Squadra Corse hypercar – Lamborghini’s Le Mans 2021 challenger?

Officially the new Lamborghini Squadra Corse machine, with an 819bhp V12 and due for release next year, is a car for the track but not for racing – at present there are no races it could take part in. But that is due to change with the new hypercar class at le Mans in 2021.

As a track-only car available in limited numbers and based around a production model – in the manner of Ferrari’s FXX, McLaren’s GTR or Aston Martin’s AMR Pro – the newest Lambo is aimed at wealthy collectors after the ultimate track-day thrills. But speculation is mounting that a version of the car you see here could line up on the Le Mans grid in 2020 for the supercar showdown to end them all.

The images show a car dramatically different car from the Aventador with a bespoke body and very aggressive aerodynamics clearly aimed at best track performance. Dual air intakes on the bonnet, an airscoop on the roof and competition-grade rear wing all feature.

The track Lambo is based around a carbon-fibre monocoque with aluminium front section and steel subframe housing the 6.5-litre, naturally-aspirated V12 engine. Rear suspension arms are fitted directly to the six-speed sequential Xtrac transmission, giving it a load bearing role for what Lambo says is a significant improvement in the stiffness to weight ratio. The differential is a mechanical self-locking type that the driver can adjust for different circuits.

The tantalising glimpse of Lamborghini’s track future was revealed at the Lamborghini Super Trofeo World Finals in Jerez de la Frontera, alongside a second new Squadra Corse model, the Urus ST-X – what Lamborghini calls the first super-SUV in the world of racing. The  specially lightened machine with twin-turbo V8 will take to the track for the first time

during the Super Trofeo World Finals in Misano Adriatico next summer, driven by  nine-time Motocross champion Tony Cairoli.

While track driving is an integral part of Lamborghini these days, historically the marque eschewed motorsport, unlike its great rivals down the road in Maranello. It now embraces the sport via the Super Trofeo one-make race series and support for customer teams in the GT3 class. Lamborghini chiefs have gone on the record to say they are considering the new hypercar class at Le Mans with a view to entering it with a factory-backed car, which would be a first.

The first racing Lambo at Le Mans was actually the privately-entered Murciélago R-GT which took on Aston Martin DBR9s, Corvette C6.Rs and Ferrari 550 GTSs in the LM GT1 class in 2006. It was unranked at race end, in contrast to more recent times when the Huracan GT3 has proved successful at La Sarthe.

Murcielago image courtesy of Motorsport Images.