Lamborghini takes aim at Porsche 911 Dakar with new Huracán Sterrato

Hot on the heels of the new Porsche 911 Dakar that was launched at the LA Auto Show two weeks ago, Lamborghini has unveiled its own dirt-busting supercar: the Huracán Sterrato.

Italian for 'dirt road', the Sterrato is basically a Huracán Evo jacked up with all manner of off-road accoutrement including an aggressive body kit that comprises branch-beating wheel arch extensions, reinforced side sills and an aluminium underbody protection plate. There is also a sizeable roof-mounted scoop designed to suck in cleaner air when driving in particularly dusty conditions. Finishing things off in rally style are an additional pair of driving lights, a revised rear air-diffuser and the option of a bespoke roof rack system. 

To cope with a magnitude of different off-road terrains the Huracán Sterrato rides 44mm higher than its Evo sibling and also sports a notably wider track (+30mm up front and +34mm at the rear) for increased cornering stability. Optimum traction across all surfaces (everything from dirt and tarmac to mud) is provided by a set of lightweight 19-inch alloy wheels shod with custom-engineered Bridgestone Dueler AT002 tyres (235/40 front and 285/40 rear) incorporating run-flat technology that guarantees a minimum driving range of 80km at 80km/h with zero pressure. Behind the wheels lurk carbon-ceramic brake discs with six-piston calipers up front and four-piston calipers at the rear.

Powering the Sterrato is Lamborghini's familiar 5.2l naturally-aspirated V10 engine tuned to deliver 449kW and 560Nm of torque. A seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox sends this impressive grunt to an electronically controlled all-wheel drive system bolstered by a mechanical self-locking rear differential for added traction in the (really) slippery stuff. Expect a 0-100km/h dash time of just 3.4 seconds and a maximum speed of 260km/h. 

Dive inside the cockpit you'll find exclusive touches such as Alcantara Verde Sterrato upholstery as well as an all-new Human Machine Interface (HMI) system that boasts new graphics and special driving features including a digital inclinometer with pitch and roll indicator, a compass, geographic co-ordinate indicator and steering angle indicator.

A mere 1,499 Lamborghini Huracán Sterrato models are to be built with production scheduled to start in February 2023. Pricing will be confirmed closer to that time. 

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