Would you take the Lamborghini Huracan off-road?

TRUE, Lamborghini already has its Urus Super SUV — itself the spiritual successor to the brand’s “Rambo Lambo” LM002. But Lamborghini is apparently continuing to explore territories beyond paved roads, and its new Huracan Sterrato concept is solid proof of this.

Based on the V10-powered Huracan EVO, the Sterrato draws on Lamborghini’s off-road expertise as seen in the Urus. The Sterrato is propelled by the same 5.2-liter naturally-aspirated engine producing 640hp. It also gets the Huracan EVO’s LDVI, or the Lamborghini Dinamica Veicolo Integrata that through predictive logic controls the car’s four-wheel drive and four-wheel steering units, modified suspension and torque vectoring systems.

Lamborghini said the LDVI can anticipate the next moves of the driver, ensuring perfect dynamics, and is calibrated for off-road driving; it maximizes traction and acceleration even on slippery surfaces. The LDVI is tuned for rear-wheel drive behavior, too, delivering more torque to the aft wheels even as it stabilizes oversteering.

By looks alone the Sterrato imposes its off-road abilities within the framework of a super sports car. The car’s ground clearance is raised 47 millimeters, with the car’s front approach angle sharpened by 1% and the departure angle enhanced by 6.5%.

Wheel track front and rear expands by 30 millimeters. The 20-inch wheels wrapped with balloon tires are set into new wide-body wheel arches with integrated air intakes. These give the Sterrato a commanding presence that makes clear its abilities.

Lamborghini said the larger tires are specially developed to have larger side walls, improving their grip. Their wide, open-shoulder blocks allow for self-cleaning qualities, provide excellent off-road surface traction, and are quite tough.

The Sterrato is fitted with underbody reinforcements and body protection, including a rear skid plate that acts as a diffuser. Aluminum reinforcements are integrated within the front frame and covered with an aluminum skid plate, with aluminum-reinforced side skirts. Special protective composite bodywork includes stone-deflecting protection around the engine and air intakes, and mud guards made from carbon-fiber and elastomeric resin. An off-road LED light package is comprised of a roof-mounted LED light bar and LED bumper lights with flood function.

The car’s interior features a lightweight titanium roll cage, four-point seatbelts, carbon bi-shell sport seats, and aluminum floor panels.

“The Huracan Sterrato illustrates Lamborghini’s commitment to being a future-shaper. The Sterrato demonstrates the Huracan’s versatility and opens the door to yet another benchmark of driving emotion and performance,” said Lamborghini chief technical officer Maurizio Reggiani.

Incidentally, Lamborghini is not new to off-road supercars; in the 1970s the carmaker transformed its Jarama and Urraco into desert-going high-performance sports cars.