Elite Traveler Fall 2021

NEED TO KNOW New trim and a titanium roll bar with four-point seatbelts suggest this supercar is best suited for a track’s worth of predictable pavement.

Lamborghini Huracán STO

The days of cars creating engine and exhaust symphonies are numbered. An EU emissions rule set for 2023 will require particulate filters for gas vehicles. Similar to turbochargers, they quell the energy (read: loudness) hailing from exhaust. Pair that with the forthcoming 2027 EU regulation lowering vehicle noise limits from 74 dB to 68 dB, and prepare for a deluge of swan songs to the exhaust, beginning with Lamborghini’s Huracán STO. Naturally, STO stands for Super Trofeo Omologata — Raging Bull speak for a road-homologated supercar gleaned from Lamborghini’s current racing efforts. The naturally aspirated (meaning no super or turbo chargers of any kind, just an old-fashioned giant engine) V10 produces 640 hp and a cornucopia of sounds. It’s not dazzlingly quick off the line, but that’s not the entire point. Lamborghini thrives in visceral responses. The STO whines and whinnies, gurgles and grunts, spits and sizzles. Sound-deadening between occupants and the 7-speed, dual-clutch transmission, doesn’t really exist. Nor should it. There’s a reason the three driving modes, STO, Trofeo and Pioggia, are named Anima. From digging into mountain road turns to clocking impressive lap times on the track, it’s likely the STO will be heard long before it’s seen. Lamborghini Huracán STO from $327,838, lamborghini.com

Photos Diego Vigarani, Philipp Rupprecht