........almost!

Actually yesterday, during an extended lunch break, I went over to my local Lambo dealer for a little fun. They had a '15 Huracan in a stunning metallic blue. The dealer was very gracious to me and let me have an extended test-drive that lasted a good 40 minutes. Prior to my test drive, I had a preconceived notion that Lambos, despite their stunning looks, were cramped, uncomfortable and intimidating to drive. Boy was I wrong. Yes, the cockpit a little small, but not anymore than my R. Actually, the seats on the Lambo are more comfortable. That LCD instrument cluster was impressive.....I wish my R had that (are you listening Jaguar?). The biggest shocker was the ride quality....even on bad pavement, the Lambo soaked up the bumps extremely well (this is on "Strada" mode) and actually even better than my R. Of course, the Huracan was a rocket on the straightaways (actually not much faster than my R) and it tackled curves like a supercar should. (I was also happy that I was allowed to go on the highway for a while....did about 125 mph for a few sec!). But that exhaust note was on another planet! The attention you get in riding in a car like this has to be experienced, though.....people were lining up along side me and behind to take photos.

I was pleasantly surprised than the dealer was enamored in my R's looks. They were very eager to take my R in as a trade and offered to take an additional $30K off the asking price. The lease payments came out to about $3K/mo. with no money down. However, with the dreaded Illinois sales tax, the initial out-of-pocket cost comes out to almost $20K. Still.....hmmmm.......

 

Man the new Huracan's and the new R8 coming out both taunt me in my sleep....nice to hear (and surprising!) that it's somewhat civilized too!

 

Has the maintenance schedule, and cost of maintenance improved at all on the Lambos? I have a friend who owned an older one and he now only ever leases due to the cost of maintenance within a few years...

 

Wow! Congrats. Love it. You haven't ridden in then since Audi bought them huh. They're very comfy and reliable now.

 

What did they offer you for the R?

 

This, the R8, and a lightly used 458/488 will be my top contenders if the F-Type is cheapened by a 4-cyl and becomes common. Nice to hear it is very livable.

 

Congrats beautiful car.

 

If anyone actually read his post, he didn't actually do the trade...

 

We didn't go that far but the sales agent told me that I wouldn't be "disappointed." He did offer to take an additional $30K off the Huracan though without even looking at my R. I gotta say, this Lambo/Bentley dealer I went to yesterday were super nice......not at all snooty like some other exotic car dealers I've been to.

If I were to jump ship, though, I would most likely go for a used Spyder, as much as the coupe is just stunning to look at. The dealer had a new '16 Spyder in the showroom but it was too much $$$ (almost $80K in options!).

I'm still in awe of the test-drive. It just blew me away how easy and comfortable the Huracan is to drive. In "Strada" (comfort) mode, the car is quiet and smooth as any luxury sports sedan/coupe, but once you switch to "sport" or "corsa" mode, it becomes an insane supercar with a hyper-drool-worthy exhaust note!

I did test-drive a '12 Gallardo Spyder Performante (LP 570-4) a while back, but the Huracan blows it away on every level!

Should I sell my R, Maser GT, and everything else in my possession to get this beast? Oh, the agony!.....

 

What he said.

This would be my main concern.

Way to go though...You have arrived.

 

To own or to lease?

Will there be a service warranty with the car?

Cost of ownership outside of payment...Insurance? You gotta think this through!

 

The dealer told me all Huracans come with a 3-year, unlimited mile warranty. Now that Lambos come with a good bunch of Audi DNA built-in, I'm sure reliability has been vastly improved.

The Huracan I drove yesterday was as solid as a bank vault. Interior craftsmanship was as solid as that in an Audi S8, too.

 

Most likely lease. I usually lease all my cars mainly for business reasons.

The Huracan comes with a 3 year, unlimited mile, bumper-to-bumper warranty.

Insurance?........

Biggest deterrent to owing one of these, though, is the environment.....Chicago isn't kind to nice cars. God I wished I lived in California! (as long as it isn't LA)

 

How about yearly service costs? I assume a couple thousand a year for service?

 

The dealer told me all you need is an oil/filter change for the first several years (approx. $300-$400 per visit).

I don't see why a Huracan would be any more complicated in maintenance than a F-Type if you're not abusing it.

 

Lamb of are super reliable now.

 

Absolutely amazing just how far the Germans have brought Lamborghini. I can remember when the Italians referred to a Lamborghini car as 'una machina di merda'. They did like the tractors and farm equipment though.

I have always been curious to know how many times Lamborghini have won in Formula One, or in endurance races such as le 24 Heures du Mans?

Sorry if I offend, but Jaguar have a chequered racing history that goes back before Lamborghini thought about building cars. Not sure I would part exchange any Jaguar for something from Sant'Agata, but I guess we all have different passions, tastes and viewpoints when it comes to cars.

 

It was not so long ago that we all ran from Jag too. Marques change over time. Seems when British cars get help from the outside world, the product are soon world class, think Jag, Bentley and Range Rover. Why not Lambo? Audi are making some of the best cars company wide.

 

Racing history aside (and I wouldn't say Jaguar has had much one one lately), Jaguar has really struggled over the last couple decades to make even a decent car. Its only within the last few years that things have turned around. Lamborghini on the other hand has met/exceeded their goals as a company for years.

 

Just a little while ago, the sales agent called me and left a message on my phone and said that he's willing to waive the first 2 months lease payments if I pick up the car today!
........

I think what's ultimately stopping me to pull the trigger on the Lambo is where I live. I know if I get the car, I'll only be able to use it only a few times out of a year. So during winter, while it sits and depreciates in the garage, I'll still be making payments on it. Also, Chicago has some of the most shittiest roads in the country, not to mention some of the worst traffic. When you're in a very low car like a Lambo, even a small pot hole looks like you're driving off a cliff.

I think if I was living in California, it'll be a different story where I'll be able to drive an exotic all year around. I actually lived in Calabassas (just northwest of LA) back in 2006-2008. The area has some of the finest roads in the world for spirited driving, not to mention the awesome scenery. The mountain roads near Topanga state park come to mind as well as the roads up in Mulholland drive just north of LA. Hardly any traffic there most of the time and you can really push your car like it was meant to. Lot of car magazine companies test drive their vehicles around there. I even saw Jay Leno up there several times with his "toys."