21 years of V10-powered Lamborghini production ends with the Huracan. Siddarth Limaye examines the celebratory special edition: the Huracan STJ.
A moment of silence for the 5.2 litre naturally aspirated V10 engine. The Audi derived powerplant is set to cease production by this year, and Lamborghini is giving it a proper send off (maybe Audi should learn something) with the Huracán STJ. Only 10 of these will ever be made, as a nod to the number of cylinders, and the significance of the number 10 in Lamborghini’s rich history.
If you think that name sounds familiar, it is because it is a combination of the STO (Super Trofeo Omologata) and SVJ (Super Veloce Jota) abbreviations in the Lamborghini portfolio. Here, the STJ stands for Super Trofeo Jota. Super Trofeo is an homage to Lamborghini's racing championship and the Jota stands for Appendix J of the FIA regulations, which determine a car’s racing specifications. This is only the third time in Lamborghini’s history that they have used a J short form on their cars, after the Miura SVJ and the Aventador SVJ. So what makes this edition of the Huracán special?
To start, the car now has a fully reworked suspension when compared to the STO. It now possesses improved mechanical grip with four racing derived shock absorbers meaning it replaces the STO’s active suspension. The shock absorbers are four way adjustable to adjust the rebound and compression at high and low frequencies. Although it may sound like a downgrade, this new setup is excellent for track use, providing the driver more manual control over the suspension. The car also has some new shoes, with some specially developed Bridgestone Potenza Race tyres. The car also has new 20 inch single nut rims which again adds to the race car for the road appeal of the STJ.
The body of the car is mostly similar to the STO, however, the Cofango - essentially single piece bumper and bonnet - has been reworked by Lamborghini’s Squadra Corse racing division and has two new carbon fibre aero flicks at the front to increase downforce and manage airflow over the car. The angle of the rear wing has also been increased by 3 degrees to provide more downforce. Overall, these subtle changes give the STJ a 10% increase in downforce over the STO. This accounts for an improvement of more than one second around the Nardo Technical Centre Handling Track when compared to the STO.
Apart from these mechanical changes, the car is also adorned with two new liveries designed by Lamborghini Centro Stile. The first one, that we have seen no pictures of, is predominantly grey (Grigio Telesto) with red and white accents and a black roof. The interior is mainly black with red stitching. The second one, and definitely the least subtle, is the car in the pictures, with Blu Eliadi as the primary colour with red and white accents.
Like all limited edition Lamborghinis, the STJ also has a ‘1 di 10’ plaque near the A pillar to remind people walking past the car just how special it truly is.
This is the last Huracán iteration, as the immensely popular model is set to be replaced either this year or next year with a potential hybrid/ twin turbo setup. This is also the end of Lamborghini’s V10 era, which started with the 5 litre V10 in the Gallardo. With around four thousand Huracáns sold in 2023, the baby Lamborghini was a highly successful product mainly because of its engine, and it deserves a proper send off. With the Lamborghini Huracan STJ, it has been given one.
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