Hurricane alert: Lamborghini Huracan Sterrato

CAs I made my way to the Lamborghini Huracan Sterrato, my old friend asked me a question and an observation, both characteristic of him and the car. With a can of water in his hand (not very conventional), he asked, “Where’s the cup holder?” A fair question in most circumstances, but not when we’re looking at one of the world’s most important compact supercars, even if it’s nearing the end of an illustrious career.

Positioned below the outgoing V12 Aventador and the recently launched Revuelto, the V10 Huracan is roughly the same size as a wagon, shares much of its technology with the accomplished Audi R8 and, as you can see from the images of my matte burnt tangerine version, has a certain exuberant Italian flair.

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The mystical quality is that it inspires affection, even love, rather than envy. My neighbour warned me that someone had scratched a motorhome on the road and that envy is a terrible thing. I agree, but all the Huracan Sterrato did was keep me busy answering all the selfie requests. I think Lamborghini owes me a commission.

Anyway, I digress. Obviously, there are no cupholders, but there is enough room for a 1.93m man with arthritis, which is an achievement for all concerned. However, there are only two seats and Lamborghini is not willing to make too many concessions to its basic mission in life. There is no electric adjustment of the seats and there is no large glove box either.

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Actually, come to think of it, there are no indicators or wiper stalks, because they would get in the way of the paddle shifters that frame the steering wheel; you have to make do with a pair of switches on the steering wheel itself (well, except when you're on a long bend).

The goal is to save weight, and so much of this sturdy, functional and well-built machine is made from carbon fibre and aluminium. It has rear-wheel drive, four-wheel steering, three gyroscopes and seven gears acting through a dual-shift gearbox (and it responds considerably more quickly than some of the VW Group's most popular products, proving that it can be done).

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It will hit 320 km/h whether the law allows it or not, and it will hit 100 km/h in a few seconds. That’s much, much faster than most mortals need, but it’s quite disciplined. You have the choice of three driving modes: “Strada,” for shopping; “Sport,” for the open road; and “Rally,” for getting into the rally stage with some light off-road driving.

“Sterrato” means “dirt track” in Italian, and this Huracán variant is basically the product of bored Italian engineers who decided to settle a bet. The side effects are very welcome: a couple of extra centimetres means it can cope with bumps and the ride is surprisingly comfortable. It pushes the nose, but no further, into Gran Turismo territory.

It can be docile. On a Sunday afternoon out on a drive through Leicestershire, the Lamborghini, with the angry bull insignia on its nose, found itself in the company of more docile cattle. Most Lamborghinis are named after fighting bulls, and “Huracán,” or hurricane, was one that became famous in about 1879.

Surrounded by his distant bovine relatives approaching a cricket match in a village near Gumley, the Hurricane was content to cruise along at 4 mph and wait for the next over. There were no problems with the crowd.

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It's a very attractive car indeed, in every sense, and the roof rack fitted to my tester added a touch of humour to its half-hearted off-road appearance: plastic cladding, extra headlights and that slightly higher stance. The lights actually look a bit like the flared nostrils of a bull about to gore an arrogant matador.

I'm getting carried away. The Sterrato is no joke, but with its still unrivalled combination of dramatic lines, symphonic soundtrack and loud, loud, loud presence, it doesn't need to prove anything. No joke, but the Lamborghini Huracan Sterrato has a nice, cheeky sense of humour. Hence the roof rack. Quite adorable.