Monday 18th August 2014

Lamborghini Huracan Super Trofeo

If looks could kill the Lamborghini Huracan Super Trofeo could turn out to be a serial murderer

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If you’re trying to entice millionaires to join your privateer race series there are worse places to unveil the race version of a supercar than A Motorsports Gathering at Pebble Beach. So went the logic for Lamborghini, The Quail golf club chosen as the venue to reveal the Super Trofeo version of the new Huracan. And looks could kill the Huracan Super Trofeo looks ready to go on a spree. One that could, potentially, include GT racing outside of the one-make Trofeo series and put Ferraris, Porsches, Bentleys, McLarens and others on the hitlist. Lamborghini racing at Le Mans, the Nurburgring 24-hour or at Sebring? They’re being cagey but the grins suggest it could happen…

Downforce probably 'adequate' with that wing

Pebble Beach being Pebble Beach when you’re looking at a new racing Lamborghini and then get introduced to a chap called Mr Dallara it turns out he is in fact Mr Dallara, as in Gianpaolo Dallara. The name may well be familiar…

His firm was tasked with turning the Huracan into a racing car, a job made easier by the fact that unlike the previous Gallardo this was envisaged from the start. The basic underpinnings of the Huracan Super Trofeo remain the Audi designed MSS platform with its hybrid combination of aluminium and carbon fibre construction. But of the panels only the roof and doors are retained, the rest of the non structural bodywork constructed from an undisclosed ‘plastic like’ material attached by quick-release fasteners to make crash repairs quicker and more affordable for teams.

Aero plays a big part too, Dallara telling us 70 per cent of the downforce is generated by the underbody. Which seems astonishing, given the size of the rear wing.

A Lambo at Le Mans or the N24? Possible now

Mechanically the Huracan Super Trofeo keeps the 5.2-litre V10 here with 620hp rather than the 610hp of the road car. It also ditches the four-wheel drive system and powers the rear wheels through a six-speed Xtrac sequential gearbox rather than the road car’s  ‘Doppia Frizione’ dual-clutch. According to test driver Giorgio Sanna this is lighter, tougher and easier to service for the teams running the cars. Dry weight is 1,270kg, compared with 1,422kg for the road car and around 70kg less than the four-wheel drive Gallardo Super Trofeo. On a lap of a track like Vallelunga Sanna reckons the new car is around two seconds faster.

Dallara’s role in shaping motorsport products for various VW group brands and the boasts that the MSS platform has been designed with racing in mind from the start points also to a broader racing remit for the Huracan, especially given it shares the same basic underpinnings as the forthcoming second-gen R8. The customer race versions of the existing R8 LMS are, of course, proven winners in GT racing and it would seem the Huracan could potentially join it on grids populated with rival brands. Which is an exciting thought. After all, who wouldn’t want to see the Huracan’s showroom rivalry with cars like the 458, McLaren 650S and others taken onto the track too.

Teaser vid here

[Carl_Docklands]

My word if the road car looks anything like this we are in for a treat.

It might even be able to fit in it this time around.

[Dave Hedgehog]

now that looks like a proper lambo

[Kawasicki]

Excellent. Hope it's a rabid beast.

[soad]

Very Beastly! Less weight is good too.

[405dogvan]

Jinkies, a Lambo which isn't Carbon Black, Green, Orange or covered in wrapping paper - result!

[silver surfer]

SS

Edited by silver surfer on Saturday 16th August 17:17

[405dogvan]

Am I odd or is a "Blancpain" sunstrip quite cool whilst "Instinctive Technology" written on the bonnet is - well - twee st?

Note: I find that 'Emotion - Flotation - Emulsion' st you get in Astons utterly revolting too ;0

[Goodsteed]

I'll have two.

[mclwanB]

I'll be taking the road going variant to underground racing when I win the lottery...

[TaylotS2K]

Hints of Sesto Elemento at the front/bonnet.

[Ahonen]

Oh goody, Dallara yet again.

I feel rather sorry for Hans Reiter - he's really had the rug pulled out from beneath him by Lambo.

[n4aat]

If you ever feel the need to proof read your articles before publishing them on here then please let me know.

[Mark-C]

That will absolutely epic to see at Le Mans. Sadly what will happen is the JLOC boys will bring one over, wrap it around the barriers a few time in qualifying, patch it together and get a waiver from the ACO to start, pit after one lap and never get out again ...