Lightweight Lamborghini Huracan set to smash Nurburgring record

Lamborghini's Huracan is set to shake up the supercar establishment by becoming the fastest production car to lap Germany's Nurburgring circuit.

A lightweight version of the V10-powered coupe will go on show at the Geneva motor show in March, where the Italian brand will reveal that the ultimate version of its compact performance car laps the famed track in well less than seven minutes.

Lamborghini research and development chief Maurizio Reggiani confirmed the successor to the discontinued Gallardo Superleggera has lapped Germany's famed Nurburgring circuit faster than the heavy-hitting Aventador SV, a car that requires 6m59s to complete a tour of the 20.8 kilometre track.

Drive understands that the car's official Nurburgring time narrowly undercuts the 6m57s recorded by Le Mans winner Marc Lieb in a Porsche 918 Spyder, making the super-Huracan the fastest production car to tour the circuit.

While he couldn't give too much away, Reggiani says the model represents "much more of what I expect" from the brand on one of motoring's most important stages.

"I can tell you that this car, it is completely big news," he says.

"What we achieved is something that is very unique. You can say that yes, it is better than the Aventador."

A successor to the discontinued Gallardo Superleggera, the new machine will carry a new name into the record books.

The car benefits heavily from track experience learned in GT3 racing such as the Bathurst 12 Hour, as well as Lamborghini's Super Trofeo one make series.

Lamborghini chief executive Stefano Domenicali says the lap time lends credibility to the brand's engineering effort.

"For manufacturing, [the Nurburgring] has always been the church of rock and roll," he says.

"For sure that has been a reference for all the manufacturers - to be strong there is very good. 

"Personally I believe that for us it's good because it always reminds us that we need to be challenging ourselves versus competitors in certain parameters."

• For all the latest Lamborghini information visit our showroom.