It’s a sad reflection of new cars in 2023 that precious little elicits genuine excitement. Partly that’s just the trope of a wizened, extremely spoilt car journalist who drives a lot of them. But also, look around: is anyone that bothered about another 2,000hp hypercar? SUVs with Drift Modes? Two-tonne sports cars? It feels very easy to shrug your shoulders at a lot, and it shouldn’t really be that way. Thank goodness, then, for the Huracan Sterrato.
It is impossible to be presented with this car and not be overcome with juvenile glee. Even the premise - a mud-plugging supercar - was tremendous enough. The reality is even better. No doubt it made for quite a sight on the original launch; parked up with regular cars - even in close proximity to normal Lamborghinis - it’s genuinely astonishing. If you didn’t know any better it would have to be assumed this is the vision of some crazy YouTuber, determined to make their V10 supercar stand out among the wraps and the mad exhausts.
But no, this really is the production reality for 1,499 units, and it’s superb. Mostly because of the incongruity, yes - this is a mid-engined supercar with off-road tyres, a roof rack and spotlights that are illegal for road use - but also as the Huracan really suits the Sterrato treatment. There was surely the danger that it could look too mad (and maybe too aftermarket) for its own good, yet the Huracan works. There’s huge enjoyment to be derived from just drinking it in, pointing with incredulity at the silliness, Lambo’s Dakar wannabe made a road-going reality.
The enjoyment from the Sterrato as a static object comes second only to watching everyone else’s reaction. Perhaps more than any other supercar, the Huracan garners huge affection from passers-by. Everybody wants to stop, stare, get a picture and take a seat. As is typically the case with vehicles like this, but more so than ever with the Sterrato. It feels a less serious, less intimidating proposition in every sense than something like an STO, a kid’s off-road toy made adult size, so the intrigue is understandable. We’ve all seen supercars, but not many like this. It’s impossible not to want to know more.
The driver’s satisfaction isn’t going anywhere once on the road. Or indeed, off it. Our overlanding expedition with the Sterrato was a very, very modest one - basically some long grass - but, even so, it’s a mid-engined Lamborghini in gravel and ruts and the odd deep puddle. You’d never dream of doing anything like this in a standard car; up until very recently it was entirely unbelievable because even the funky concept seemed far-fetched. But the Sterrato is game, bespoke all-terrain tyres finding decent purchase and suspension shrugging off lumps and bumps admirably. It isn’t as hardcore as something like a 911 Dakar, however Sterrato owners needn’t fear getting it stuck on a soggy Concours lawn or similar. This can get down and dirty as required. And look absolutely brilliant while doing it.
The Sterrato is a different, if recognisable, Huracan experience on the road. Some of it is merely the boring stuff; wider tracks (34mm extra at the rear) and wider haunches mean a further restricted few behind, obviously not helped by a roof scoop assuming the place of a rearview slot. While it’s good fun to look in the mirrors and see those great big riveted arches behind like the shoulders of a prop forward, that does mean less space to see, y’know, other cars and stuff. Combined with that steeply raked front screen, the Huracan can still be a tad intimidating despite reasonably compact dimensions. And when you turn in at Pirelli P Zero speeds and not Bridgestone Dueler ones. Or hit standing water. It’s taken a decade, but those after a bit of old-fashioned supercar fear factor might find it in their first few miles of this run-out Huracan.
User errors aside, there’s a good case to be made for the Sterrato to be the most involving and engaging Huracan to drive, because there’s so much more going on at normal speeds in what is fundamentally quite benign, approachable mid-engined chassis. Brake hard and it’ll dive down, accelerate and it rears up like the powerboat every Sterrato owner must also have. Lift off around a constant radius bend and you can feel the back just begin to swing around in a fashion that would never, ever happen before - but any concern is alleviated because the speeds are so much lower. Might even get the odd squeal from those chunky tyres, too. Where a lot of supercars - somewhat inevitably thanks to advancements in tech and the way they’re benchmarked - feel like they’ll only properly entertain on a circuit, here’s one that can make the M40 slip road a giggle.
Though Rally mode is ostensibly designed for off-road running, of course we had to try it out on tarmac. Unsurprisingly, it’s a right old hoot. It seems to leave steering and suspension unchanged, instead cranking up the V10’s volume, slackening off the ESC and - it would have to be assumed - throwing some more power rearwards like the Rallye setting (how do they come up with these names?) of a Dakar. It’s really very clever, primarily because not much effort is needed: turn in, get on the throttle, feel the back come around and those tyres smear across the surface, then hold the pedal there as the car sorts it out. What’s not to love?
The mistake is often to try and balance accelerator and steering, when in fact there isn’t much need for nuance. Beyond the styling additions, there’s clearly some very smart engineering going on here as well - it’s one of the best four-wheel drive drift modes. The temptation is to call it infallible - certainly there felt no need to turn everything off, especially on a 200-mile example - but let’s leave that for someone else’s ill-fated vid. This is still a mid-engined Lamborghini with more than 600hp. Albeit the most friendly and most fun yet.
And, of course, what an engine. Enough has been written over the past 10 years about how glorious the 5.2-litre V10 is, so we shan’t dwell on it too long. That said, with Lambo’s hybrid era looming, chances to bask in its magnificence are to be grabbed with both hands. Rest assured everything great about the engine has survived the Action Man overhaul, blessed with bountiful power, instant response and outrageous sound. The Sterrato even brings some new quirks, including the occasional bit of resonance from the roof scoop at about 4,000rpm. Rally mode is definitely as vocal as the Corsa setting found elsewhere, too. And while 610hp and four-wheel drive means this Huracan isn’t flung down the road like 640hp, rear-drive ones, there’s not going to be any complaints about performance. It might look like a grown-up plaything, but it goes like a proper supercar.
Plus, just finally, there’s the joy of just pottering about in a Sterrato. Where speedbumps normally strike fear into supercar owners, here they’re to be revelled in - and the current pothole blight is less of a concern in a car with this sort of tyre profile. Everything you splash and crash through can be heard more clearly via those giant wheelarch echo chambers, and even though rear visibility is pretty woeful, sitting a tad higher (or what feels like it, at least) means a better view forward. By extension, you feel comfortable taking it anywhere and everywhere, which certainly isn’t always the case with a supercar. And if you catch the reflection in a shop window, then all the better. An off-road overhaul has made for probably the best Huracan to use on road yet.
Moreover, if the purpose of a supercar is to brighten the day of everyone who sees it, then the Sterrato might be the best of all. But there’s proper substance to appreciate as well. The effort invested in creating the right tyres with Bridgestone means it doesn’t feel unduly compromised on road, while delivering more than anyone will need off it. And the Rally mode proves Lamborghini is up there with the very best for electronic wizardry. What might have been a gimmicky car has ended up showing off as well as an STO or a Tecnica what Lamborghini can really achieve with its V10 icon when the shackles are totally removed. That is as much a cause for celebration as the roof racks, spotlights and rivets, and a genuinely enthralling way for both engine and car to sign off.
SPECIFICATION | 2023 LAMBORGHINI HURACAN STERRATO
Engine: 5204cc V10, naturally aspirated
Transmission: Seven-speed double clutch, all-wheel drive
Power (hp): 610@8,000rpm
Torque (lb ft): 413@5,500rpm
0-62mph: 3.4 seconds
Top speed: 160mph (limited)
Weight: 1,470kg (dry)
MPG: TBC
CO2: TBC
Price: £232,820
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