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Review of EVO RWD

5K views 47 replies 14 participants last post by  iLLSE 
#1 · (Edited)
The evolutionary trend of super cars has witnessed a shift to greater comfort, refinement , daily usability and modern amenities. Emotion, unfortunately, has been the collateral damage to the grind of technological progress. Modern super cars are faster, more objectively capable yet the cars have replaced individual model personalities with a push towards conformity. For many car enthusiasts, this movement has been embraced with enthusiasm, while with others, not so much. The genesis and raison d'etre of high end sports cars was to create vehicles that ooze driver involvement and arouse the senses. Getting behind the wheel and starting the power plant would create a rush of excitement that signalled the commencement of a memorable journey.

This preamble is especially relevent in discussing the EVO RWD. Lamborghini has created a distinctive marque as a purveyor of uniquely and unmistakeable aesthetically stunning or at the very least, singularly provocative designs with driving dynamics to match. However, the latest V10 models- especially the 580 and the 610 have epitomized the modern trend discussed above which while attracting new adherents to the brand, have been proved disconcerting to devotees. In the quest to create greater technical capabilities and creature comforts, the magic has in the process been diluted. When I was seeking to replace my Balboni a few years ago with the Huracan, my first encounter with the 610 was a dramatic disappointment. While the car was undeniably superior on every objective metric, it noticeably was bereft of driver involvement. It was excessively compliant, and refined. I then experienced the 580 with passive suspension and was pleasantly surprised to the extent at how much it elevated the personal connection to the car. I subsequently purchased it and ultimately traded it for the Performante which represented the synthesis of objective superiority with thrilling driver dynamics.

Over this weekend I was offered an opportunity by the most accomodating, knowledgable, and customer service dedicated dealer- Grand Touring Uptown, to experience the EVO RWD. Within a few moments of the drive, I was stunned at the dramatic difference of this car to the EVO AWD model. While the AWD was extremely capable , fast, with precise handling and grip, it is in essence a tamer Performante. The RWD is a completely different animal. Think of it as the younger sibling of the Performante. Not nearly as accomplished and matured but with a huge personality, boisterous and the life of the party. The RWD is all about thrills, and excitement. Driving it with gusto is invigorating, exhilirating and adrenaline inducing. There is the absence of adaptive dampers, LDS and the brakes are steel. Yet, the suspension, which is firm, provides tactile feedback to allow the driver to experience exactly what the road surface offers. The braking is linear, smoothly modulating to the driver's command. The steering, at higher speeds is direct and uncannily weighted so that it is neither heavy nor too light. Point the car in the intended direction and it will obey like a military trained German Shepherd. And then there is the sound! It has gravitas, plays at high SPLs with a baritone authority. It is an aural symphony with a melifuous sound unmatched by any other current car. To fully appreciate this quality, revs need to be kept at 4-5K. For those who wish to calm the beast, earlier shifting will accomplish the task. Downshifting results in a fireworks display of pops. As for sound volume. Imagine a potentiometer that controls sound pressure levels with demarkations from 0-10 ( being the loudest). The 720S would be a 3. The Ferrari 488 a 6. The EVO RWD is an 11.

The RWD is alive, raw, yet still civilzed if you wish it to be. Driving in STRATA in auto mode will turn this tiger into a domestic pussy cat. Appropriate when driving in heavy traffic or when warming the engine. Otherwise, you should be sentenced to jail if this car is not driven in Sport or Race- manual. Technically, the RWD is not as capable of the AWD. Upon launch, the rear wheels will spin and the rear end will become skittish and squirrelly. It will also, at times, slightly stutter upon take off but will recover quickly. Grip at high speeds and during hard corning will have a slight tendency to slide. But the overwhelming glory of this car is the fun factor. It is so extremely engaging and compelling, that it takes the driving experience to an exalted level.

For those who own a 580 or a 610, drop everything and rush over to your Lamborhini dealer and arrange a trade for the EVO RWD. Get ready for the hairs on the back of your neck to stand at attention and goose bumps to trickle down your spine as you gasp for breath and an ear to ear grin appears on your face.
 
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#4 ·
Great write up but the one thing that wasn't mentioned was you not only get this incredibly stimulating car with the EVO RWD, but you get for $60,000 leas than the AWD! It does sound crazy and too good to be true, but it is.
 
