“Some people think I'm bonkers, but I just think I'm free.” The 21st-century poet Dizzee Rascal back in 2009 – inadvertently coming up with the theme tune for a car that wouldn’t be launched for a further 14 years.
But never a truer word could be sung about the Lamborghini Huracán Sterrato. It is prime-time, top-drawer, major-league bonkers – in all the best ways.
The Sterrato is Lamborghini’s first ‘all-terrain super sports car’. Which isn’t really a thing. Until Lamborghini made it one.
The pioneering Italian brand has never been known for holding back – on design, on approach, on boundaries. So, if an automobile category doesn’t exist, simply create it.
The build-it-and-they-will-come mantra worked out pretty darn well with its breakout super SUV.
The Urus remains the brand’s best-selling model, with more than 6,000 shipped last year. This was the lion’s share of Lamborghini’s record-breaking tally; 2023 was the first time Sant'Agata passed the 10,000 unit p.a. mark.
The Urus is a remarkable feat of engineering, proving unequivocally that you can make a high-riding SUV weighing more than two tonnes drive like a light-weight supercar.
With that in mind, one might reasonably question the need for the Sterrato. But since when has Lamborghini been about need?
The model was actually developed at the same time as the Urus – a pet project of the R&D bods who thought, ‘What happens if we take all this off-road development and shove it in our baby supercar?’
A niche too far? In a word, no. For more than one word, read on.
The Sterrato is like the Huracan on Haribo; as if a hyperactive child grabbed hold of the blueprints and got creative with the crayons.
The rally lights on the nose; the gaping snorkel air intake on the roof; the slats down the rear; the chunky wheel arches: it’s gloriously unrestrained and unapologetically fun. Inside, it’s part spaceship, part stealth bomber.
When I picked up my press car, I sent a photo to a friend, who promptly replied: “Ah, I see you’re driving a Transformer.”
Although it was clearly a jab at the flamboyant aesthetics, the observation rings true on a deeper level.
This car really can transform: it’s comfortable enough to drive GT distances thanks to the increased ride height; it’s fast enough to take on track days; it’s tough enough to tackle a loose-surface rally stage.
The drive selector on the steering wheel tells you as much – a sliding scale from Strada through Sport to the hardcore Rally mode.
When the car was first launched last year, it was accompanied by Boys’ Own photoshoots, the Sterrato flying through dust clouds leaving storms of sand in its contrails. The world’s motoring press – including our regular reporter Jeremy Taylor, who covered it for Square Mile – raved about how incredible it was to drift on these more, shall we say, rustic surfaces.
But I’m happy to report the Sterrato is more than capable on Tarmac, too.
There are too many cameras and too few curves in England, so we travelled to Courchevel to give it a proper run. It proved a fitting location, because this car sure can carve. It glides through corners with seemingly endless grip, swooping through the hairpins with the panache of Alberto Tomba. (A contemporary reference for you, there.)
It’s not quite as nimble or precise as the standard Huracan; but it’s also less intense, and somehow feels more free. If the Huracan STO is the captain of the Athletics team, the Sterrato is the cool kid who goes snowboarding at Christmas.
“You’re going to drive a Lamborghini… in the snow…?” Another friend questioned in disbelief as I explained our planned route. Ten years ago, you would fairly have assumed I was either mad or I was renting a tractor. But now the Italian brand is a genuine contender in this space.
I could think of few better ways to kick off a ski holiday than driving there in a Lamborghini. The Sterrato even has a roofbar option, so you can strap on your own skis. It’s an incredible car for a continental road trip, especially one that involves mountains and millionaires.
And so, back to Courchevel. The Alpine resort really is next-level. The private airport has ten helipads – for you, and your nine closest oil barons. There’s a restaurant with its own in-house Moncler shop – you can enter via the private elevator at the back. Hotels compete to have the most impressive cars, some packing fleets of matching Cullinans, another has a vintage Roller complete with snow-plough modification on the front.
Yet still a Lamborghini turns heads and pulls phones from pockets, people manically swiping for the video button. It helps that all Lambos sound incredible. Whether it’s the Sterrato’s spell-binding V10 or the Urus’ raucous four-litre biturbo V8, both encourage you to rev then lift, growl then crackle. Yes, it’s childish, but you have to give the fans what they want.
And you know those tunnels bored through the sides of mountains? It won’t take much imagination for you to guess what we did in those.
Inside both cars, you’re cocooned in alcantara and carbon fibre. The cockpit of a Lamborghini is an undeniably special place: comfortable yet angular; luxurious yet sporty – it’s a fine balance deftly executed.
When it comes to straight-line power, the Sterrato can hit 60mph in 3.4 seconds; the Urus S just a tenth of a second behind. Top speed for the Sterrato is limited to 162mph – partly because of the bespoke all-terrain tyres developed by Bridgestone and partly because of the raised suspension set-up. The Urus S will keep on going all the way to 190mph.
Despite this eye-watering speed, the Urus is remarkably unintimidating to drive. It’s really easy to live with, if you don’t mind the odd shot of your car appearing on teenagers’ instagram accounts.
And unlike the Sterrato, of course, you can fit your own teenagers in the back, along with all your gear in the boot.
The only issue with taking either to the Alps is whether or not you’ll actually want to get out of the car when you get there.
So, are Lamborghinis brilliant or bonkers? Both, of course – and that’s the whole point.
Lamborghini Urus S from £188,000; lamborghini.com
