Skip advert
Advertisement

Lamborghini Huràcan Sterrato makes debut in Miami

The rally-ready Huràcan Sterrato is proof Lamborghini’s debonair spirit is still alive and well 

Lamborghini has formed something of a habit in creating variant upon variant of its V10-powered Huràcan, but we’re not sure even Lambo could have imagined its baby mid-engined supercar would one day be sprouting off road-ready skid plates, roof rails and plastic wheel arch extensions. And yet the 2023 Lamborghini Huràcan Sterrato is here, a fully-homologated off-roading supercar that will also have the role of bringing production of the Huràcan to a close. It’ll be limited to 1499 units, up on the 1063 Lamborghini initially set out to build, suggesting that its customers might just be as enthusiastic about the new Sterrato as Lamborghini’s bosses were when signing it off back in 2019.

Advertisement - Article continues below

Underneath the bolt-on cladding and arch extensions, there’s been real engineering at work, with new hardware and software giving the Sterrato capability its rugged styling insinuates. Unlike Porsche’s new 911 Dakar, the Huràcan’s development has focused less on rock-traversing and more high-speed running on loose surfaces. Lamborghini has lifted the Huràcan’s body by 44mm, with bespoke suspension geometry giving the Sterrato more underbody clearance and wheel travel. Both front and rear track widths are wider – 30mm at the front, 34mm at the rear – and are paired with smaller wheels but larger tyres. These are now 19-inches alloy front and rear, wrapped in a bespoke Bridgestone AT002 all-terrain tyre with chunky 40-profile reinforced sidewalls on both the 235-section front and 285-section rears. 

Skip advert
Advertisement
Advertisement - Article continues below

> 2024 Lamborghini Huracán replacement to receive hybrid-assisted V10

The chassis itself is reinforced with added strengthening to the sills and wheel arches with full underbody protection and aluminium skid plates on both front and rear bumpers. Of course the Sterrato retains the standard Huràcan Evo’s Haldex V all-wheel drive system, but its torque split has been recalibrated within each of the driver modes, which now includes a bespoke ‘Rally’ setting. It does without a rear-wheel steering system as in the Tecnica (and STO), but shares its CCB carbon ceramic brake package with 380mm and 356mm discs front and rear, gripped by six- and four-piston calipers. All-in, the Sterrato weighs in at 1470kg dry, 48kg more than the also all-wheel drive EVO.

The Sterrato’s naturally-aspirated 5204cc dry-sump V10 engine is based on the unit as found in both the STO and Tecnica, but Lamborghini has made substantial changes to how the engine breathes. Instead of drawing air in from the high-mounted side intakes, the entirely bespoke intake system now exclusively breathes in through the roof-mounted snorkel, helping keep dust and dirt from clogging its air filters. The power figure is slightly lower than in other variants at 601bhp, but it’s still reached at a dizzying 8000rpm. Torque is rated at 417lb ft at 6500rpm, all of which is sent through the existing seven-speed dual clutch. There’s also a mechanically-locking differential on the rear axle. 

Advertisement - Article continues below
Skip advert
Advertisement
Advertisement - Article continues below

Due to the extra weight, lower power figure and all-terrain tyres, performance times aren’t quite as blistering as a comparable Huràcan EVO, reaching 62mph in 3.4sec (+0.5sec), 124mph in 9.8sec (+0.8sec). The 161mph top speed is down 41mph, limited by the tyres and negative aero effects of skid plates replacing splitters and diffusers. 

Of course, what’s as important as its new-found capability are the styling elements that signify it, of which Lamborghini has not held back on. The basic bodywork is derived from a standard EVO model, but the front and rear bumpers, bonnet, side skirts and rear engine cover with its integrated intake snorkel are all new. These elements are paired to those uncoloured wheel arch extensions, which match the matt black roof, front LED driving lights and tiny roof rails.

The interior is largely unchanged from the existing Huràcan, with only subtle changes to the Alcantara trim and a bespoke off-road setting for the portrait aspect-ratio infotainment screen. Being a modern Lamborghini product, it can be specified in a bewildering array of colours through the Ad Personam program. 

All of which leads us to the 1499 units it’ll build from February 2023. To some, turning the Huràcan into a niche model like the Sterrato might seem to undermine the spectacular STO and Tecnica, both of which completely transformed our perception of the Huràcan and how brilliant it has become in its later life. Yet Lamborghini sees the Sterrato as a reminder of its ambitious and wildly eccentric demeanour of the past, something it’s hoping to channel as a whole new era of hybrid supercars start to arrive starting with the Aventador’s V12-hybrid replacement, but not before turning its Huràcan into a light off-roader. 

Skip advert
Advertisement

Recommended

New Ferrari 812 keeps its V12 – launches later this summer
Ferrari 812 successor
News

New Ferrari 812 keeps its V12 – launches later this summer

Ferrari’s replacement for the 812 Superfast is gearing up for its reveal this summer, and it will retain the iconic F140 V12 expected to produce in ex…
22 Mar 2024
Scuderia Cameron Glickenhaus 004S: development ramps up for three-seat supercar
Scuderia Cameron Glickenhaus 004S
News

Scuderia Cameron Glickenhaus 004S: development ramps up for three-seat supercar

As the SCG 004 racer gears up for another Nürburgring 24 Hours, development is well underway for its road-legal relative
18 Mar 2024
Ford GT (2004 - 2006): review, history and specs of an icon
Ford GT evo 25
Features

Ford GT (2004 - 2006): review, history and specs of an icon

Few supercars have allowed such easy access to their performance as the original Ford GT, making it one of our top 25 cars of the last 25 years
18 Mar 2024
Ferrari 296 GTB 2024 review – fewer cylinders, greater thrills
Ferrari 296 GTB
Reviews

Ferrari 296 GTB 2024 review – fewer cylinders, greater thrills

Ferrari's first V6-powered road car redefines the £250,000 supercar with sensational speed and agility
15 Mar 2024
Skip advert
Advertisement

Most Popular

The new Mercedes-AMG G63 has arrived, and it still has a V8
Mercedes-AMG G63
News

The new Mercedes-AMG G63 has arrived, and it still has a V8

Some of Affalterbach’s range-toppers are swapping eight cylinders for four, but the AMG G-class retains its V8 for 2024
26 Mar 2024
The new Toyota GR Yaris costs £44,250 – too much for a hot supermini?
Toyota GR Yaris Gen 2 – front
News

The new Toyota GR Yaris costs £44,250 – too much for a hot supermini?

Our early impressions of the Gen 2 GR Yaris suggest that it’s an improvement in every area that counts, but can it be worth £18k more than an i20 N?
27 Mar 2024
Land Rover Defender OCTA: twin-turbo V8 and McLaren-style suspension tech for hot off-roader
Land Rover Defender OCTA – front
News

Land Rover Defender OCTA: twin-turbo V8 and McLaren-style suspension tech for hot off-roader

The OCTA promises to be the fastest, toughest and most capable Defender yet when it launches later this year
26 Mar 2024