Lamborghini Huracan 2014 News

With a top speed of 325km/h, the new Lamborghini Huracan supercar may be one of the fastest machines on the road, but owners better be good at parking it.A rear view camera and parking sensors are a $5900 option on this $465,000 car, even though they are standard on a $20,000 Toyota Corolla and available as an accessory on any vehicle for as little as $500.As consumer pressure mounts for rear view cameras to be standard equipment on all cars, and in particular on SUVs due to their impact on driveway safety, Lamborghini has defended the decision to make the safety features an option.The Italian company’s Asia-Pacific representative Sebastian Henry said the high cost option was “not so unusual for Lamborghini”.“These have always been Lamborghini optional extras and the Huracan will therefore follow suit,” he said.“Senses and cameras aren’t legally-required and so we think it best to give our Aussie customers as much power as possible to customise their Lamborghini to their liking.”There is a fair bet most Lamborghini customers will take up the option.With the car’s sleek lines, low roof and small back window that overlooks its V10 engine, it’s almost impossible to park without the aid of a camera.The company said 60 per cent of customers take up the option in Australia, although declined to reveal how many buyers negotiate to get the option included in the deal.Rear view cameras on an option on Porsche sports-cars and cost between $1690 and $2580. But it fits them as standard on the Cayenne SUV.From this year, Ferrari has made a rear view camera standard on all its sports-cars.This reporter is on Twitter: @JoshuaDowling 

Want to know what it's like to drive the Lamborghini Huracan? We'll have a road test review for you in a few weeks, but until then you can get a taste of the action with Lamborghini's Huracan driving simulator. and that's without having to shell out the $428,000 that will be price tag when the Huracan hits Australia mid-year.Replacing the 10-year-old Gallardo, and carrying an uprated version of its 5.2-litre V10, the Huracan delivers 448kW of power and 560Nm of torque, getting it to all four wheels via a new twin-clutch transmission derived from the system used in VW Group stablemate Audi R8.The four-wheel drive system has also been upgraded, and offers electronically switchable modes -- Strada (road), Sport, and Corsa (race) -- that alter the gearbox and engine settings, exhaust note, drive system and stability control.Official time for the 0-100km/h sprint is 3.2 seconds, with 0-200km/h claimed in 9.9, and a top speed of more than 325km/h -- all while keeping fuel economy to a fairly reasonable (for supercars) 12.5L/100km with the help of a stop-start system and weight-trimming use aluminium and carbon-fibre spaceframe chassis -- also to be shared with the R8 -- that keeps the Lambo to a trim 1422kg. Standard features include carbon-ceramic brakes, with the options list offering magnetic active suspension and electronically controlled variable steering ration system.To try out the simulator, head to the Lamborghini website. It doesn’t work on mobile or tablet, unfortunately, and it may demand you download the latest version of a web player to get the site running, which is a downside. But it's worth those extra minutes to get behind a Huracan wheel -- even just virtually.This reporter is on Twitter: @KarlaPincott

