[EXCLUSIVE!] We drive 678 kW Lamborghini

There can be no argument that Lamborghini’s Huracan is a technical work of art that unites carbon-fibre and aluminium components on an ultra-light chassis in the most perfect way possible, while also being powered by an angry, naturally aspirated bull of a 5.2-litre V10 engine that delivers 448 kW of power and 560 Nm of torque.

With its power-to-weight ratio of just 2.33 kg per hp, you know the Huracan is going to be fast. They claim a top speed of more than 325 km/h, 0 to 100 km/h in 3.2 sec, 200 km/h in 9.9 sec and the dash between 100 and 200 km/h in around 7.0 sec. You would think that this would be more than enough performance. But what if it’s not?

The ever-improving top speed events in South Africa prove that too much power and speed are never enough. Enter local tuning experts, NxGen Performance, the team behind the fastest Nissan GT-Rs on the strip and the road.

I have had the privilege of driving and testing a few of their fastest cars. And I have just driven their Huracan Twin Turbo … the first in the country. It’s almost impossible to put into words how this Stage 1 bolt on twin turbo package kit takes the Huracan up another notch.  And by notch, I mean stupid fast for a completely street legal, road-going car.

The car barks into life and settles into a restless idle, almost like the standard car. Pull the paddle and select first, ease out on to the road (or test strip in our case) and the calm continues. Start squeezing the throttle and you sense the drama is starting to build. Smash the pedal to the floor and the scenery around you becomes a blur.

There is no wheel-spinning fuss and drama, just the relentless urge and stability that only a Lamborghini with all-wheel drive and an extra 230 kW on tap can offer. Without launch control, this car smashed through the quarter mile (400 m) mark in just 10.4 sec at 235 km/h. It goes through the half mile (800 m) mark at 284 km/h and knocks on 300 km/h in just 1 000 m of tar.

A normal Huracan will only just break 200 km/h in a quarter mile, 240 km/h in the half mile and not get to 260 km/h in 1 000 m. So, to say the NxGen Huracan is substantially faster is the understatement of 2020. But what’s the NxGen Twin Turbo Huracan like to drive when on the roll, sort of like you would do so when out on the open road? It builds up urge in the same linear way the standard car does, but at about twice the pace.

The fastest standard supercar I have tested from 100 to 200 km/h has been the Ferrari 488 GTB. It only needed 6.57 sec. The NxGen Huracan knocked almost two full seconds off that to clock-blistering 4.66 sec. That is fast with a capital F. The Twin Turbo kit has been painstakingly engineered and tested to OEM levels of quality, reliability and driveability, and is a complete turnkey solution.

It is a true bolt-on kit, with no modifications to the chassis or body work and consists of two Garrett turbos, two intercoolers utilising Garrett cores, two motorsports grade heat exchangers, the relevant intercooler piping and a custom ECU flash to control the madness that will be anywhere between 800 to 900 HP depending on the octane of the fuel used on the day.

You can also specify one or two options in the form of an upgraded clutch kit to go with an ECU change that allows the car to automatically identify if you are running high-octane fuel and then this allows for extra boost and even more power! v Performance kits are available for Audi’s R8 V10 and other Lamborghini models. Watch this space for details on these projects.

For more information visit NxGen Performance at 43 Fourth Street, Wynberg, or call them on 011 023 9042. Alternatively contact Basil (082 490 4269/basil@nxgen.co.za) or Craig (083 253 6116/ craig@nxgen.co.za).

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