A new Huracán-based concept from Lamborghini envisages an off-road variant of the firm’s Ferrari 488 rival. Packing the same 640hp, 5.2-litre naturally aspirated V10, as the new Huracán Evo, the Huracán Sterrato boasts a range of off-road-inspired styling revisions and equipment.

Taking its name from the Italian translation for ‘dirt road’, the Sterrato is built to be "fun to drive off-road." Lamborghini says the concept takes inspiration from its new Urus SUV, as well as the Jarama and Urraco models modified in the 1970s to traverse challenging terrain at high speeds.

The Sterrato employs the same Lamborghini Dinamica Veicolo Integrata (LDVI) system as the standard Huracán, which predicts the car’s movements and primes the four-wheel-drive, four-wheel-steering and torque-vectoring mechanisms.

Lamborghini says the LDVI system in the Sterrato has been adapted for off-road use, meaning the concept is better able to find grip on low-traction surfaces. Increasing the four-wheel drive system’s rear bias has supposedly increased torque and enhanced controllability in corners.

The Sterrato's ambitions are clear – a significant 47mm suspension lift and 30mm track increase allow it to cross rocky terrain, while 20-inch wheels and widened arches lend it a purposeful stance, with the image completed by the addition of LED light bars on the roof and bumper.

The concept's tyres have been specially developed with a thick sidewall and wide shoulders, to reduce the risk of damage and improve traction on loose surfaces.

A rear skid plate protects the exhaust system and acts as a diffuser at speed, while a similar unit at the front protects the chassis’ aluminium reinforcements. Carbon fibre has been used for the mudguards and the engine is shielded from flying debris by a new composite panel.

Inside, the Sterrato features a titanium roll cage, four-point racing seatbelts, new carbon-fibre seats and aluminium floor panels.

Maurizio Reggiani, Lamborghini’s chief technical officer, said: “The Huracán Sterrato illustrates Lamborghini’s commitment to being a future shaper. A super sportscar with off-road capabilities, the Sterrato demonstrates the Huracán’s versatility and opens the door to yet another benchmark of driving emotion and performance.”

While a driveable example of the Sterrato has been built, a spokesperson said there are no plans to put the model into production, although public reception and response to the car will be monitored when it starts making public appearances.