Back in 2014, during the annual auto extravaganza that is Monterey Car Week, Lamborghini revealed the Huracan LP 620-2 Super Trofeo, a hardcore, race-ready iteration of the popular Lamborghini Huracan road car. Framed as an entry into the exciting world of GT3 racing, the Super Trofeo offers world-class performance at a relatively affordable price point. Built to spec for competition in the international one-make Lamborghini Blancpain Super Trofeo series, more than 150 examples of the Super Trofeo have sold worldwide in the three years its been on the market, with racers taking to the track in Asia, the Middle East, Europe and North America. As many as 90 cars participate in the series annually. Now, the motorsports geeks from Lamborghini Squadra Corse just released an updated version of the Super Trofeo at a special event at Sant’Agata Bolognese, and it’s got improved aerodynamics and new safety measures, all with the same Super Trofeo fun.

“As it is a single-brand series, there are no regulatory demands that mean a successful model has to be altered. But with the Evo we wanted to give our customers an even more thrilling experience at the wheel, with superior performance and improved safety,” says Lambo’s Head of Motosport, Giorgio Sanna. Lambo’s CEO Stefano Domenicali adds, “Lamborghini Squadra Corse is continuing its plan to grow and consolidate its position as a trend setter on the competition scene.” So then – is this six-figure speed toy worth the outlay?

Continue reading to learn more about the Lamborghini Huracan Super Trofeo Evo.

2018 Lamborghini Huracan Super Trofeo Evo

Specifications
  • Make: Array
  • Model: 2018 Lamborghini Huracan Super Trofeo Evo
  • Engine/Motor: V10
  • Horsepower: 620
  • Transmission: six-speed sequential
  • [do not use] Vehicle Model: Array
Pros
Cons

Official video

Exterior

As you probably expect, the Lamborghini Huracan Super Trofeo employs a good amount of carbon fiber in order to keep the car’s curb weight as low as possible. That extends to the exterior body components, all of which use the popular composite in their construction.

Of course, that’s what the last Super Trofeo got as well, so what’s new this time around?

Probably the biggest update of the whole enchilada is the aerodynamics package, which was extensively redesigned by Automobili Lamborghini and Dallara Engineering, with styling input from Lamborghini Centrol Stile as well. The overall goal was to “maintain the same high downforce of the previous model, while achieving higher overall aerodynamic efficiency and so less resistance to forward travel with improved stability.”

As such, most of the exterior design was reworked, with the only carryover components being the flat floor, front splitter, and rear diffuser. Kicking off the upgrade list is a new rear engine cover fin and upper intake component.

The fin is similar to something you might see on a Le Mans prototype car or Formula 1 car, and was designed to substantially increase lateral stability. “Lamborghini’s official development drivers, in ongoing testing of the new Huracan Super Trofeo Evo since last spring, felt a considerable increase in rear stability when taking fast bends along with a reduction in oversteering, resulting in better driving stability and faster cornering,” says Lamborghini. And, to be honest, that’s exactly what you want with amateur drivers at the helm, as high-speed rotation can often result in pricey repair bills.

Ahead of the spine-mounted fin is an airscoop, which was designed to force feed the engine extra cold air. In fact, the scoop works so well, it actually ups peak torque by 3 percent when traveling at the vehicle’s electronically limited top speed, improving upon the old design considerably. The new intake also allowed Lamborghini to redesign the rear end of the vehicle for higher levels of aerodynamic efficiency, and, as Lambo is quick to point out, the new design looks better as well.

Further upgrades include a larger “rocker cover fin” in the flanks, which helps to improve overall cooling efficiency for the radiators. In front is a brand-new bumper, which was tweaked with larger lower intakes, plus new aero side spoilers that add additional downforce in front, thus increasing overall front-end grip and sharpening turn in characteristics.

The front fenders were also made to be sharper and flatter, and now incorporate a new slit in the upper section that acts to lower aerodynamic drag.

Perched on top of the tail is the requisite adjustable rear wing, while a new spoiler designed with a flatter, larger surface is underneath. This spoiler manages to help increase downforce without adding any extra drag, while the wing is mounted on top of aluminum pillars. Despite being metal, rather than composite, the wing pillars still weigh as much as their carbon counterparts. The wing also got larger end plates, while larger ventilation elements were added as well.

The result of all this tweaking is 8 percent less drag – not bad when you consider downforce goes unchanged. Lambo also points out that customers who own the old Super Trofeo model can buy the new body kit and upgrade to the latest spec, if desired.

The livery we see in these press shots was designed at the Lamborghini Centro Stile, and uses a gray base color as a nod to a new partnership between Lambo’s performance department, Lamborghini Squadra Corse, and Roger Dubuis, a producer of high-end watches. The new partnership is slated to kick off in 2018.

Overall, we love how this thing looks. It definitely has the craziness and over-the-top aggression we’ve come to expect from the Raging Bull, all of which is greatly enhanced by the motorsport-spec aero gear. We also like the geometric shapes and angular approach, and definitely think this thing is worthy of your aesthetic approval.

Nice job, Lambo.

Interior

Inside the Lamborghini Huracan Super Trofeo, it’s all business. Any and all luxury items were ditched in favor of extracting every last tenth of performance, which means no infotainment, no superfluous materials, and lots of bare structural components. Drivers sit low in bucket seats from performance provider OMP, and grip a small, square steering wheel decked out in a variety of buttons to control various drivetrain and suspension settings. Behind the wheel is a digital readout providing all the pertinent info, across the top of which is a series of lights for razor-crisp up shifts. Racing harnesses and a roll cage round it out.

