Driving report: Lamborghini Sterrato: The child in the man

As if a Lamborghini Huracan wasn’t spectacular enough. Those who want even more can dream of getting behind the grippy wheel of the lightning-fast Tecnica or celebrating the circuit with the impressive STO. But all the Huracans are nothing compared to the Sterrato, because the slowest Lamborghini for years is the one that is the most fun to drive and awakens the toddler in the man. Sure, you can also chase the super sports car from Santa Agata on country roads or circuits, but the wild drift on unpaved slopes makes you addicted. Addicted to wedged rear axles, roaring sucker sound and a design that is not good for restraint.

260 km/h top speed for a Lamborghini – almost 60 years ago a 400 GT was almost faster. But the Sterrato isn’t just about the disdainful top speed. Thanks to studded tires, lift kit and off-road trim, the all-wheel drive vehicle is a super sports car that is in the best mood when the asphalt ends. A meaningless fun machine for the child in the adult – a toy that you never want to let go of and want to take to bed with you at night. The appearance with underrun protection, additional headlights, widened track and roof rails is downright martial – the only thing missing is the winch below the piercing LED eyes.

At the wheel, the 4.53 meter long Sterrato remains the joker known as the Huracan – but on unpaved roads. Asphalt? No thanks, because here the pseudo off-roader sells well below value. There are better sports cars that enchant you even more and also celebrate this unique sound of a naturally aspirated V10 engine. A displacement of 5.2 liters still guarantees an impressive 449 kW / 610 hp and when the speed is right, an equally impressive and easy-to-handle maximum torque of 560 Nm. Just the right thing to let it really fly on the sandy track in second or third gear of the seven-stage dual-clutch transmission. But it’s not just the free-breathing ten-cylinder engine that entices the driver and surroundings alike and leaves them coughing in the dust. When it comes to easy terrain, the northern Italian shows unexpected qualities thanks to 4.4 centimeters more ground clearance and around three centimeters wider track at the front and rear. Sand, scree or gravel – simply switch to the rally program at the wheel and the Lambo becomes a Baja blast. It is not only steered with the steering wheel, but also with the foot on the accelerator and the load change when shifting gears. The rear end that kicks out can be effortlessly caught again at medium revs if it should go on a hike in the limit area. Anyone who thinks that the Sterrato is just a showmaker that costs just under 313,000 euros and wants to play big pants will find themselves taught better after the first few kilometers on gravel, sand or scree: the driving machine is wild, hot and fast at the same time without it to overwhelm pilots.

That doesn’t change the fact that the Lamborghini Sterrato, which weighs around 1.6 tons, can also impress on the best asphalt roads. Especially the ease of driving at high speeds in the limit area remains impressive and the pseudo off-roader particularly likes to drift – even on the road. “With the high-speed concept for all surfaces of the Sterrato, we have combined the driving experience of a real super sports car with the driving pleasure of a rally car in a unique way,” explains Rouven Mohr, Chief Technical Officer of Lamborghini, “Lamborghini vehicles always deliver emotions, and the Sterrato takes driving to a new level of thrill.” There’s no denying it on and off-piste.

Of course, no one missed the Lamborghini Sterrato or the Porsche 911 Dakar with a similar sports car concept. But if you already have everything in your own garage, there is one thing you probably don’t yet have: an off-roader in sports car guise and an exterior that is just as unsuitable for restraint as the oversized LED walls in New York’s Time Square. The airy periscope that protrudes from the roof is not just for design reasons. It ensures that the ten-cylinder also gets clean air to breathe on dusty desert roads. There are also for the maximum of two occupants who are happy about the magnificently contoured sports seats with Alcantara covering, demonize the moderate touchscreen in the center console and wonder what the interior mirror is doing there. Because of the closed rear, the driver sees nothing more than the small lattice cage, which provides rigidity. But the plume of dust that the Sterrato pulls behind it on the rough terrain makes it unnecessary to look back anyway. If the worst comes to the worst, the rustic Bridgestone off-road tires have emergency running properties. Even if the Sterrato punctures the tread or flank of the 235 tires at the front and 285 tires at the rear, it can still travel at least 80 kilometers to the nearest workshop.