There are exciting new releases planned across the board; from budget hatches to practical SUVs, to exotic supercars. We’ve broken them down into segments and likely price categories to help you. We've based our price estimations on the current market, but some estimations could change in the future, and some model ranges span across price categories, so be sure to check our other stories...New cars for 2014 | less than $20,000New cars for 2014 | $20,000-$40,000New cars for 2014 | $40,000-$59,000New cars for 2014 | $59,000-$100,000LUXURY CARSAudi A8: Audi will refresh its A8 flagship sedan lineup by mid-2014, with subtle styling tweaks and interior details, along with shuffled drivetrain options. (Approximately $188,000-$249,000)Audi RS7 Sportback: Essentially a five-door hatch version of the existing RS6 Avant, the RS7 will arrive in February with sleeker Sportback styling than the wagon, and the same 412kW/700Nm 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8. 0-100km/h is the same 3.9 seconds too. (Approximately $240,000)Bentley Continental GT S: While Bentley prepares its first SUV model, there’s not much else in store for 2014 from the legendary Brit aside from powered-up new S models added to the V8 Continental GT lineup. (Approximately $380,000)Jaguar XJR: Jaguar will add the new XJR to its XJ big sedan lineup in the first quarter, with the 5.0-litre supercharged V8 performance flagship to sit above the existing Supersport range-topper. (Approximately $350,000)Lexus RC: Lexus’ new RC coupe should arrive before the end of 2014 to take on the BMW 4 Series and Audi A5, with a choice of petrol V6 and hybrid drivetrains likely to expand to include a high-performance 5.0-litre V8 RC-F soon after. (Approximately $70,000-$130,000)Maserati Quattroporte and Ghibli: 2014 is set to be a big year for Maserati, with the new Quattroporte (Approximately from $250,000) arriving in V6 form in January, and V8 form in February, with the return of the smaller Ghibli sedan ( Approximately from $150,000) in March.Mercedes-Benz S-Class: Mercedes will cap its local S-Class sedan lineup in January, with the arrival of the $385,000 S63 AMG high performance model. The 430kW/900Nm twin-turbo V8 S63 will sit above the existing S350 and S500 models, and be joined by the diesel-electric S350 BlueTec hybrid and twin-turbo V6 S400 variants by June. (Approximately $250,000-$385,000)Mercedes-Benz S-Class Coupe: Mercedes’ upcoming S-Class Coupe is expected down under before the year’s end, with the yet to be officially revealed new model replacing the existing CL coupe models. A drop-top version is also planned, and a V8 and V12 petrol-only lineup is expected with an entry price north of $300,000 likely.Porsche Panamera E-Hybrid: The plug-in Panamera E-Hybrid is also due early in the year, with a supercharged 3.0-litre V6 and 70kW electric motor to enable 3.1L/100km fuel use with 0-100km/h acceleration in 5.5 seconds. (Approximately $296,900)SUV/4WDLand Rover Range Rover: Before mid-year, Land Rover will add a range-topping lineup (Approximately $250,000) with new hybrid versions of it and the Sport expected before the end of the year. (Approximately $102,000-$182,000)Porsche Macan: Porsche will add the new sub-Cayenne Macan SUV to its Australian lineup from June, with the cheapest diesel model forming a new entry point to Porsche ownership at $84,900. Twin-turbo 3.0 and 3.6-litre V6s will sit further up the price scale, with the 294kW top-spec capable of 0-100km/h in 4.6 seconds. (Approximately $84,900-$122,900)SPORTS/PERFORMANCEAston Martin V12 Vantage S: Aston will add its fastest model this side of the ultra-exclusive One-77 in the first quarter of this year, in the form of the track-ready V12 Vantage S coupe. (Approximately $450,000)BMW M3 and M4: BMW’s new M3 and M4 mid-size performance heroes are set to arrive after mid-year, with the move to twin-turbo six power resulting in the fastest M3 to date, and matched by the renamed M4 coupe. (Approximately $124,000-$180,000)BMW i8: The i8 plug-in hybrid sports car is expected to arrive before the year’s end, blending grand tourer luxury with 4.4 second 0-100km/h acceleration and 2.5L/100km fuel economy. (Approximately $200,000)Ferrari 458 Speciale: The first of 60 Australian examples of Ferrari’s hardcore 458 Speciale are set to arrive before mid-year, with the lighter, more powerful track-focused special able to lap Fiorano 1.5 seconds faster than the old Enzo flagship. (Approximately $550,000)Jaguar F-Type Coupe: Jaguar will add the recently unveiled Coupe version of its stunning F-Type in the third quarter, with the 20kg lighter V6, V6 S and V8 S variants also expected to slightly undercut their soft-top counterparts on price. The Coupe-only F-Type R will sit at the top of the hardtop range, with the 404kW/680Nm spec V8 promising 0-100km/h acceleration in the order of 4.2 seconds. (Approximately $125,000-$200,000)Lamborghini Huracan: With the Gallardo now officially out of production, Lamborghini is keen to follow with its Huracan replacement to sit beneath the V12 Aventador models before June. The V10 Huracan is set to challenge Ferrari’s 458 with an uprated version of the Gallardo’s 5.2-litre V10 and seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. From $428,000Nissan GT-R: Nissan will bring its latest incarnation of the GT-R performance coupe down under from March, with cosmetic upgrades the key changes for 2014. New LED headlights and taillights are changed for the first time since 2007, and mesh wheels keep Nissan’s giant-killer a fresh opponent for Porsche’s new 911 Turbo models. (Approximately from $170,000)Porsche 911 Turbo and GT3: Porsche will launch several key hi-po versions of the 991 911 to its Australian lineup in the first half of 2014, with the $359,800 Turbo and $441,300 Turbo S arriving first in coupe and convertible ($29,000 premium) guises, with the $294,000 track-oriented and now PDK-only GT3 soon after.Porsche 911 Targa: The new semi-convertible unveiled in Detroit will touch down in Australia before mis-year, with a new folding roof mechanism and all-wheel drive 4 and 4S versions. Both manual and PDK auto will be available, and prices will sit $2,300-$3,300 over existing Cabriolet models. (Approximately $247,900-$291,050)CONVERTIBLESAston Martin Vanquish Volante: For those who prefer their V12 Astons roofless and with a back seat, Aston will bring the Vanquish Volante to Australia in the first quarter of 2014. (Approximately $510,000)Bentley Continental GTC S: Like the hardtop GT, the soft top Continental GTC is set to score a powered up S model in 2014. (Approximately $420,000)BMW 4 Series convertible: The folding hardtop version of BMW’s 4-Series coupe is expected by March, and echo its hardtop sibling with 420d, 428i, and 435i drivetrains. (Approximately $85,000-$120,000)   

