I’m not too big on exotics, and I think many of you share this sentiment to some degree.
They’re cool, no doubt, but given the nature of the market and how each hyper or supercar vastly outdoes the previous generation, they still somehow don’t manage to change the landscape of car culture itself very much.
Personally, and perhaps inaccurately, I attribute this not only to the relatively low production volume of high-end vehicles, but also due to the fact that those who purchase these cars do so for a very different reason than why someone buys, say, an S2000 or an old school Celica.
This isn’t always the case, but it feels like all too often when chatting with the owner of a Lamborghini, Pagani, Ferrari, or what have you, that they just don’t get it. It’s like anything else they own, outrageously expensive and state of the art; another toy in their bragging material toolbox.
Their relationship with the car lacks the intrinsic depth that comes with tinkering and restoring or driving and enjoying; it’s soulless.
But every now and then a magic combination of personalities hits the nail right on the head. First, you need someone who’s purchased a Lamborghini Huracán to enjoy the experience itself rather than the external clout that owning a car like this can bring. Then, that same someone needs to know the right people to modify said Lamborghini, no holds barred and 1,000hp.
Now, you have my attention.
This was essentially the mental process I went through when I received a text asking if I’d like to shoot a Ferrari and a Lamborghini during the busy week before the 2018 SEMA Show. “Not really” was my first instinct; I’d always rather find a cool shakotan-inspired machine that’s living a renewed life with its owner than visit with some exotics.
However, when I found out that Sheepey Race was involved, I said sign me right up. It turned out that finishing off the Ferrari just in the nick of time was a bit of a wild ride for the workshop, and one I documented before the show even started.
This Huracán, on the other hand, was already finished. When I arrived, it was getting a final wash down before being shipped off to Las Vegas. The plan was to take it around the corner with Greg, who is part of the growing Sheepey Race team, grab a few shots, and call it a day.
Nothing to it…
That’ll Buff OutWell, things don’t always go as planned.
Anyone who’s driven in California knows the state of the well-used roads here, and upon exiting a gas station with an egregious slope and a scattering of potholes we were reminded of this the hard way. The front-end lift system, while really good, just wasn’t quite enough.
My heart sank; the workshop was already busy enough finishing off their Ferrari 458 for the patient tow man. How could they possibly remedy this situation in time for the show? Remember, today was the day it would be sent to SEMA. Surely our shoot was over before it started?
Greg, though, had high spirits. He gave Alex Soto at Sheepey a call, who in turn called their body and paint shop down the road and said “stop everything you’re doing!” Luckily, we were able to drop the Lamborghini off early in the afternoon, but not before thoroughly enjoying ourselves with the car.
As Greg said, these things happen, and we shouldn’t let it get in the way of getting some cool shots. So, if you have sharp eyes, you’ll notice the splitter isn’t perfect [I think Stevie Wonder can see that - PMcG]
You might also notice that a half-mile away someone knocked over a fire hydrant resulting in a huge jet of water shooting towards the sky. I’m sure there are at least a few good jokes in here somewhere, but I’ll pass. Really, it was safe to say we weren’t the only ones coming short of a perfect afternoon…
Anyhow, later that day the quick fix at the paint shop went off smoothly and when I saw the car a couple days later at SEMA it looked as fresh as ever. I wouldn’t be surprised if Greg doesn’t ever even bother replacing the front end as the gloss black actually looks quite nice.
Endless PowerBut what is it that really makes this Lamborghini worth a closer look?
Inside, it’s as every other Lamborghini is. Outside, a stunning white matched by equally stunning Italian design, further complemented by alloy-finish Ferrada wheels.
You’ll also notice the full Vorsteiner Huracán body kit, which is just the right mix of subtle and aggressive. Despite its relative rarity, it’s not what you could consider brash or attention seeking.
Without the subtle Sheepey Race sticker along the side, and the not-so-subtle exhaust situation in the rear, this could almost be any other slightly-modified Huracán wearing fancy wheels. Key word: almost.
This is Sheepey Race we’re talking about…
Under the engine cover is where things intensify. The V10 now wears a Gosha Turbo Tech full billet intake manifold, one of only a couple in the States. Air is compressed by two turbochargers and forced into said intake manifold via twin CSF air-to-water intercoolers, meaning the aggressive external styling is more than matched with a powertrain that wants to go fast. Very fast.
The pair of second generation Precision Turbo 6466 turbochargers bump power to 1,000whp on 12psi with VP MS109 fuel. For the street, the Syvecs stand-alone ECU also has a 5psi tune good for 800hp at the wheels.
This considerable jump in performance is accompanied by a carefully considered adjustment in ride height courtesy of a set of H&R springs.
And of course, it sounds absolutely mental; I have never in my life wanted a V10 so badly. This was by no means an all-out pull either, the car just looks like a bullet no matter how quick it’s going in the moment.
New SpiritThat’s what I love about this particular Lamborghini. It’s a Huracán that’s been injected with the energetic spirit of its owner Greg and the rest of the Sheepey Race team. It’s a car that stands out because its insane looks have been bested by even more insane performance, the way I wish all cars were built.
Sure, Lamborghini styling attracts attention no matter where you go. But when you pop the engine cover on this particular Huracán, people come out of literally nowhere, phones in hand, ready to snap some pictures. I genuinely have no idea where this guy came from or where he went after snapping this shot.
In a world full of relatively rare exotics which still manage to feel like they’re a dime a dozen, it’s always nice to see something different.
It’s refreshing to see this sort of development on high-end cars for a few reasons. First, from the factory, the tech in the latest-generation of supercars always eventually find their way into the models that average folk can actually afford.
From the aftermarket perspective, it’s cool to see that there are still some people who are just genuinely interested in modding and driving their cars, regardless of the value or prestige the car may have in its factory form.
Akin to the factory development trickle-down, there’s the Sheepey trickle-down too. You can buy complete turbo kits for various Mitsubishi, Honda, Toyota, and Nissan applications, as well as any number of other Sheepey Race parts, namely intercoolers and radiators.
That’s what’s so inviting and enticing about car culture to me. The fact that we can all own and be responsible for a little piece of this development, be it from today or decades past.
All cars, regardless of their cool factor or quality, carry with them the hard work and dedication of designers and manufacturers alike. It’s what we do with this base, and why, that actually matters.
Trevor Yale Ryan
Instagram: tyrphoto
TYRphoto.com
Having driven one of these at speed I can say they aren't worth anywhere near the money people pay. The Performante is one of the slowest and dullest things I have ever driven. They feel slow too imo. Not exciting at all.
You must be an F1 driver or a Top Fuel Dragster racer (that only ever travels by private jet when not racing/living your life 1,000ft at a time).
hmm no i just know some people who designed them though
Troll alert!
You know the performante set a nurburgring record right? It is very well regarded as being one of the top supercars, and is also still naturally aspirated which makes it even more amazing.
Perhaps you need to drive one in anger on a race track to extract maximum pleasure out of it...
LOL!
Drive one in anger? Extract maximum pleasure? "Widely regarded"? Aspiration making a car great rather than the sum of its parts or setup?
!!!!!!
laugh.exe
lol...you guys need to get out more. Cars exist. People drive them. Welcome to the world.
Great read, photos were pristine and it was a roller coaster of emotions scrolling through. also that s7 in front of ai robotics made my pants tight.
You nailed it. These cars are not relatable and the owners even more so.
FINALLY a lamborghini that doesnt have murdered out BS a giant DONG wing and 40 inch chrome rims with -4000 camber and a wild wrap that screams I LOVE EATING CHOCOLATE CAKE WHILE DRIVING BLINDFOLD HERES A LIST OF PEOPLE THAT DONT SPONSOR ME.
its so CLEAN and perfect and full of little details it make me so WET
*regular car guys voice*
OH YES LAMBORGHINI SO GREAT HHHNNNNNNNNNNNNN
its missing the insane Lamborghini color palette, other than that looks like a fun ride!
i added an extra u to my email ffs. i love sheepy racing, can they make my yaris into a monster?
