Lamborghini displayed its capabilities doing 4-wheel drive in the 1970s when test driver Bob Wallace modified Jarama and Urraco sports cars into desert-racing vehicles, and then again in the late 1980s with theLM002, a supersized sport utility vehicle powered by the 12-cylinder engine from the Countach sports car.
And now the Italian supercar maker is at it again, this time with a concept car, the Lamborghini Huracan Sterrato.
The concept is based on the V10 Huracan and draws on the company’s Urus Super SUV “creating a new dimension of Lamborghini ‘fun to drive off-road’,” the company said, adding that the concept explores “a transfer of technologies creating a super sports car for challenging environments.”
The concept uses the 5.2-liter, 640-horsepower engine from the Hurracan EVO and adds 4-wheel drive, 4-wheel steering, suspension modifications with torque vectoring calibrated for driving on non-paved surfaces.
Ground clearance has been increased by nearly 2 inches, with an increase of 6.5 percent in such dimensions as departure angle. Track also is widened, and wheel wells flared and filled with 20-inch rims with specially developed tires with strengthened sidewalls. Skid plates not only protect the underbody, but the rear skid plate acts as an aerodynamic diffuser.
The concept also gets special LED lights, including roof-mounted light bar and bumper lights.
The interior includes a titanium roll cage and aluminum floors.
“The Huracán Sterrato illustrates Lamborghini’s commitment to being a future shaper: a super sports car with off-road capabilities, the Sterrato demonstrates the Huracán’s versatility and opens the door to yet another benchmark of driving emotion and performance,” Maurizio Reggiani, Automobili Lamborghini’s chief technical officer, is quoted in the news release.
“Lamborghini’s R&D and design teams are constantly exploring new opportunities and delivering the unexpected as a core characteristic of our DNA, challenging possibilities while inspired by Lamborghini brand heritage.”
