The Lamborghini Huracan is a low-slung Italian supercar known for its good looks and a screaming V10. It’s a car you expect to see rolling down the boulevard, sitting at Cars and Coffee, or perhaps taking in a track day. Chris Steinbacher of B is for Build had other plans for his salvaged Huracan, however, turning it into a fat-tired off-road monster. The Jumpacan, as it has been dubbed, now finally runs and drives.
The build began a while ago as little more than a raw chassis stripped of everything required to make it run. The body was first given a full 3D scan by SE Motors in California, who developed an off-road suspension and bracing kit to strengthen the chassis and prepare it to accept monstrous 35″ and 37″ tires front and back. The original Lamborghini powerplant is long gone, replaced with an LS V8 engine and a Graziano transaxle driving the rear wheels. Braking is handled by gigantic rotors and stout calipers sourced from a Mustang GT500, while the stripped interior is kitted out with racing seats and harnesses—oh, and there’s no windshield to speak of.
With everything bolted together for the first time, Steinbacher is cautious to make sure everything is working properly. A few minor issues crop up along the way, with brake caliper bolts rubbing on the rotors and some cooling system leaks. There are no major snags, however, and the first romp around a car park is overall a successful one. Hitting the drive thru at Carls Jr. was a little more fraught, if only for the lack of cupholders and the difficulty of using the Lamborghini doors in such a tight space.
Big smoky burnouts and flinging mud aren’t on the cards quite yet; understandably, there’s some more shakedown testing to do before the build turns a wheel in anger. With that said, Steinbacher reports that everything thus far is working well, with the engine, transmission and clutch all feeling solid driving on the street.
The car was built to compete in this year’s Mint 400 off-road race, and with COVID delaying that event until December, Steinbacher should have plenty of time to prepare the vehicle and work out any kinks before then. We look forward to seeing the off-roader tearing up the dirt, though we’d suggest wearing a full-face helmet if it still doesn’t have a windscreen by then.
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