placed high up in the bumper, and a slotted spoiler that improves air flow. New wheels and air intakes define the flanks. Even the supercar’s underbody was reshaped to maximise aerodynamics, now able to generate more than five times the downforce of the first Huracán version.
All these combine and work together to help name the Huracán EVO the Best Driver’s Car of 2020.
