What stars needed to align to give us two dirt-ready sports cars in the same model year (Porsche just revealed the 911 Dakar in LA)? Perhaps early Gen X-ers with money are fantasizing over teenage punch-drunk Group B glory, or road infrastructure has decayed to an apocalyptic state. Maybe the influencers of Los Angeles have grown tired of grounding out their cars on intersection road crowns. Whatever the case, it’s Lamborghini’s time to shine with the Huracan Sterrato.
While we’ve seen previews of the Lamborghini Huracan Sterrato, the Italian automaker released details on this insane gravel-spitting supercar just a few hours ago at Art Basel, an art event in Miami where venture capitalists do ketamine and attempt to DJ (this is a joke, for the record). With that in mind, let’s go over some of the finer points of the Lamborghini V10’s golden hour.
Unlike Porsche with the 911 Dakar, Lamborghini claims that the Huracan Sterrato packs actual underbody protection made from aluminum, although it stops short of a full skid plate array. According to Lamborghini, “…in addition to protecting the car body, the aluminum front underbody protection, the reinforced sills, the rear diffuser and the sturdy wheel arches all emphasize its muscularity.” I’m not entirely sure how a piece of underbody protection you’ll never see emphasizes muscularity, but it seems beneficial nonetheless.
While a guard for the front differential sounds nice, I’m wondering if Lamborghini could’ve gone further when it comes to obstacle protection. Without mention of a rear skid plate, the powertrain sounds underprepared, but we’ll have to see the hardware to tell.
[Editor’s Note: We’re really only mentioning this because this was an area where the Porsche 911 Dakar seems glaringly deficient. Still, the biggest area where the Porsche appeared inadequate was in engine protection, and since this Lamborghini isn’t front-engined, I wonder if there’s a skid protecting the motor? Hmm.-DT].Â
As expected, the tires are Bridgestone Dueler AT002 all-terrains carrying a W speed rating, although the Huracan Sterrato’s top speed is capped to a reasonable 160 mph. The speed rating isn’t the most interesting thing about these gumballs; they use a tread pattern that looks like a cross between an all-season and a true all-terrain, with chunky center blocks for clawing at gravel and wide shoulders for tarmac handling, plus they’re run-flats because there isn’t much room to put a spare tire on a Huracan.
In addition to the special tires, Lamborghini’s released some details on suspension tweaks. Ride height is up by 44 mm (about 1.75 inches) over a standard Huracan Evo to 179 mm or 7.09 inches — a fairly generous figure for a sports car. To aid stability, front track is 30 mm wider (about 1.2 inches) than on a standard Huracan Evo, while rear track is 34 mm wider (about 1.3 inches).
As for power, the Huracan Sterrato makes 602 horsepower from its naturally-aspirated V10, the same as the original Huracan and tied with the Huracan Evo RWD for lowest output in the current Lamborghini range. However, despite the detuned engine, the Sterrato spits power to all four wheels with a locking differential on the rear axle. Remember, all-wheel-drive is usually only as good as its differentials, so this setup should allow for some decent traction. Lamborghini quotes a zero-to-62 mph time of 3.4 seconds, which is not bad considering the nearly-farm track-friendly tire setup.
Mind you, reliance on hardware doesn’t mean there aren’t software tweaks going on underneath the skin. The mad scientists in Sant’Agata have found it fit to equip the Huracan Sterrato with a rally drive mode to alter a variety of (presumably) suspension/steering parameters for dirt running. In addition, the gauge cluster now packs some off-road goodies including an inclinometer, a coordinate indicator, and a steering angle indicator. Worthy stuff, I reckon.
Of course, as the Huracan Sterrato is a Lamborghini, the level of customization on hand is outrageous. The nose-mounted auxiliary lamps shown in the press photos are optional, as are roof rack cross bars, various trim treatments, and an absolutely bewildering array of colors. Check out this one I specced in Oro Elios, otherwise known as 1970s toilet gold. Fabulous, isn’t it?
Pricing for the Huracan Sterrato hasn’t been released but don’t expect it to be cheap. After all, a raging bull commands a pretty penny, even in a bearish market. However, rarity is essentially assured by a production cap of 1,499 units, with the first ones expected to be made in February. While it would’ve been easy for Lamborghini to rummage through its parts bin and phone in the last non-hybrid supercar it’ll ever make, it went full action movie to build something absolutely gnarly. All great parties end in mayhem, after all.
All photos courtesy of Lamborghini
These have the best off road protection of any off road vehicle. They cost a gazillion dollars. Im sure that under protection is about tissue paper thin. Wrangler Mall Crawlers let me introduce you to a 4 wheel drive vehicle that if it had a 10,000 mile warranty it would be good for 10,000 years.
Approach both. Set up a head to head in Moab. No support teams. Hey tourists go all the time make it through. First i doubt either will take up the challenge, second if they do i bet the winner is the one than get out of the parking lot. Neither will collect off road points. I bet my 2001 Vehicross with no modifications could outperform these 4HQueens as is.
So Lamborghini is making the Rallighini I’ve built in pretty much every Forza Horizon game? Cool.
Would love to take on a snowboarding trip. Looks good for snow-packed roads leading up to the resort
Oh man, I can’t wait for driving god Richard Hammond to crash one of these on an upcoming episode of the Grand Tour.
I’d watch an ad to see Pastrana dog one.
Lambo with a roof rack. Can’t wait to see one of these pull up with a bike rack to a group ride….
There are multiple Ferraris, M models, and a Taycan I’ve seen with ski boxes out here. Saw one of the Ferraris heading up a canyon in a snowstorm (slick conditions) to ski while a sliding 2wd truck held up traffic further down canyon. You’d be surprised at how people use performance cars.
Get Porches with Seasucker mounts around here, but few two seaters hauling gear up top otherwise….
Where are all these very very flat “off-road” areas that these new off-road machines can adventure on? The world only has so many recently graded gravel roads.
My city has the nerve to call them “paved” roads.
Is it really wider “for stability” or because the styling team really wanted to put fender flairs on it?
I bet it’s wider so the larger diameter front tires can turn without rubbing whatever they’d interfere with.
The roof rack is chef’s kiss. You have enough space up there for… a kid’s tricycle I guess?
Love the color, but that yellow one looks like a deranged Pikachu-like, on PCP deranged
If only it were electric!
1. Lambo Outback! … This is what Subaru should be doing with the BRZ (though 4wd and sport wagon config would be better)
2. I love these offroad-ish supercar concepts, except for one glaring issue: I can’t stand the idea of bouncing around on bumpy dirt roads in a reclined sports car seating position… I want the upright chair-like position you get in the 60s rally cars… like Fiats, Alfas, Saabs and Peogeots
3. This needs quite a bit more ground clearance – Imagine this thing with adjustable suspension height, like an old Citroen…
“Lambo Outback! This is what Subaru should be doing with the BRZ (though 4wd and sport wagon config would be better)”
Soooo you are saying there would be a market for a sporty wagon/hatch Subaru? I bet no one has ever wished Subaru would do such a thing….
B is for Build did it better with their Jumpacan. 🙂
You see an off roader? I see a supercar that can make it up a driveway or over a speed bump equipped with enough sidewall that a pot hole might not crack your rim. That’s much better than the should be trailer queens people keep damaging driving them off track they specialize in.
po-tay-to, gra-vel-grade-ed-road-au-to
I guess I should have bought stock in Bushwacker Fender Flares.
“an art event in Miami where venture capitalists do ketamine and attempt to DJ (this is a joke, for the record)”
That does seem accurate haha