The 2020 Lamborghini Huracán Evo Spyder Exemplifies Mechanical And Digital Harmony

On paper, the 2020 Lamborghini Huracán Evo Spyder is a rolling contradiction. On the one hand, as the name implies, you have a car based on the hardtop Evo. It is an evolution, a track-honed version of the already beguiling Huracán supercar. The Evo Spyder then introduces a convertible aspect to the equation, which is as lifestyle-motoring as you get and, arguably, the anthesis of modern-day track driving. Or, in other words, the Huracán Evo’s main inspiration. 
 

Put it into practice, however, and take the Huracán Evo Spyder out on real-world roads, and the drop-top hyper-tuned V10 Lamborghini appears equally at home as its fixed-roof brethren does on the track. Funnily enough, the cars do share a common brain: the Lamborghini Dinamica Veicolo Integrata (LDVI) – the most advanced electronic management system ever put in a Lamborghini.

Labeling LDVI merely as a traction control system and you’d be grossly understating the capabilities it affords the Evo Spyder. Where normal engine management, traction, and stability control systems maintain traction by measure things like wheel spin, engine speed, steering angle, and then adjusting the power, the LDVI is more predictive. At least, that’s how Lamborghini describes it. 
 

Every 20 milliseconds, the LDVI is processing driver inputs such as how much steering is dialed in and how much throttle or brake is being applied. It also keeps track of how hard the suspension is working, how much the all-wheel drive is being applied, and it puts to work accelerometers and gyroscopes buried deep in the car to make adjustments the moment they’re needed, not after. The digital brain adjusts the power being sent to each wheel on the fly, based on the near-instantaneous measurements taking place.
 

There’s no point denying it, Lamborghini has, in fact, fitted its V10 supercar with a supercomputer. The traditionalists out there will scoff at the idea of watering down a car like the Huracán with electronic safety nets, but they’d be missing the point. 
 

On public roads, the LDVI acts less as a restraint and more of a driving coach, an enabler, and an amplifier. Ten naturally-aspirated cylinders, cranking out 631 horsepower and 443 lbs. per foot of torque, is overkill for everyday driving, plain and simple. The supercomputer is there to help you get the most of it and bring part of the track ambiance to the road, within the limits of the law, of course. 

The convertible top? Lower that, and you raise the volume on the whole experience. 
 

Peer into a Roger Dubuis Excalibur Spider Huracán, and the connection to the track-worthy, road-going Huracán supercar is immediately apparent. The two brands joined forces to produce a paradigm of technical design and performance with both machines sport an X-brace over their engines and boastings impressive performance.
 

Visible through the 45mm skeleton dial, the Roger Dubuis RD630 caliber, developed in partnership with Lamborghini Squadra Corse, drives the Excalibur Spider Huracán and features 233 components and a rotor designed like a supercar wheel rim.
 

And, while the V10 in the Lamborghini Evo Spyder Huracán can claim over 600 horsepower, the Roger Dubuis Excalibur Spider Huracán has a twin-barrel power supply for a 60-hour power reserve. The watch is also priced way under the Lamborghini's $287,400 MSRP. The Roger Dubuis Excalibur Spider Huracán comes in at $47,000. Kindred spirits indeed.
 

Winding through the Shawangunk Mountains in upstate New York, I was able to stretch the Spyder’s legs.

Mash the accelerator to the floor, and the sonorous sound of a naturally aspirated V10 is accompanied by the distinct sound of cam-whine. Flirt with the 8,500 RPM redline and the combined orchestra is a quick reminder those microchips are there only to keep the brute mechanical force moving everything forward.
 

Having 631-horsepower on tap should be an intimidating prospect to anyone without an FIA accredited competition license. It’s an abundance of energy that needs to be respected as much as it should be enjoyed. Thankfully, the LDVI system claws back confidence while silently processing your every move behind the scenes.
 

Even with driving at six- or seven-tenths, keeping the revs up and carrying speed through corners, the Huracán never left me wanting for feedback. There was no guessing what was going on underneath me, and that’s what a driver needs when this much power is readily accessible. 
 

The complexities of the mechanical engineering working in harmony with the LDVI digital brain deserves applause. If you’re a fan of analog machines but appreciate the benefits of bringing modernity into the equation, the Huracán Evo Spyder will give you endless details to pore over.
 

As one of the few supercars eschewing the turbo trend, sticking to its free-breathing guns, the Huracán is a tantalizing taste of a bygone era. Ironically, the LDVI system is a sign of Lamborghini embracing the 21st century and a technological future. But the computer program’s existence is the sole reason Sant’Agata can sell this kind of immense power to the public. The Spyder has the added benefit of getting that pesky roof out of the way so you can enjoy it even more. 
 

Stats:

– Engine: 5.2-liter V10
– Horsepower: 631
– Torque: 443 lbs./ft
– 0-62 mph in 3.1 seconds,
– Top speed of 202 mph.
– MSRP: $287,400
– Price as tested: $364,979