Driven: Charging Through the Movember Bull Run in the 2023 Lamborghini Huracan STO

• Lamborghini invited us to take part in a charity "Bull Run" to support Movember.
• 200 Lamborghinis attended the rallly.
• Our noble steed was a Huracan STO.

Our drive took us from Santa Monica up into the mountains above Malibu, through some of the best canyon roads Southern California has to offer. But before that, I spent a couple of minutes with Stephan Winkelmann, the Automobili Lamborghini chairman and chief executive officer, and I attempted to tap into what I thought would be a wellspring of Italian sentiment (even though he's German) about the current generation of gas-powered cars (Huracan included).

Instead, his answer was entirely forward-looking. He answered, "as you know when we are developing a new car it starts four to five years into the cycle of that (current) car. So every meeting is about this. We have to focus on the future to create the next generation of dream cars."

We've already gotten behind the wheel of one of those next-generation cars, the Revuelto, and were quite impressed with the hybrid-powered Aventador replacement. But while Winkelmann refused to wax poetic about the quickly fading present, I will gladly seize the opportunity to spill digital ink about this mid-engine V10-powered marauder.

S-T-OMG

STO is short for "Super Trofeo Omologata," and even if I translated that into English would still sound a bit like a word salad. The basic gist of it is this: Lamborghini took the Huracan from the Super Trofeo Evo racing series, changed as little as possible to make it street-legal, and then cut the STO loose into the hands of excited owners. These supercar articles usually save the price for the end as a sort of "wow!" moment but I won't do that to you. You can have a Lamborghini race car for the low, low base price of $340,190 (after gas-guzzler tax and destination charges). Our test vehicle came with a raft of options of course and an eye-watering final price of $422,351.

Power comes from the Huracan Evo's 5.2L V10 that is bolted in right behind the cabin, pumping out 631 horsepower and 417 lb-ft of torque through a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. All of that power goes to the rear wheels, which are covered in sticky Bridgestone Potenza Race tires made specifically for the STO and are a bonkers 305 milimeters wide in the back. To slow down the Huracan STO's very nearly 3,000-pound curb weight, there are Formula 1-derived carbon-ceramic brake rotors that deliver more stopping power and fade resistance than your traditional carbon-ceramic brakes.

I didn't get to put the STO's claimed 0-62 mph time of around 3 seconds to the stopwatch, but that wasn't really necessary. This thing absolutely pours on speed in an instant at any time. The transmission responds so quickly it feels like it's planted in my subconscious, and the engine jumps up to its nearly 9,000 rpm redline in a snap. But more impressive than the acceleration are those brakes. Stand on the brake pedal and the car slams into a wall, and you quickly learn the importance of bracing your left leg against the carbon-fiber exposed footwell to prevent your body from straining too hard against the seat belt.

Flat, flat, flat

The suspension hasn't been left alone either. It's got a wider track than the run-of–the-mill Huracan, stiffer bushings and anti-roll bars, and magnetorheological adaptive dampers that are specifically tuned for the STO. On top of all that is a body made mostly of carbon fiber, that's been fine-tuned for precise aerodynamics to provide downforce in all the right places and draw heat from others, topped off by a manually adjustable rear wing.

A track is really the only safe place to get anywhere near the STO's limits and feel the full benefits of all of those changes, but in a nice and slightly unexpected twist, it remains a fun and happy vehicle even at lower speeds. Some of these race-cars-turned-street-cars are really only happy operating at full bore, but the STO is still fun at the speed limit. You can appreciate the sharpness of the steering and the spooky elimination of all body roll as you go through twists and turns without needing to even brush the brakes, and that V10 remains docile when you need it to be, then wakes up in an instant like an excited puppy once you indicate that it's time to let a little bit loose.

The front of the car turns in with shocking immediacy, and when you do so, it doesn't upset the balance of the STO at all. It remains planted and the rear of the car follows dutifully without hesitation or slop (thanks in part to a rear-wheel steering system that can turn up to 6 degrees). All body roll has been vaporized, and when you combine that with the oodles of grip from those gigantic, sticky tires, there's a man-to-car connection that inspires nothing but confidence. You might think that the combination of V10 and rear-wheel drive would create an unruly machine that you have to tame, but the truth is quite the opposite: The STO's so thoroughly good and grippy that it makes you better as a driver, as you get the confidence to lean into its prodigious abilities.

There is one downside to setting up the car to corner this flatly. On the road, you will feel every single bump through the barely padded carbon-fiber bucket seats. The STO (street) and Trofeo (track) driving modes alter the suspension firmness, but think of the difference between those settings more like a toggle between "stiffer" and "stiffest." It's noticeable but forgivable for how good the rest of the driving experience is.

Goodbye, my friend

The Huracan is set to be replaced by another mid-engine vehicle that will downsize the engine from a V10 to a twin-turbocharged V8 and a hybrid system that will provide some electric kick to back up the engine. It's likely to be more powerful and faster than the Huracan as well — on paper, the new car will be a winner. And I'm sure it will be great to drive as well.

But it won't be this: It won't be a naturally aspirated V10 that produces an unholy roar that is even more present in the STO because the only thing separating you from the engine is a pane of plastic up by your head. It won't be like driving your own personal V10 thunderstorm. It won't be this much of a riot in your eardrums. Getting the STO up to around 6,000 rpm produces a sound that can only be described as automotive ecstasy.

And that's the bit I will miss.

Edmunds says

The Huracan STO is the closest you can get to driving a Lamborghini race car, but its incredible stability and grip make it more accessible than you'd ever imagine. It's the rare machine that makes you feel like a better driver than you actually are.