V10 Legacy 2024 Lamborghini Huracan STO

If you have ever been to Italy in July, you know about the traffic. As tourists from around the world flock to visit, the roads can become like parking lots. So it takes a special car to encourage you to go out for a road trip, and we found one. 

Lamborghini built its name on mid-engined V12-powered supercars, but over the last two decades, V10 cars have become the real choice for driving enthusiasts. The lineage started with the Gallardo in 2004, but was succeeded by the far superior Huracan in 2013. In 2024, Lamborghini has stated that they will be moving away from the sonorous V10, swapping it in for a twin-turbocharged V8 with a hybrid component in the new Temerario. So, we felt that it would be a fitting tribute to that outstanding V10 to take the ultimate expression of the engine -in the form of a Huracan STO- and scout out some empty roads to see what the fuss is all about.

STO stands for Super Trofeo Omologata, meaning that this is essentially the roadgoing variant of the Huracan Super Trofeo race car. Immediately identified by its sizable rear wing, aggressive front-end treatment and snorkel air intake on the roof, the STO really does have that thrilling race car for the road look. If you plan to bring a suitcase, or even an overnight bag, on the trip, you will be sorely disappointed as the front luggage space is largely occupied by aero and cooling equipment.

We started early, picking up the car from the Lamborghini factory in Sant’Agata Bolognese, deep in the heart of what is affectionately known as Supercar Valley. This STO is finished in a stunning shade of satin red known as Rosso Pyra, which is paired with blue accents and gloss carbon fiber around the exterior. Driving out of the factory gates, you can immediately tell that the Huracan STO is something special, and it only gets better. 

After leaving Sant’Agata Bolognese, we head south. Although much of the route traverses the east coast, we don’t see much of the Adriatic as we head towards our ultimate destination. Thankfully, traffic is unseasonably light, and we are making great time, clipping along the Autostrada at a quick pace. Four hours and numerous fuel stops later, we head inland towards Teramo, en route to our final destination – Parco Nazionale del Gran Sasso. 

This mountainous region is the third largest nature reserve in Italy, and its combination of mountain passes and vast flat plateaus make for a stunning backdrop. It is also the perfect location to see what the Huracan STO is all about. Divided across five provinces, we make our way west along SP86 before heading to Campo Imperatore. This vast plateau is situated more than 1,500m above sea level and offers unparalleled vistas, combining flat grasslands backed by mountain peaks along its 18km length. 

Although largely deserted when we arrive in the early evening, the occasional caravan punctuates the scenery. After blasting back and forth, a like-minded enthusiast poked his head out of his caravan while cooking to watch the STO come screaming by, giving us a wave of approval as we passed. Undoubtedly, this Huracan is exciting to drive, but the reception we received everywhere we went was just as positive as our feelings behind the wheel. 

So, we have come all this way; you might wonder what the car is like to drive. In a word, spectacular. It may seem impossible to mess up a car with a near 9,000 rpm V10 and track-tuned suspension, but this exceeded our wildest expectations. The Huracan was initially designed as an all-wheel drive platform, but in the STO, the front differential was removed, which strips out weight and significantly improves the steering feel. The chassis, paired with a sticky set of Bridgestone tires, gives you enormous confidence, and it almost feels as though you are driving a rally car on tight roads. The sensation of winding this engine towards the redline is hard to describe. It nearly becomes all-consuming from the cockpit of the car, but as you approach the next corner at tremendous speed, the carbon ceramic brakes pull you out of your seat with their strength, and after just a quick flick of the steering wheel, you are set up for your next acceleration.  

It is hard to imagine a better place to have taken this STO for its sendoff. The combination of incredible scenery, exciting roads, and perhaps most importantly, minimal traffic let us give the Huracan an appropriate goodbye. We take the direct route north on the Autostrada towards Sant’Agata Bolognese, which gives us some time to reflect on our trip in the STO and think about its replacement. Progress isn’t a bad thing, but sometimes it seems… unnecessary.

After two days of looking for a place to open up this 640 horsepower V10, it is hard to see where you can ever truly enjoy the new car’s 920. Although the Temerario promises to rev higher, pull harder with its three electric motors, and shift faster, do we really need that? Maybe somebody does, but for us, we would just take another weekend in the mountains with a Huracan STO.