Speaking of safety gear, the new Evo model improves on the last with a new roof hatch. This component was first introduced on the Huracan GT3, and now finds its way into the Super Trofeo Evo.

Further upgrades include a new intake in the front fascia that was designed to better circulate the air coming into the cabin, thus improving ventilation and driver comfort as a result. Because if you aren’t comfortable, odds are you aren’t fast either.

Drivetrain

Providing the go in this updated Lamborghini race car is a 5.2-liter V-10. Don’t bother looking for turbos – this thing is naturally aspirated, baby. Essentially, this is the same lump of go you get with the Huracan road car, but with output uprated to a stout 620 horsepower. That’s more than you get with the LP 610 (602 horsepower) and LP 580 (572 horsepower), but a little less than the recently unveiled LP 640 Performante (632 horsepower). All those ponies are routed exclusively to the rear axle (no AWD system here, just like a proper circuit-bound race car) by way of a six-speed sequential gearbox from X-Track. As a reminder, the street car gets a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission.

Top speed for the racer is rated at 280 km/h (174 mph). This figure is substantially lower than the 200-mph Huracan street machine, but its not because of the aero – rather, the Evo is electronically limited at a buck 74.

This latest model gets updates to the mechanics and electronic systems, as well as a new exhaust that places the catalytic converters in a different location so as to improve the overall exhaust gas efficiency and lower the exhaust gas temperatures.

Thanks to the updates, the new Evo manages a substantial, measurable improvement to performance, as evidenced by lower lap times. When wheeled around the Monza race circuit, the Evo dropped as much as 1.5 seconds per lap (the previous time was 1 minute 47.8 seconds, while the new best time is 1 minute 46.3 seconds). That’s a decent development for a race car, especially when you consider the majority of the upgrades are relegated to the aero, rather than the powertrain.

Chassis And Handling

Without a doubt, the hallmark of a car like this is extensive utilization of lightweight materials, with carbon fiber employed wherever possible.

To capitalize on the handling benefits of its low, low weight, the latest Super Trofeo comes equipped with a new power steering pump, which offers up greater levels of steering assistance for improved driver feedback.

Meanwhile, drivers will get to employ several electronic aides in their quest for lower lap times. These include ABS from Bosch and traction control from Motec, with both the traction control and ABS getting as many as 10 individual settings for tuning to preference. Those settings can even be controlled from the steering wheel, which means on-the-fly adjustments as needed.

Prices

Pricing for the Lamborghini Huracan Super Trofeo Evo starts at $295,000 in the States, and 235,000 euros for customers located in Europe in Asia.

Look for the updated racer to hit the track as early as spring of 2018, with races taking place in Asia, Europe, and North America. Not only will it compete in the one-make Lamborghini Super Trofeo series, but it’ll see time in various GT series and endurance races as well.

Competition

Ferrari 488 Challenge

If it’s absurd Italian exotic performance that you’re after, but you prefer horses rather than bulls, then Ferrari has your answer. It’s called the 488 Challenge, and it was introduced in 2017 to replace the 458 as Ferrari’s one-make spec competition vehicle. Power arrives thanks to a 3.9-liter V-8 stuffed by twin turbochargers, with power rated at 661 ponies and 561 pound-feet. All of that hits the rear axle through a seven-speed F1-style dual-clutch transmission. Pricing is set at around $300,000.

Read our full review on the Ferrari 488 Challenge.

Porsche 911 GT3 Cup

Of course, Porsche is no stranger to the track either, and Stuttgart’s latest race-bred machine is known as the 911 GT3 Cup. Mounted way out back is a 3.8-liter flat six-cylinder engine, which was turbocharged to produce 460 horsepower through a six-speed sequential dog box transmission. Aluminum calipers and oversized rotors haul it down, while an enormous wing in the rear keeps the tail planted at speed. Pricing is bit less expensive than the Lambo and Ferrari, starting at $213,000.

Read our full review on the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup..

Conclusion

Improvement in motorsport is often a matter of very small increments. Even shaving off a few tenths of a second can make all the difference between glory and running as a backmarker. That’s why it isn’t surprising Lambo was so conservative with this latest update to its spec-series racer.

Granted, “conservative” is pretty subjective in this case. The aero upgrades seem rather extensive, but for a full update, we might have expected some engine tuning and suspension tweaks as well.

That said, a new aero package makes a lot of sense, at least financially. Consider the current Super Trofeo owners – if Lambo decided to ditch the old suspension set-up, they’d be left out in the cold for the new season. Rather, an upgrade with a new body kit is a relatively easy fix by comparison.

Either way, this gentleman racer remains a hot pick for those with enough coin to swing it. Look out, Ferrari.

References

Lamborghini Huracan

Read our full review on the Lamborghini Huracan.

Huracan LP 620-2 Super Trofeo

Read our full review on the Huracan LP 620-2 Super Trofeo.

Lamborghini Huracan GT3

Read our full review on the Lamborghini Huracan GT3.

Ferrari 488 Challenge

Read our full review on the Ferrari 488 Challenge.

Porsche 911 GT3 Cup

Read our full review on the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup.