Driving the Lamborghini Huracán Performante

In this edition of Lap of Luxury, we went to Lamborghini Lounge on the Upper East Side to check out the incredible new space and drive the 2018 Robb Report Car of the Year—the Lamborghini Huracán Performante.

Robb Report managing director David Arnold says about 200 people were hand-selected to come to one of two venues: The Meadowood in Napa Valley, California, or the Boca Raton Resort in Boca Raton, Florida. They got to drive 13 cars that the Robb Report's automotive editors selected as the newest and best cars in the marketplace.

The judges spent about 20 minutes driving each of the cars on a road course. They judged the fit, finish, performance, and handling and then selected the best car. These are potential customers who can afford to buy these vehicles, so they're the target market for all of these manufacturers.

The Lamborghini Huracán Performante was the winner.

Automobili Lamborghini America Chief Operating Officer Alessandro Farmeschi says the car has 640 horsepower, which is 30 horsepower more than the standard Huracán. The Performante goes 0 to 62 mph in 2.9 seconds and has a maximum speed beyond 200 mph. The Performante is 88 pounds lighter thanks to the forged composite material.

It also has ALA, the Active Lamborghini Aerodynamic System, that uses air to improve its performance. Alessandro says the air is channeled into the two supports of the rear wing. A flap opens and closes based on the conditions, driving mode, and speed. The air gets into the channels and is diffused inside the wing and under the wing. The air goes through a few slots, completely reducing the downforce and drag. That gives the car the speed and agility to perform at the highest level on the racetrack.

Base price on the Performante is $274,000. The custom model we drove runs $337,000. You can customize a Lamborghini to that level and beyond at the new Lamborghini Lounge. Alessandro says the company created the space in New York to have intimate gatherings with friends, customers, and future customers.

Pictures telling the history of the company decorate the lounge. An area is specifically dedicated to customization, so customers can choose the color of the stitching, the leather, and the kind of carbon fiber they want their cars to have.

You can test drive a Lamborghini on one of the simulators inside or step outside and take the Performante for a spin like we did.

It is a beautiful car with incredible sound thanks to a newly designed exhaust system—all part of the full Lamborghini experience.