Shanghai Kicks Off the Fifth Season of Super Trofeo Asia
Six new Chinese drivers lined up alongside returning veterans when the Lamborghini Blancpain Super Trofeo Asia series opened its fifth season at the Shanghai International Circuit in May 2016. Lamborghini says this marked the eighth time the series visited Shanghai, a frequency that reveals more about the company’s priorities in China than any corporate strategy deck could. With the weather improving after wet qualifying rounds the day before, teams were able to fit slick tires and line up under overcast but dry conditions.
The weekend also introduced the Lamborghini Cup class, a new entry tier designed specifically for gentleman drivers unfamiliar with the Squadra Corse format. Owners who want competitive wheel-to-wheel racing in identical Huracán Super Trofeo cars but need a structured environment before mixing it up with the AM and PRO AM regulars now have an on-ramp. Podium celebrations for these newcomers reportedly drew as much attention from the paddock crowd as the overall results, exactly the kind of community energy a one-make series needs to sustain itself.
On track, the racing delivered genuine drama. Race 1 saw Toshiyuki Ochiai (Japan) and Afiq Yazid (Malaysia) recover from sixth to win after qualifying fourth, while Chinese pairing Li Chao and Zhang Da Sheng finished second. In Race 2, Li and Zhang reversed the script entirely, climbing from seventh to take the top step. Lin Yu and Zhang Wen He claimed the inaugural Lamborghini Cup class win in Race 1, with Wang Liang and Yang Yuan winning the class in Race 2. The grid featured drivers from Japan, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, India, Malaysia, Italy, Hong Kong, and China, a genuinely multinational field for a regional series.
The Strategic Logic Behind Gentleman Racing
A one-make racing series is, at its core, a customer retention and brand loyalty machine, and the Shanghai opener illustrated why Lamborghini keeps investing in the format. The company launched the Super Trofeo concept in 2009 as its first dedicated one-make championship. The series now operates across three continental championships in Europe, Asia, and North America, each feeding into an annual World Final that crowns a global champion.
The business case is straightforward. An owner who buys a Huracán Super Trofeo and commits to a season of racing becomes deeply embedded in the Lamborghini ecosystem. They interact with Squadra Corse engineers, travel to circuits across the region, and build relationships with other owners who share the same obsession. That level of engagement converts casual buyers into lifelong brand advocates far more effectively than any showroom event.
For the Asian market specifically, the calculus is even more compelling. Lamborghini celebrated its tenth anniversary in China in 2015, and the consistent scheduling of races at Chinese circuits like Shanghai reflects a deliberate effort to cultivate motorsport culture where the luxury car market is still maturing. Adding six new Chinese drivers to the 2016 grid, many of them described as old friends and fellow gentlemen drivers who enjoy the thrill of competition, was a tangible step rather than a talking point.
The Huracán Super Trofeo: Purpose-Built for Owner Racing
The car at the center of this community is no lightly modified road car. The Huracán LP620-2 Super Trofeo is derived from the road-going Huracán LP610-4 but engineered around a fundamentally different philosophy. Power comes from a naturally aspirated 5.2L V10 delivering 620 horsepower, paired with a rear-wheel-drive layout that strips away the road car’s all-wheel-drive system. Dry weight sits at 1,270 kg, producing a weight-to-power ratio of 2.05 kg per horsepower.
The rear-wheel-drive configuration is a deliberate choice. Drivers who learn to manage traction and oversteer in the Super Trofeo develop skills that translate directly to higher GT racing classes, where rear-drive is standard. According to one source, the car uses a 6-speed sequential gearbox with Marelli electrical actuation, while braking components come from Brembo and PFC. Driver aids include racing ABS with 12 positions and traction control with 9 positions, giving competitors meaningful setup latitude without removing the safety net entirely.
Lamborghini does not publicly disclose the full cost of a Super Trofeo season. What is clear from the series structure is that the investment covers far more than a race car: engineering support, logistics, hospitality, and access to a global network of fellow enthusiasts come bundled into the experience.
Where Super Trofeo Fits in Lamborghini’s Racing Ambitions
Lamborghini is not alone in recognizing that customer racing programs build brand equity. Ferrari runs the Challenge series, and Porsche operates the Carrera Cup, both well-established one-make championships with global reach. What distinguishes the Super Trofeo is its explicit focus on the gentleman driver pathway, particularly the new Lamborghini Cup class, which lowers the barrier to entry for owners who want to race but lack formal motorsport experience.
The broader trajectory is worth watching. According to Autoblog, Lamborghini debuted the Temerario GT3 at the 2025 Goodwood Festival of Speed as the company’s first competition car fully designed, developed, and built in-house. That capability signals a more ambitious motorsport future, one where the lessons learned from a decade of Super Trofeo operations, including managing amateur driver programs across three continents, directly inform how Lamborghini approaches professional GT racing.
The Super Trofeo series itself replaced its original Gallardo-based cars with the Huracán platform in 2015, and the later EVO2 variant continued the evolution. Each generational step refined the balance between accessibility for amateur drivers and genuine competitive credibility. The next round of the 2016 Asia series was scheduled for Suzuka in Japan, marking the first time the championship would visit that legendary circuit and adding another prestige venue to the calendar.
For LamboCars readers considering the gentleman racer path, the practical takeaway from Shanghai is this: the Super Trofeo is designed as an ecosystem, not just a race weekend. Lamborghini provides the car, the engineering infrastructure, and the community. The question is whether you want to be a spectator or a participant.
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