Lamborghini gets a facelift: good, or bad?

2 August, 2016

For me, the later-model Lamborghinis aren’t the most attractive supercars out there. For some, their fighter jet–like appearance has them drooling, but for me, I like my supercars with a more classic shape, resembling Ferraris of the ’80s for example. This is why I find the Mitsubishi GTO and Honda NSX extremely attractive. Call me old-fashioned, if you will. When I heard Lamborghini were releasing a facelift-kit option for their Huracán model, I was curious to see what they came up with. 

Racing stripes, canards, flares, and a rear wing — what were they thinking? They’ve taken a questionable-looking supercar and have turned it into something you’d see in the films of the Fast and the Furious franchise … I’m not sure what Lamborghini is up to, but I’m hoping they sort their act out soon. Ferrari and McLaren are still producing beautiful supercars, and even Audi’s R8 is better looking, which, for a company that doesn’t know what colour is, is saying something! 

What do you think of the new additions to the Lamborghini Huracán? Hit or miss? 

Lunch with… Jim Palmer

In the 1960s, Hamilton’s Jim Palmer won the prestigious ‘Gold Star’ four times and was the first resident New Zealander home in the New Zealand Grand Prix on five consecutive occasions. He shared the podium with Stirling Moss, Jack Brabham, Bruce McLaren, Graham Hill, Jim Clark, Denny Hulme, Jackie Stewart, and Chris Amon. The extent of his domination of the open-wheeler scene in New Zealand will probably never be matched or exceeded. Yet he’s always been modest about his achievements.

NZ Classic Car magazine, May/June 2025 issue 399, on sale now

Who would have thought it would become such a worldwide motorsport star when Ford introduced the humble Escort in 1967?
Its popularity, particularly in Mark 1 form, is now of iconic status. Our cover story for this issue is on a 1968 Ford Escort Mark 1, Alan Mann Racing Tribute. We talked with the owner of this very special Escort, finished in tribute also to the owner’s father.
“Most children love speed, and motorsport typically comes courtesy of a parent, and Elliott is no different. His engineer father, Mark, had a love for motorcycles and going fast; however, when children came along, he swapped two wheels for four, in the form of two Ford Escorts.
Little did Mark know it at the time, but the humble Escort was about to weave its way into the family fabric once and for all.
After emigrating from London to New Zealand, Elliott recalled one evening when he was 14 being invited to tag along by his father, helping a friend convert an Escort road car into a racing car. This was the pivotal moment when Elliott remembers the motorsport bug taking over. He knew he had to have his own one.”