Lamborghini Sterrato off-road supercar spotted testing

A prototype version of the Lamborghini Sterrato off-road supercar has been pictured testing in public for the first time.

The Sterrato (Italian for ‘dirt road’) was first revealed in concept form in 2019 as a more rugged version of the Lamborghini Huracán Evo. At the time, a Lamborghini spokesperson said that despite at least one functioning car having been built, there were no plans to put the model into production. 

Now, the appearance of a lightly disguised test mule suggests it may eventually be offered to customers after all.

Visually, the Sterrato has a far higher ground clearance than the Huracán Evo. It has been fitted with an air intake on the roof, as well as a set of roof rails. The front bumper has also been reinforced with a stone guard, and an LED light bar fitted to the bonnet. It does not yet feature the concept's extended wheel arches, which Lamborghini previously hinted could be 3D printed were the car to enter production.

The original Sterrato concept was powered by the same 5.2-litre naturally aspirated V10 as the Huracán Evo, producing 631bhp and sending power to both axles via a seven-speed automatic gearbox. It is expected that a customer version of the Sterrato would retain the Huracán's rear-wheel steering set-up but gain an adapted version of the Lamborghini Dinamica Veicolo Integrata (LDVI) drive mode system that's more effective at finding grip on low-traction surfaces.

Lamborghini isn't the only firm experimenting with off-road versions of its sports cars. Porsche has been spotted testing a high-riding 'Safari' version of the 911, and Morgan has committed to building eight Plus Four CX-Ts.

It is currently unclear if the Sterrato will be a one-off project, like the Aventador J and SC20 roadsters, or built in greater numbers as a limited-run series similar to the Sián FKP 37. 

Lamborghini has previously committed to at least two new product launches in 2022, with updates for the Huracán and Urus SUV both expected.