Lamborghini Huracan Sterrato: first look at new off-road supercar
Weeks after the debut of the Porsche 911 Dakar, Lamborghini has revealed the production-spec Huracan Sterrato. The two coolest new cars of 2023? Bring on the twin-test…
Unveiled at an exclusive event in Copenhagen, the Sterrato resembles the mutant offspring of the Huracan supercar and Urus SUV. Rugged styling and raised ground clearance mean it can venture off-piste into ‘the world’s most exciting driving environments’.
This is the final derivative of the Huracan after eight years on sale – and also the last Lamborghini with a naturally aspirated engine. Only 1,499 examples will be made (there’s no forthcoming Spyder version, we’re assured), at a likely price of around £270,000.
Off the beaten track
The new Huracan’s pounding heart is the familiar – and utterly glorious – 5.2-litre V10, shared with the Audi R8. Here, it develops 610hp: good for 0-62mph in 3.4 seconds and a top speed of 162mph.
That’s slower than the 3.0sec and 190mph of the hardcore Huracan STO, of course, but the Sterrato can take a short-cut across the fields to catch up.
Along with 44mm of extra ground clearance, the car has a wider track and up to 35 percent more wheel travel. It also features an aluminium front skidplate, reinforced sills and a new rear diffuser, plus a roof scoop to feed that ravenous V10 with clean air when the Bridgestone all-terrain tyres are churning up dust.
External add-ons include fixed front driving lights and integrated roof rails (Lamborghini is working on a range of ‘lifestyle’ accessories, such as snowboards), while the digital dashboard now offers an inclinometer, compass and a readout of your geographic coordinates. You’ll never get lost in Knightsbridge again.
Engage Rally mode
While it won’t cause sleepless nights in Solihull, the Sterrato should be brilliant fun on gravel tracks, sand, snow and other loose ground. In addition to the usual Strada and Sport, a new Rally driving mode, selected via toggle on the steering wheel, is optimised for low-grip surfaces.
“It makes you feel like the best driver in the world,” says Luca Pacini, Lamborghini’s head of R&D. “You just want to keep having fun until the fuel tank is empty”
This last-hurrah Huracan rounds off a year of record sales and record profits for Lamborghini. The company is now looking ahead to 2023 and the replacement for the Aventador, due in March. You’ll read about it first here.
Tim Pitt writes for Motoring Research