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#5 ·
Absolutely a steal at the price. If the AWD and RWD were the same price, I would still choose the latter. It is truly an amazing car and the likes of which will never be duplicated in the future, given the prevailing direction in which super cars are headed. For context as to how special this car is, I took delivery of my F8 last week.
 
#6 ·
The F8 is my all time favorite Ferrari. If I was to ever leave Lamborghini that would be my car. Great value for a powerhouse of a car, and by far the best looking to date. Would you mind posting some pics of your F8?
 
#9 ·
Wow! A steal at that price is an understatement. Isn't it around 700 hp? I guess Ferrari has to compete with the under 300K Huracans and they did a heck of a job. Congrats!
 
#13 ·
If I wasn't such a fanatic at having EVERYTHING my way, I would have grabbed a HP in a heartbeat, just couldn't find one with all the right combination of options and color.
So I will just have to settle for an EVO RWD and I am hoping Alexa resolves the touch screen problems. I will do a write up once I get mine, but by then I am sure we will have lots of reviews.
 
#14 ·
Excellent write up, Coincident. I echo what others have said: give me the knobs and buttons, especially the beautiful ones in the Huracan. I like the looks of the center touchscreen, but only on a Klingon Bird of Prey. As for AWD vs RWD, not for a second have I regretted getting the latter. For me, it's taming the beast, vs. riding a tamed beast! And lastly, I love the front fascia of the EVO RWD; in my opinion, it is the best of all H models (so far). If I were in the market for a replacement, the EVO RWD would be a no-brainer. Hopefully Lamborghini is listening to its customer base and will go back to the buttons and switches by the time I'm ready to order mine.
 
#15 ·
So F8 or EVO RWD? Look forward to a direct comparison. Sound, handling, looks, tech, price.

That Ipad on the center console would drive me nuts, hope Russ is right about Alexa. My 580-2 with sports exhaust windows up is so loud I can't carry a phone conversation and wonder how responsive voice commands in the Evo are.
 
#27 ·
I would have got the AWD version in spite of the savings, but I absolutely love the new front & rear Of the RWD EVO.
 
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#29 ·
I never liked the 580 front and rear at all. Now things have changed back to good (rear) and the front is cleaner than the AWD EVO ... I like ! Just the little duck wing does not warm my heart.
 
#30 ·
I enjoyed reading the write up but wonder why 610 and 580 owners should run to the Evo RWD? I know some people traded in their 610s when the 580 debuted and cite improved driver engagement as the primary motivator in doing so while noting the decreased hp wasn't really noticeable. I can't help but think this is the same concept with the Evo to Evo RWD. The marketing is focusing on the same weight savings, improved steering engagement and drift factor which is more marketing than reality imo.

Maybe it is because of driving vipers for so long but the 580 feels like an AWD car to me; even on the crappy Pirelli P Zero tires. No one realistically is entering any "drift mode" on the street in sport mode either! Corsa is where it's at and the car is planted with great traction in RWD. I can see where people wanted the sportier "feel" of the 580 but also easily see where 610 owners prefer having very fast AWD performance off the line too. To me, those are the main differences that count with all the models outside of the Performante.

The Evo RWD is the car to get IMO if someone is in the market. I'd argue it may be the best overall super car to get for the money when factoring in overall looks, reliability, performance and price. I think the back end is a great update and for me the only reason I would upgrade if I were going to do so. I actually don't like the front end because while it is more aggressive, it just looks cheaper to me. I don't like the lack of forged carbon in the engine bay and strongly prefer the older center stack of physical buttons to the new screen. If I was in the market for a new car I would easily choose the RWD if I couldn't find a good spec performante but it's too close to the 580 for me. My local dealer has some and maybe I can get behind the wheel of one while my car is in for the second year service.
 
#31 ·
For me it was simply something new & improved, in both performance and technology. The new look was just an added bonus. I will probably do it again when the Huracan replacement comes out.
 
#47 ·
I watched a video of an EVO vs F8 on a dragstrip. The EVO crushes the F8 up to about 100 mph, but then the F8 pulls ahead rather easily. They ended up with a 10.3 @ 138 1/4 mile for the F8 and a 10.6 @ 130 for the EVO. So I think your feeling was right.
 
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