Official: this is the Lambo Huracan

These are impressive numbers. Then again, the Huracan will need every one of its many, many horsepowers. When it arrives next year, the ‘baby Lambo' will plunge into battle with two of the finest supercars of modern times: the Ferrari 458 and McLaren 12C.

But such was the sales success of the Gallardo that Lambo has decided on evolution, not revolution with the Huracan: that 5.2-litre V10 is an evolution of the Gallardo's direct-injection unit. The Huracan's 602bhp output represents a 50bhp jump on its predecessor, and nestles the little Lambo neatly between the 458 (562bhp) and 12C (616bhp).

That power reaches all four wheels through a proper flappy-paddle gearbox. While the Gallardo made do with a thunking automated manual, the Huracan employs a new dual-clutch ‘box called ‘Lamborghini Doppia Frizione' (LDF). We'd suspect - though Lambo engineers haven't yet confirmed this - shares much with Audi's ‘S tronic' transmission that found its way into last year's facelifted R8.

No bad thing: that gearbox is as smooth and snappy as any in the business. However, the introduction of a decent two-pedal set-up means Lamborghini won't offer the Huracan with a manual gearbox, at least at launch.

That double-clutcher helps the Huracan crack the 62mph sprint in a blink over three seconds, with 124mph arriving under seven seconds later. Clearly that ‘over 202mph' top speed claim has absolutely nothing to do with the Ferrari 458's v-max of at 202mph exactly.

No 12C-style carbon tub here: the Huracan uses what Lamborghini calls a ‘hybrid chassis', an integrated spaceframe structure of carbon and aluminium. Lamborghini quotes a dry weight of 1422kg for the Huracan, which should equate to a kerbweight around 1550kg. Maybe a little less.

The cabin is Lambo's now-familiar, and entirely welcome, blend of VW Group switchgear wrapped in Italian lunacy. As well as a jet-fighter-style start button sheathed under a red cover, there's a the toggle at the base of the steering wheel to select from three ‘dynamic modes'. As in the Aventador, you can flick between Strada, Sport and Corsa: this alters gearbox response, throttle mapping, the aggressiveness of the stability control systems, torque split of the four-wheel drive and the level of ear-bleed you desire from that V10.

Carbon ceramic brakes come as standard, while variable magnetorheological suspension - as found on the Audi R8 and Ferrari F12, among others - is offered as an option.

And that name? Well, as you may have guessed, Huracan is Spanish for ‘Hurricane'. But Huracan, says Lambo, was also a ‘defiant and invincible' fighting bull that fought in Alicante in 1879. When will Lambo run out of excellently-named, well-hard man-cows after which to name its cars?

Anyhow. The Huracan gets its official unveil at the Geneva motorshow in March, before taking on the 458 and 12C (not to mention the Audi R8 V10, and Merc's upcoming ‘C190', and the Porsche 911 Turbo, and...) this summer. Should be quite a battle: who's your money on?