I for one love playing car-related games on my Xbox One. I can even play online with fellow motoring scribes. However, after recently purchasing a Lamborghini in Forza Horizon 4, I wondered what it would be like to spec the same car, in real life, so I did.
The Lamborghini HURACÁN EVO
Dreams do come true as I found out earlier this year when I was invited by Lamborghini South Africa to attend the local launch of the Huracan Evo in Cape Town. There is something quite emotional about getting into a Lamborghini for the first time. I have loved cars my entire life and this year, this crazy unimaginable year we call 2020 was the first time that I grabbed hold of a Lamborghini steering wheel in all my 32 years of existence. I remember just sitting in the car in the Cape Town showroom, time felt as if it stood still. I was allowed to start the car, what is known as a cold start the engine lifts the revs to increase the flow of air and fuel, for car lovers, this translates to more noise and what a noise from the two perforated tailpipes mounted in the middle of the rear bumper.
The next day was the drive and I remember my hands gripping the steering wheel, behind me was around 470 kW and 600 N.m of torque, on front of me was nothing but Western Cape country roads. The naturally aspirated V10 screams to just over 8000rpm and the sensation throughout your entire body as the car vibrate as it reaches that red line is un-measurable. The car sits low, you feel every bump in the road and the turn in speed is nearly telepathic.
Is it the best car that I have driven? That honour goes to the Porsche 911 GTS unfortunately for a rather boring reason. I found the Porsche to be a better-rounded car in terms of practicality and liveability. The Lamborghini though undoubtedly offers much more in terms of theatrics and it near seamlessly blends old school, in the form of its naturally aspirated motor and new school, thanks to the latest in technology to not only extract the most out of that motor but to better use it on the road.
My Lamborghini
Unfortunately, I don’t have many millions of Rands to spend on a new Lamborghini but, I do have an imagination and as I mentioned earlier I have decided to build my own Lamborghini using the Lamborghini Configurator (give it a try). The website is easy to use and I very quickly managed to select the Huracan Evo. I opted for Arancio Xanto paint, or orange if you will. Once that is done you click on ‘start’ and here you get to build the car of your dreams.
The exterior
As mentioned, I went for Arancio Xanto paint, the standard Aesir 20-inch diamond-cut rims and silver brake callipers. The Evo thankfully comes standard with a transparent engine cover and a rear diffuser so those items need not be added.
Interior
The cockpit of the Lamborghini is as close to fighter jet as what you can get with a new centre console screen controlling all infotainment functions, climate and vehicle setting. In front of the driver is a digital instrument cluster adding to the tech fest. As for the seats, well I decided to go for black leather with contrasting white leather inserts n sections of the seatbacks and doors while retaining the orange on the steering wheel. I decided to opt for the sports seats. While they might not be heated as the standard seats are, they do offer a sportier feel.
Time to pay
After you configure your Lamborghini you can download the car or send your unique code to the dealership. Unfortunately, I’m in no position to pay for a Lamborghini but I can dream and have some fun along the way.
