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Lambo sends off the Huracan's naturally aspirated V10 with the incredible new Tecnica package.

As the age of monstrously powerful internal-combustion engines comes to a close, a few companies continue holding onto the dying era with glee. Chevrolet, for one, just unleashed the world's most powerful naturally aspirated V8 in the Corvette Z06. And Lamborghini still sells both the Huracan and Aventador with screaming V10 and V12 engines, respectively.

Both the Aventador and Huracan carry over decades of heritage, though the Huracan undeniably looks, feels, and drives like a much newer car. In its final iteration (barring a forthcoming rally-prepped version), the Huracan now gets a new Tecnica trim that combines the drivetrain from the track-focused STO with aerodynamic improvements over its Evo and Performante siblings. To show off the Huracan Tecnica's performance in its native habitat, Lamborghini recently invited me to join select media for a track session at The Thermal Club near Palm Springs, California, where the screaming howl of V10 engines might only disturb those rare desert denizens roasting under the scorching sun.

Taking the Tecnica out on track provides the perfect opportunity to unleash every last horsepower from the V10 engine while playing with the Sport and Corsa modes, all in a controlled environment. To be fair, the naturally aspirated engine never cranks out anything unmanageable but the Tecnica's rear-drive-only status can still lead to a bit of slipping and sliding on a hot, dusty track without racing slicks equipped.

Lamborghini rolled out the proverbial red carpet with a full team of factory drivers on hand to serve as our one-on-one coaches. But the pros got to lead us mere mortals around in a fleet of the more aggressively track-prepped STO Huracans, with bigger wings and splitters creating much more downforce. As if we needed more reason to push ourselves and the Tecnicas to the limit!

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Obviously, the highlight of the day assaulted our eardrums from the get-go. But nobody resisted the open opportunity to push Lamborghini's final naturally aspirated V10 to fuel cutoff at every opportunity—all in the name of science. In terms of raw specs on paper, the 5.2-liter mill cranks out a healthy 631 horsepower and 417 lb-ft of torque on the way up to the 8,500-rpm redline. A seven-speed dual-clutch transmission sends that grunt rearward but rather than paying attention to the tachometer or shift lights at the top of the gauge cluster, just listening to the engine's symphony emerges as the name of the game (which, it turns out, is hard to do while also riffing to a camera).

Reps on hand explained how Lambo trimmed almost all excess off the Huracan to create a 3,040-pound curb weight, with plenty of carbon fiber to compensate for the rear-wheel steering components and modern interior amenities that make the Tecnica at least somewhat liveable in daily life.

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Aerodynamic improvements also contribute to impressive track performance—despite lacking the STO's excessive-looking wing and roof scoop, the Tecnica produces 35% more downforce than the Evo RWD while reducing drag by 20%.

Carbon ceramic brakes also shave unsprung weight and further contribute to razor-sharp steering, especially in Sport and Corsa mode, though I found the light electric assist tended to sap a bit of feel during hard cornering on the track. A set of Bridgestone Potenza Race tires measuring 245 millimeters wide at the front and 305mm out back also led to some slippage towards the end of eight and 10-lap sessions on track, especially as the morning turned to noon and ambient temps began to approach triple digits.

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I drove out to the private track at the The Thermal Club immediately after attending Chevrolet's drive program for the new Corvette Z06, so the comparisons between these last two naturally aspirated supercars naturally sat at the forefront of my mind. To a certain extent, hustling the Tecnica through the tight corners, extended sweepers, and long straights at Thermal, the Lambo emerged as a much more engaging driver. The transmission shifts with much more snappy verve, the engine seems to rev up through the RPMs faster, and the V10 demands constant attention.

On the other hand, as my comfort with the platform increased, I found the squirrelly edge of traction more and more frequently. Maybe different gearing of the seven-speed puts down more torque or perhaps the traction control settings allow for a more touchy application of throttle—not that the challenge made the day any less fun, but the Z06 seemed more approachable. The question arises, however, whether a V10-powered Lamborghini track star really should be easily driven at, and past, the limit by amateurs.

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The Tecnica's impressive track capabilities only feel more significant given the comfortable interior's welcoming design. Sure, turn signals and drive modes selected on the steering wheel take a bit of an acclimation period but otherwise, the simple dash layout and relatively roomy seats definitely sit head and shoulders above the C8 Corvette. Quieting the exhaust in Strada mode, with smoother power delivery and less pop at up and downshifts, the Tecnica feels downright civil. And yet, you can option the Tecnica with exposed carbon-fiber door panels and pull straps instead of handles, which the cyclist and Porsche RS fan in me loves.

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The biggest contrast that emerged in my mind while driving the Huracan Tecnica actually arrives from Lamborghini: after a brief experience a few weeks prior in an Aventador SVJ, how could the same company build these two supercars? An explanation likely lies at the feet of Volkswagen and Audi, as the Huracan represents more of a modern creation than the SVJ, which feels downright primitive (and yet, still so emotionally evocative when driven hard despite such unbearable discomfort).

The SVJ's 759-horsepower V12 also punches in an entirely different weight class than the Tecnica, as do most of the competing forced-induction or hybrid engines from McLaren or Ferrari. Still, as Lamborghini holds onto the end of the V10 era, all the unmissable refinements that go into this penultimate Tecnica package combine almost perfectly. Did I miss another 150 more lb-ft of torque earlier in the rev range during track driving? Not as much as I might expect—in real life, a bit more low-end grunt might contribute to more daily driveability. But then again, nobody buys a Huracan Tecnica hoping to live a regular life anyway.

Sources: lamborghini.com, thermal.cc, youtube.com, press.bridgestone-emia.com,

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Michael Van Runkle grew up surrounded by Los Angeles car culture, going to small enthusiast meets and enormous industry shows. He learned to drive stick shift in a 1948 Chevy pickup with no first gear and currently dailies his 1998 Mitsubishi Montero while daydreaming about one day finishing up that Porsche 914 project. He's written in various media since graduating from UC Berkeley in 2010 and started at HotCars in February 2018.