A frozen lake and several other Lamborghinis present classes on traction management

From the passenger seat of my Lamborghini Huracán Sterrato, 24 Hours of Daytona winner Corey Lewis offers me a “decelerate” hand gesture, urging me to keep away from an Urus high-centered on a snow financial institution. I resist the infantile impulse to blast by at full throttle and spray the restoration crew with a contemporary layer of snow as a result of I do not need to be the subsequent driver to trigger a scene. Once we cross the group, I punch it once more, countersteering into a large drift as my studded Blizzak winter tires shred by way of snow and ice, exhaust extensive open and barking at redline, cranking by way of a collection of left-right-left transitions till we come again round to the caught SUV.

Lewis and I each snigger—all people spins no less than as soon as whereas ice-drifting Lamborghinis on Lake Catchima north of Montreal, which performed host in February to North America’s Esperienza Neve winter driving academy. This yr, Lamborghini invited prospects out to tear up the pristine Canadian winterscape in three Sterratos, 4 Uruses, and two rear-wheel-drive Huracán Tecnicas—all informed, about $3 million value of automobiles.

Drifting in six-figure Lambos may make anybody just a little nervous. In the managed setting of a 30-inch (762 mm)-thick ice sheet, although, the results are minimal (there are bruised egos at any time when anyone loses management and wishes a tow, after all). So a lot energy on the slip-and-slide instantly exposes driver talent—or lack thereof—regardless of 400 studs per tire on the Huracáns and 300 per tire on the Uruses offering grip and confidence. Even for a driver as skilled as Lewis, ice-drifting nonetheless has its worth. For the mere mortals amongst us, all of the extra so.

“In the actual world, usually, you do not have the chance to sort of check the boundaries of what understeer and oversteer truly really feel like,” Lewis defined as we took a break on the frozen lake. “It makes you simply an all-around extra managed driver on the road, whether or not it is combined circumstances, freeway driving, backroads, or emergency avoidance. I really consider that occasions like these are an enormous assist for folks. Plus, it is enjoyable, too.”

I traveled to Lake Catchima hoping to get in on the enjoyable, however I additionally hoped to study extra about how fashionable driver’s aids make the present crop of unbelievably highly effective supercars approachable for “common” house owners. So, for my first spherical on a coned-off figure-eight, I fiddled with the assorted drive modes on an Urus Performante.

With TC and ESC totally activated, the super-SUV fortunately cruises round at tamer speeds. Start to show the steering wheel, nonetheless, and the nannies rein in energy to stop tire spin and slides—security first, presumably to assist drivers keep away from ditches and berms whereas shuttling the household as much as Zermatt or Aspen.

Switching into Rally mode and toggling ESC off solely allowed me to modulate steering and throttle inputs with out the computer systems stepping in to stop slides. And the 4,740-lb (2150 kg) SUV carried out admirably, hooking up the entrance tires in reverse lock but additionally shifting weight round predictably once I lifted off the throttle. The sensations modified up solely within the Sterrato, due to the distinctive energy and steadiness made attainable by the naturally aspirated, mid-mounted V10.

When I switched to a rear-wheel-drive Tecnica, I might solely handle a couple of circles earlier than spinning out—fortunately, I by no means wanted assist to get again underway. It was one other lesson discovered, although, about progressive and regular inputs ultimately resulting in smoother donuts.

The largest shock? Even within the deprived Tecnica, driving on snow with TC and ESC turned on remained solely attainable with out an excessive amount of tail-happy squirrelliness. Sure, the tire studs helped, however bear in mind, it is a 640-hp (477 kW) supercar. To study extra about how precisely traction management and digital stability management allowed your entire supercar trade to show up the wick with out usually risking lives and limbs, I spoke with Lamborghini CTO Rouven Mohr concerning the evolution of the very nannies that so many automotive evaluations usually bemoan.

“For our product vary, we will for positive say the Urus is probably the most used of our automobiles to go on a winter vacation or to go snowboarding,” Mohr mentioned. “But from the event perspective, each automotive in our product vary is working the complete set of winter check periods. This means no less than two winters, so we begin one winter with the fundamental calibration after which we have now the affirmation with the second winter.”