Lamborghini appears to have finally heeded the calls of many-a-supercar enthusiast by introducing the country’s first off-road friendly supercar. The Lamborghini Huracan Sterrato is a gravel-friendly, bumpy-B-road specialist supercar that puts to ease the nerves of the average supercar owner, driving on Indian roads. The Sterrato, which features the same 5.2-litre, naturally aspirated as a standard Huracan, in the same state of tune as an RWD Huracan (610 PS of power and 560 Nm of torque), has been extensively reworked to have go-anywhere capabilities.
The Sterrato, which means “dirt road’ in Italian, is a rally-spec Huracan with suspension raised by 44 mm compared to a standard Huracan EVO, whose all-wheel-drive tech the Sterrato benefits from. The nose of the car can be lifted a further 40 mm by the flick of a switch. In addition to that the car’s track has been expanded by 34 mm at the back and 30 mm at the front, in line with the extended wheel arches featuring bolt-on composite cladding that runs across the base of the car’s otherwise aluminium body. Globally, only 1,499 are being made, with Lamborghini having no plans of pumping up the production of what is clearly the swansong of the naturally-aspirated Huracan.
The Huracan Sterrato, which costs Rs 4.61 crore a pop and is expected to arrive by Q3 of 2023, ties a bow around what has been a landmark year for Lamborghini India, which has witnessed record sales this year, allowing India to crack Lambo’s top 15 markets list. As a result, the allotment for limited edition Lamborghinis, such as the Aventador Ultimae and the Huracan STO has increased. “We are all about trying to expand our reach, both geographically and demographically, with Tier II cities now making up for 25 percent of our sales,” says Lamborghini India’s Head Sharad Agarwal, under whose stewardship Lamborghini India has witnessed unprecedented growth.
In hindsight, the Sterrato seems like the most obvious solution to a problem that has besieged supercar owners in India for a long time – poor road and track infrastructure. Having a rally-spec version of the same Huracan, still screaming its way past 8,000 rpm, still hitting 100 kph from a standstill in 3.4 seconds, makes for a very India-friendly supercar. Was the Sterrato designed keeping in mind its useability in developing markets? “I won’t say that it has greater applicability for developing markets. I’d say it has a very different kind of customer,” says Agarwal, adding that the Sterrato is the final piece of the Huracan portfolio puzzle. With a rear-wheel drive version, a hardcore STO version for track enthusiasts, and a friendly all-wheel drive version with the EVO, there is now officially a Huracan for everyone. Everyone who can afford it, that is.
The number of such individuals is much higher than you’d think. Not surprisingly, the Sterrato has already seen a fairly extensive order bank in India, although Lamborghini won’t reveal just how many requests were placed, suffice it to say that the demand far outstrips the supply, which is precisely how Lamborghini wishes it to be. “The approach is to see how we can get the maximum number for the Indian market.” Has the Sterrato, given its go-anywhere capabilities, witnessed a higher demand than other special edition cars in the past? “In India, what we’ve seen is that while the market may be small and nascent, the customer profile is quite evolved, and we witness a very strong demand for special edition cars.”
Agarwal is, of course, referring to the Aventador Ultimae, the swansong of the naturally-aspirated flagship of the brand, of which only 650 were produced. With more than twice as many Sterratos, surely, a higher allotment is called for? “Let’s see. I’m yet to find out just what numbers they are going to give out.”
A few aluminium reinforcements, a bit of cladding, raised suspension and diff locks – it seems like a compromise-free recipe for a more practical, everyday supercar is perfectly evident. Why then would Lamborghini not consider putting a vehicle like this in series production? “I think, cars like the Sterrato work better in limited numbers, as they keep the desirability of the brand high.” Will an off-road-ready variant be the norm for future Lamborghini supercars? “It depends on how the market is evolving. But the idea is to stay one step ahead and create a novelty that doesn’t exist in the market yet.”
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