LAMBORGHINI WANTS TO GO RALLYING WITH THIS HURACáN STERRATO CONCEPT

Your eyes do not deceive you, this is the rally-ready Lamborghini Huracán Sterrato concept that channels mid-engined supercar dirt-devils of the past.

We're all used to Lamborghini showcasing unique concepts, a few of which made it to production. The Urus, for example, is something many scoffed at, yet it's become one of Lambo's best sellers.

In this case, though, this is a concept built for purpose, not unlike the famous rally versions of the Lancia Stratos and Porsche 959, the latter of which won the 1986 Paris-Dakar in its Rothmans livery.

This rally-raider is a one-off called the Huracán Sterrato, which translates to 'dirt' from Italian. It's basically a Huracán Evo that's been upgraded to deal with the toughness required for rally racing. As a concept, it may not be as specialised as the cars mentioned above, but it certainly looks the part.

The noticeable parts include bespoke widened bodywork, two air deflectors in front of the side intakes to deflect debris from the engine, additional LED lighting and a forged roof rack. There are revised bumpers and sills, the latter hiding aluminium skid plates protecting a toughened underbody. Composite wheel arches house 20-inch wheels wrapped with chunky, reinforced tyres that aid in delivering an extra 47mm to the ride height.

The interior plays host to a titanium roll-cage and carbon fibre bucket seats, with aluminium floors adding to the Sterrato’s macho image.

The same 631bhp 5.2-litre naturally aspirated V10 engine from the donor car does duty powering all four wheels, as does the dual-clutch cog-swapper. In fact, the only addition to the Performante underpinnings is the addition of a new off-road setting for the LDVI integrated vehicle dynamics system. This sends more power to the rear wheels, which aids controlled sideways driving, although it sacrifices top speed in favour of handling.

The bad news, though, is that this concept is unlikely to make it to production – unless there's a demand for it, like in the case of the Urus. In fact, the chances of a track-focused Urus is more likely than the Huracán Sterrato, but who doesn't want to see a Lamborghini souring through the dunes of the world's toughest race?