In 2023, Lamborghini’s Flagship Supercar is Heading Offroad

During Miami Art Week, Lamborghini unveiled the new Huracán Sterrato, its first off-road supercar. The high-rolling Italian automotive brand has been busy reinventing one of its most pristine and recognizable vehicles, equipping it to go well off the pavement-beaten path. Named after the Italian word for “dirt road,” the Huracán Sterrato is the first sports car created especially to be taken off city streets and into more adventurous territory. 

“Everything started with a nice evening in south Italy, having a glass of wine,” Mitja Borkert, Lamborghini’s design engineer, told Surface during a walkthrough in Miami, “We were discussing Lamborghinis on a test track while finalizing Urus [Lamborghini’s SUV] in 2016 or 2017. We were saying ‘The driving experience of the Urus is thrilling, especially on dirt roads. Why couldn’t we bring those same emotions to a super sports car?’” 

In Borkert’s view, Lamborghini has always been about evoking emotions—passion, excitement, lust—both through its flagship vehicles’ sleek curves and the driver’s experience behind the wheel. The Sterrato marries that legacy with the hunger for thrills you can’t always find on a flat, open road. It’s pretty marketing speak, but how does the Huracán Sterrato stand out from its super-luxe ilk? At first glance, the car is immediately recognizable as part of the Lamborghini Huracán family. But there are a few key changes to the design that make a big difference when handling rough terrain.

Most notable? The suspension has been lifted 1.7 inches higher than its predecessor, the Huracán Evo, optimizing it for performance on dirt roads. In both the front and rear, the Sterrato’s track has been widened by 1.2 inches and 1.3 inches, respectively. Reinforced sills, a rear diffuser, and over-wheel fenders all protect the body when being driven on dirt or loose surfaces. Finally, the air intake has been relocated from the sides of the car to the hood in order to ensure the engine is supplied with clean air when driving or drifting across dusty roads. Nearly countless customization options, from the shade and finish of exterior paint to the materials outfitting the interior, make each vehicle nearly one-of-a-kind. 

Contrasting fenders, exposed bolts, and auxiliary lights on the nose all work to firmly assert the Sterrato as a vehicle that was made for the dunes. Even the tires, custom-engineered by Bridgestone, affirm off-road performance comparable to its sister cars’ on the track. All elements come together to evoke armored cars, dune buggies, and even Christopher Nolan’s take on the Batmobile, all while being seamlessly integrated into the iconic Huracán body.

Though the Sterrato is Lamborghini’s first off-road model, it’s also the brand’s final full-combustion engine, with all models becoming hybrid in 2023 and its first fully electric vehicle arriving in 2028. The Huracán Sterrato will be available in a limited run of 1,499 units starting in early 2023. 

With a fleet of supercars that rule the streets, as well as an SUV that can perform on and off-road, why create the Huracán? Borkert explained it was part creative idea and part passion project, and it simply kept getting the green light. “We were dreaming a bit more openly, so in the beginning, we did sketches and small models. Then we took a Huracán and added off-road elements and lifted it, so it was kind of an underground program. We then presented it as a concept car in 2019 and everyone, including president and CEO Stephan Winkelmann, told us “you need to do this.” If early test drives are any indicator, Lamborghini is about to carve out their place on the roads less traveled.