What's all this about?

It's Lamborghini filling an obvious gap in its (up to this point) three-car Huracan family.

In what way is it filling a gap?

Well, we had the LP610-4 coupe with 610hp and four-wheel drive (the clue to its power and drivetrain is in the car's name). Then Lamborghini made a convertible version of that car, called the Spyder. And then it decided to strip a couple of driveshafts and 30hp/20Nm out of the hardtop Huracan, resulting in the rear-wheel-drive LP580-2. So what's the obvious omission from this little collection?

An LP580-2 Spyder?

Got it in one. This is the rear-wheel-drive Huracan with its top off. Everything about it is exactly the same as the LP580-2 coupe - namely, 580hp at 8,000rpm, 540Nm at 6,500rpm, a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox, the ANIMA drive mode selection, a 12.3-inch TFT instrument cluster, 19-inch Kari alloys on bespoke Pirelli P Zero tyres and much more - but there's a fabric folding roof up top. This can be raised or lowered in 17 seconds, including while the car is on the move at speeds of up to 31mph. Although UK prices are not yet confirmed, it will cost more than the LP580-2 coupe but less than the hardtop LP610-4.

Any penalties to having the ultimate in rear-wheel-drive posing power?

The Spyder is 120kg heavier than the coupe, so the 0-62mph time slips from 3.4- to 3.6 seconds; hardly a devastating reduction, eh? Curiously, Lambo claims the Spyder is 1km/h faster overall at 319km/h compared to the 'regular' 580-2's 318km/h, although do the conversion maths on both of those figures and you'll end up with numbers that have to be rounded out to an identical 199mph. And that's about it, really. Although that doesn't mean the Spyder LP580-2 isn't yet another glorious, highly desirable machine from Italy's outlandish supercar maker. Because it is. Come on, just look at it!

Have you got a nice soundbite from a Lamborghini executive?

Yes, savour this from Stefano Domenicali, Lamborghini's chairman and CEO: "The rear-wheel-drive Spyder enlarges the Huracan family's core product range. It offers the lifestyle appeal of open-air motoring with the pure thrill of rear-wheel-drive engineering. This is a Lamborghini for those with a passion for life and the purest driving experience on the open road. It's also a Huracan for those entering the Lamborghini family, wanting a true Spyder experience without compromising on the performance and dynamic handling of a rear-wheel-drive car."

Matt Robinson - 17 Nov 2016