After several days of leaked images and teased details, Lamborghini has finally shown us the Huracan LP 610-4 that replaces the exiting 10-year-old Gallardo. And to give us a taste of what will arrive, they've released a video that follows the exploits of some lads who sneak into the Lambo HQ to get a sneak look and spin of the Huracan.Named in Lambo tradition for a fighting bull -- Huracan faced the matador in Spain's Alicante bullring in August 1879 -- the car will be unveiled at Geneva motor show in March and go on sale after being seen by prospective buyers in a series of private viewings around the world.Watch the Lamborghini Huracan 'home video' As expected, the Huracan is powered by an uprated version of the Gallardo's 5.2-litre V10, developing  448kW of power at 8250rpm and 560Nm of torque peaking at 6500rpm, mated to a new twin-clutch transmission derived from the system used in VW Group stablemate Audi R8.Watch three Lamborghinis crash and burn togetherThe new DSG delivers outputs to all corners, with the four-wheel drive system upgraded to add electronically switchable modes -- Strada (street), Sport, and Corsa (track) -- that alter the gearbox and engine settings, exhaust note, drive system and stability control.Watch the Lamborghini Gallardo track testLamborghini claims a 0-100km/h time of 3.2 seconds, 0-200km/h in 9.9, and a top speed of more than 325km/h, while keeping fuel economy to 12.5L/100km. That fuel figure is achieved with the help of a stop-start system and a weight of just 1422kg with diet strategies including the use of aluminium and carbon-fibre spaceframe chassis -- like the gearbox, adapted from the R8.Watch the Lamborghini LP-5704 Squadra Corse on the trackThe Huracan gets carbon-ceramic brakes as standard fitment, while the options include magnetic active suspension and electronically controlled variable steering ration system. Future Huracan versions are likely to include rear-wheel drive and convertible variants, but there is no manual gearbox on the plan now or in the future.The Huracan will arrive in Australia mid-2014 priced from $428,000, a rise of close to $20,000 over the current $409,500 entry level Gallardos but carrying the extra standard spec of carbon brakes, DSG and multi-mode four-wheel drive that will make it seem a bargain against the outgoing $541,500 Superleggera variants.This reporter is on twitter: @KarlaPincott 

The 10-year-old Lamborghini Gallardo is about to be replaced, with the successor due to be revealed in just a few day's time. So naturally nearly everybody is hoping that a glimpse will leak early, but we're not sure this is it.These images have surfaced online over the past 24 hours, and are alleged to be Lamborghini renderings -- although usually the Italian brand produces something with a little more artistic flair.However the images do closely follow the lines of the camouflaged car we've seen testing in spy shots -- so if they're unofficial, somebody has at least made an effort to give their impression of what the finished car will look like. Echoing the lean lines of the Aventador, the new arrival -- tipped in these images to be christened the Huracan, although elsewhere also called the Cabrera -- sports a 'flying buttress' C-pillar, gaping hexagonal front intakes and similarly hungry ones at the rear of the side sills to channel air over the engine and brakes. Tail-end cues include quad exhaust tips and elongated rear light clusters, while the cabin also echoes the Aventador's digital jet-fighter cockpit feel.The new arrival is expected to carry an uprated version of the Gallardo's 5.2-litre V10 engine, but tweaked to squeeze out 447kW of power (about 40kW over the current base model and 28kW more than the top-spec). There's no chance of a manual transmission, but a new seven-speed dual clutch will replace the long-toothed e-gear automated manual, driving all four wheels as standard but with a rear-wheel drive version continuing as an option.Sharing its platform with the coming VW group stablemate Audi R8, weight-saving aluminium and carbon-fibre should help trim the scales down from the current Lambo's 1600kg for the all-wheel drive and 1470kg for the rear-wheel drive to about 1330kg and 1300kg respectively, while assisting the new car to a 0-100km/h time of around 3 seconds and a top speed of 320km/h.With an official reveal tipped as a Christmas present for fans, the car is likely to get a global debut at Geneva motor show in March and go on sale overseas in the middle of next year.