Forget about the Urus. This is the Lamborghini you’re going to want when it’s time to blast down a rally stage.
If you’re thinking about the perfect car to go tearing down a gravel road, you’re probably not thinking about a Lamborghini. You’re probably not even thinking about a car. But Lamborghini wants you to be thinking about both, which is the reason behind this awesome teaser clip called “Beyond the Concrete.”
The teaser, and we’ll wait while you watch it, shows a camouflaged Lamborghini prototype chasing a mountain biker cross country. While the cyclist cuts through fields to get to the villa at the end, the Lambo doesn’t have to stick to the pavement, either. It can go cross-country just like the bike.
Is it absurd? Absolutely.
Absurd, on the other hand, is what Lamborghini is all about. And has been all about since 1963.
The Disguised Production Sterrato
It’s wrapped in camouflage, but the car we’re looking at is the production version of the Sterrato. Lamborghini’s Safari-style Huracan that’s probably going to be the final version of the company’s current entry-level machine.
Lamborghini first revealed the Sterrato as a concept back in 2019. That’s an entire pandemic ago, so we’ll recap for you and remind you just what a bonkers idea this whole car is.
For the Sterrato concept, Lamborghini took a Huracan Evo and modified it Safari-style.
Safari Style Started in Stuttgart
Safari style comes from Porsche, way back in 1978. The sports car maker transformed three 911s into rally cars with tall suspensions, off-road lights, and rally tires. The idea was to win the East African Safari Rally. They didn’t win there, but Porsche didn’t give up and eventually won the grueling Dakar Rally.
The name stuck and now applies to just about any sports car modified for off-road excursions. Like Subaru did to the Legacy to create the Outback, but with a few hundred more horses under the hood. And no wagons.
Off-Road Supercar
The Sterrato concept uses the same 5.2L V10 as the Huracan Evo. Making 640 horsepower, you can hear it scream throughout Lamborghini’s appetite-whetting video.
Like the Evo, the car drives all for tires. Unlike the Evo, which wears Pirelli P-Zero tires with sidewalls as thick as your thumb, the video shows something entirely different. Bridgestone Dueler off-road tires have actual sidewalls. We’re not sure of the model, or the size, but they’re probably completely bespoke for the car.
On the concept car, Lamborghini bumped the ride height by 1.8 inches. Longer-travel suspension makes use of the height to absorb rough road bumps and keep you from bottoming out in ruts.
The wheels are pushed out by a little more than an inch, too, hiding under big plastic-look fender flares to help make the car even more stable off road. Underbody strengthening includes a rear skid plate that’s also a diffuser, aluminum reinforcements in the frame and side skirts, and a skid plate in the front to help protect the car’s sensitive bits.
Lambo even brags about better approach and departure angles, measurements of off-road capability we’d normally only hear about with a Jeep Wrangler or Ford Bronco. Of course, with the front angle getting a whole 1% improvement, maybe there isn’t that much to be bragging about.
Can You Camp in This Lambo?
The car in the video gets some big LED driving lights in a place that will surely not have a negative impact on the car’s aerodynamics. Look closely, and it has roof rack attachemnt points, too. Will you be able to pop your tent on top of the latest Lambo and live the fastest camping life in the world?
It’s a Lamborghini that’s ready to pound through the desert or a dirt road as quickly as its siblings would tackle a paved mountain pass. It’s probably going to be more comfortable in normal driving, too, not that we mind the stiff suspension of a supercar.
Sterrato hasn’t been confirmed for production, but this makes it almost certain. It’s probably going to be the last special development of the Huracan, too, before that car is replaced in the company lineup. As far as goodbyes go, this is a hell of a good one. Expect a full reveal before the end of the year.
