Lamborghini is a brand that is known for its exotic Supercars and Hypercars. We’ve seen them on drag strips, race circuits, drifting on ice, or just driving down the boulevard. However, when was the last time you saw a super exotic Lamborghini driving off-road at full speed? I mean, they did make the Urus and the LM002, but we rarely see them go off the beaten path.
A Huracan like no other
Chris Steinbacher of the YouTube channel "B is for Build” has based his next off-road monster on a Lamborghini Huracan all set to take on the Mint 400. They debuted this build, called the "World's First Off-road Lamborghini”. Umm, again, what about the LM002? Regardless, a Huracan with the ability to jump? Without a doubt, we want to see that!
The Mods
It's been a long road up to this point, and the build is far from over. Chris’s team documented the entire process of how they went about the build after unveiling the car about seven months ago.
After removing the chassis and all extraneous pieces from their project and digitizing the remainder of the body in 3D (SE Motors in California scanned the car's original body in 3D and also created a new off-road suspension for it) they attempted to reinforce the entire structure with a "home-made" tubular structure. They also created all of the necessary hardware to mount these massive 35" and 37" tires.
That magnificent naturally aspirated V-10 engine of the Italian exotic that we know and love was replaced by an LS V8 that powers the rear wheels and the brake calipers were borrowed from a Mustang GT500. There will also be no all-wheel drive.
Finally, the interior is unrecognizable. All of the trim has been replaced with light and robust parts, and there is a pair of racing buckets. Oh, and one more thing, they’ve ditched the windshield.
How does she run?
When Chris and his buddies showed up at their "testing grounds," which is really a vacant parking lot, they uncover a number of strange noises emanating from the car. And now is exactly the time to pay heed to such details, as you wouldn't want to risk a year's worth of labor for nothing.
They detect the exact cause of the grinding noise within five feet into the drive. They found that the brake caliper bolts were excessively long and were catching on the brake rotor. Despite its foibles, for the first time, we can at least see that the car drives. It will need to be fine-tuned before it can compete in the Mint 400 off-road event, for which the Jumpacan was designed in the first place.
What's Next for the Jumpacan?
With Covid pushing the event back to December 2021, these insane mechanics have plenty of time to put their gasoline-fueled brains' ideas into action. I can’t wait to see the Jumpacan in its natural habitat, which is out in the desert taking on some dunes!