Once I get a Lambo or Ferrari, I am going to Sheepy
So... still looking for the soul. Or uniqueness. Bought a Vor Kit, they’re popular and really the best looking. Big turbo build (gallardos galore had the same setup 10 years ago). Still flappy paddles. Still not the Performante. Still AWD (and rightfully so w that power-geometry).
Click baited again for something i saw in a different color juat last week, and no soul to be found here.
I couldn't agree more.
Its a very cool car and to be honest I am going to read anything Speedhunters writes but this is just another TT Lambo. I was waiting for the bit where the owner built it in his garage, that 'soul'. But nope, checkbook build just like every other soulless build.
One thing these articles never seem to show is the cost of doing all this, this would have to be so far out of the ballpark for the average car lover to even dream about ownership, the mods alone probably cost the same as a fully built Skyline or a couple of cars. Yes its a beautiful looking car and would be an absolute missile, nice to hear it too.
I see the owner is a typical Lambo owner, taking up two parking spots so his Little Precious doesn't have to rub shoulders with the filthy masses. How many times did he rev it every time it was running?
boring car, boring pictures, boring article, boring, repeat. When Blake Jones did project NSX photos against the neon Tokyo that was interesting, it made the car interesting - I don't remember what he said, probably something about committing sepuku for his inherent college communist privilege which is so common here now because everything has diagonal wheels with no tires and scrapes on startup, but at least I remembered everything else - this article has none of that. I still watch the few motorhead videos on youtube, you guys should figure that out.
Sounds sick!
Beautiful.
so... if I scrape my car's lip on road, I'll kick myself for a whole year and after a year at same moment I will kick myself even harder!
Ok, so it has a soul, but that soul may not fit in the body... needs like a Liberty Walk kit or something... maybe just me, but still saying!
Did you just say it NEEDS a LW kit? I think the only redeeming quality about this car is that it wasn’t sporting a overfender kit like most of the other SEMA cars
Are you serious? The fact that it rocks a *different* bodykit, and one that makes it stand out to those who know what they're seeing, is partly what makes it special. I like the Liberty Walk kit too, but LB's stick-on style would have turned this car into a rolling cliche.
I don't think of the average supercar owner as clueless when it comes to cars and modding, but that's probably because I don't live in an area where they're owned by those people. While it's true that the owners aren't going to be building / wrenching on these themselves, driveline-wise, those words hold true for the megawatt C7s, Vipers, and GTRs as well. If you're just looking at the power and the overall setup, you'll be jaded in five minutes of watching them battle it out on YouTube.
It's easy to overlook them by assuming that all twin-turbo, V10 Lambos (or Audis) are "all the same" or completely formulaic. And that's absurd. The love and soul is in the details that make this more than just another bolt-on special.
Kinda sucky that Sheepey came to SEMA 2 years in a row with basically the same car. The link is right there to last years white 1000hp Huracan. Also, as someone else pointed out, TT’ing Lambos well to over 1000hp has been happening for ten years. Seems like an awesome car but nothing I’d send to SEMA if it was my company.
He didnt send it, someone wanted it. A number of Sheepey cars were at the show.
Yeah, it's not going to change the world but 1000hp seems like the new normal for Sheepey. Pretty cool IMO
Speaking of last years Huracán, the article says they were planning on a much more powerful rebuild after the show. Did that ever happen?
I think so. It looks like the Gosha intake manifold is new, as is the titanium exhaust. I'm guessing it's capable of a lot more power and that it either hasn't been tuned for it yet, or its new tune hasn't been announced. Gosha's own stock-DCT car runs 8.37s @ 170mph with that manifold, which equates to something like ~1320whp. I believe that's about half the whp of UGR's latest and greatest, but more power than their wildest bolt-on kit. I'm guessing Sheepey is trying to push the envelope of reliable power on stock internals. I'm interested to hear their take on how the setup drives, what it's like to push through the canyons, etc. VF's supercharged car practically scared the pants off Matt Farah with considerably less power than this beastie.