Kerala Man Hand-Builds Full-Size (1:1) Lamborghini Huracan (Video)
Supercar replicas are not new to India. We often see people ‘building’ these by simply converting a donor vehicle into a look-alike using imported body kits and relatively minor cosmetic changes. Very few actually build a life-size replica from scratch, crafting every panel with their own hands. That’s what makes this story special. Meet Aromal from Kerala’s Alappuzha. He has hand-built a full-size Lamborghini Huracan replica in his backyard!
Arun Smoki, a YouTuber who creates automotive-related content, recently did a video about Aromal’s handmade Huracan project and its journey so far. The project is now nearing completion. The final paint job, interior detailing, and a few other works are yet to be completed.
What we can say for sure is that the body work is complete. It looks almost like the exterior of a real Huracan. Putty and paint work have yet to commence, though. This car is set to get a Green colour.
Aromal, a 24-year-old, took four years to get this project from early sketches to what we see in this video. Interestingly, he has never seen the Huracan in real! The journey was indeed challenging. He says that he relied on Youtube videos of the Huracan and screenshots from them to perfect each of the body panels.
Being a life-size replica, this car has the exact dimensions of an actual Huracan. Aromal has given it 19-inch BMW-sourced alloy wheels. The headlamps and tail lamps have both been 3D-printed. He is also working on an STO-style spoiler which would elevate the visual appeal further.
The attention to detail on this build needs to be appreciated. All character lines, surfaces, body panels, creases, and contours are identical to those of the original car. It even has flush-fitting door handles!
Making the front windshield, Aromal says, was quite challenging. The Huracan has a width of 1924mm, roughly six feet. The windshield has to be quite wide. Due to its large dimensions, it was difficult to make the windscreen using polycarbonate and acrylic. Finally, Aromal opted for laminated glass! Like in the real car, the engine on this replica sits at the rear. It is a Ford Ikon-sourced engine. The suspension setup has also been stiffened.
In most handmade replicas, we see the level of detailing narrow out (or even vanish completely) as we move inside. The cabin is often kept stock. On this car, however, Aromal has 3D-printed most of the parts and interior panels in a way that they do 100 percent justice to the original car’s interior design. Yes, you will find some areas to be less detailed than others. The finish would further increase as the project reaches completion.
Talking about details, a ‘Lamborghini’ wording can be seen on the co-driver’s crash pad. There are ‘Huracan’ badges on the door sills. The 3D-printed steering wheel looks exactly like that of the original car. The AC vents have Huracan-like design and the start/stop button has a 'pop-type element' over it, like that of the original car.
It took around a month to get the centre console 3D-printed. Aromal has two 3D printers that worked day and night to get the car into its current shape. The seats have been sourced from a Maruti 800. This replica even has a small music system installed in it!
What needs to be appreciated the most here, is the craftsmanship. The exterior looks almost identical to that of the original car. The journey from sketches to this final form was long and tiring.
First, he sourced a thick (100mm as mentioned in the video) Thermocol block from a factory in Haripad. He then joined these into the actual dimensions, and cut out the Huracan’s exterior design from it. It was then fine-tuned using polyester putty and careful sanding. Once perfected, this model was used to create a mould. The actual body of the vehicle was made using this mould. All this work was done in his terrace!
He still has the mould and is confident of making a body in just a day, if the need arises again. This, in fact, leaves open a range of possibilities. Remember that fancy car-themed furniture you saw on Instagram the other day? Well, this man may be able to make a Huracan-themed table for your office using this mould!