The first V12 race car in Lamborghini’s history was the Miura Jota from the Seventies, albeit not an official factory model, the Jota has kept her place in history, even if she was crashed and lost, only to have a tribute replica built by Piet Pulford on chassis #3033. After the original Miura Jota it would take several decades for Lamborghini to create a bespoke track car with a V12 engine ultimately this would be the Diablo SV-R, later on, replaced by the Diablo GT-R, both of which raced in bespoke one-make championships.

When the Murciélago replaced the Diablo in 2001 it took a few years for a Murciélago R-GT to be created, this time a true GT1 race car that was entered in racing all over the world to compete with cars from other makes and then the V10 cars were used for the Lamborghini Super Trofeo series, first with the Gallardo, later on with the Huracan there was also a Gallardo GT3 model and now a Huracan GT3 that’s entered in competition between other makes, but until today a V12 circuit monster wasn’t made anymore.

Performance

In comes the Lamborghini Essenza SC-V12, the new limited edition track-only hypercar developed by Lamborghini’s in-house racing department, Squadra Corse, and featuring a design from the Centro Stile studio only 40 of these SC-V12 will be built, and their owners will become members of an exclusive club with access to bespoke programs in 2021, probably as a supporting race during the Super Trofeo season.

The engine’s 830 hp comes from a RAM system to lift power during high speed, the thundering exhaust has been created in collaboration with Capristo, power is transmitted to the drivetrain via an X-trac sequential gearbox in a rear-wheel drive-only setup, the power-to-weight ratio of 1.66 hp/kg is achieved thanks to the use of a carbon-fiber tub without integrated roll cage developed with FIA prototype safety rules in mind.

Pirelli tires on 19 and 20-inch magnesium wheels to the front and rear hide a Brembo Motorsport developed brake system, while the aerodynamic shape of the Essenza SC-V12 creates 1,200 kg of downforce at 250 Km/h, that’s more than the current GT3 cars.

The special steering wheel was inspired by F1 racing, it incorporates a display and all necessary controls so the driver does not have to let go of the wheel while being seated in a carbon fiber OMP racing seat, fully homologated by the FIA.

Design

This extreme race car features a unique design focused on aerodynamics, lightweight construction, and pure driving performance. Here are some key design elements of the Essenza SCV12:

1. Aerodynamics: The Essenza SCV12’s bodywork is sculpted to optimize aerodynamics, increasing downforce and stability at high speeds. Its prominent front splitter, large rear wing, and aggressive rear diffuser work in tandem to generate significant downforce, rivaling that of a GT3 race car.
2. Lightweight construction: The SCV12 uses a carbon fiber monocoque chassis, which not only provides structural rigidity but also reduces overall weight. This enhances the car’s performance, handling, and agility on the track.
3. Powertrain: At its heart, the Essenza SCV12 features a naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12 engine, capable of producing over 830 horsepower. It is paired with a 6-speed sequential transmission and a rear-wheel-drive layout to provide a pure, unfiltered driving experience.
4. Exterior design: The Essenza SCV12’s design is striking and aggressive, reflecting its performance-oriented nature. Sharp lines, large air intakes, and Y-shaped LED headlights all contribute to the car’s distinctive appearance. The car also features Lamborghini’s signature hexagonal design motifs throughout the exterior.
5. Interior: The cockpit is purpose-built for track performance, with minimalist design elements to reduce weight and distractions for the driver. It features an FIA-approved racing seat, a multi-functional steering wheel inspired by Formula 1 cars, and a digital dashboard displaying essential information for the driver.

Production

The 40 Essenza SC-V12 will be sold to an elite group of customers that will become part of a new, exclusive club that offers the storage of these cars at the factory in Sant’Agata, with 24h day video surveillance, when the track calendar starts in 2021 the cars will be transported to the various FIA Grade 1 circuits, assisted by the official Squadra Corse technical staff, the owners will be able to drive their cars on the track, helped out by professional drivers.

There is no official indication yet on pricing, but don’t expect this exclusive, track-only V12 hypercar to come cheap but will these 40 customer cars be the end of the line for this model, or has the Essenza SC-V12 been created with the FIA World Endurance Championship in mind, they are adding a hypercar class (that replaces the LMP) for the 2020/2021 season it would make perfect sense.

Specification

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But Lamborghini’s Chief Technical Officer wasn’t talking about a hybrid in Geneva, he said it would be a final version using the well-known 6.5 liter, naturally aspirated V12 engine … so could he be talking about an Aventador SVR then?

In early October motor1.com publishes an article that sheds some more light onto the matter, a user on a forum mentioned he spec’d his Sián at the factory … and got to see the Aventador SVR (which he also ordered by the way), an 830hp track-only version of the Aventador SVJ, highly limited as only 40 units would be made with deliveries starting in 2021.

That would mean the less restricted V12 engine would deliver 60 hp more compared to the SVJ, and with no limitations to safety for road use, we could get some pretty wild styling on this one, remember the SC18 is still legal on the open road … but the Sesto Elemento wasn’t … so we might see a V12 incarnation of that one in the near future.

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Lamborghini’s chief of Research and Development, Maurizio Reggiani was present for this event, and he could give some amazing information on just about how special the new Huracan Performante actually is … a street legal Super Trofeo racecar that has been modified extensively compared to the regular Huracan V10 model.

The official public introduction of the Lamborghini Huracan Performante is foreseen for the 2017 Geneva Motor Show next March, and while in the Gallardo series the Superleggera and Performante labels were used for a lighter model with a slight increase in power … with the Huracan Performante we are looking at an almost completely different car altogether.

The Huracan Performante will be the first Lamborghini to bring us ALA, short for Active Lamborghini Aerodynamics, while driving the aerodynamics of this V10 can be modified to offer better cornering, handling, and high-speed stability … most of this smart system is hidden on this Raging Bull.

First up some figures on power for this new V10 model … maximum power output has been increased from 610hp to 670hp (a 10% increase) while torque went from 580Nm to 630Nm, and that extra power coupled to the active aerodynamic system makes all the difference when it comes to driving at the limit.

While cornering at high speed the aero vectoring system will shift load onto the inner wheel by changing the position of flaps at the front, axle lift is effectively countered by closing these front flaps using a fast, single electric motor.

The rear wing is another masterpiece of aerodynamic design, consisting of a hollow profile with two separate sections and narrow slots running the full width of this aerofoil … the struts are an intricate part of this system … at speed the air entering the rear wing gets compressed before it exits, creating more downforce … in the Sport setting the air flaps open to increase downforce up to 180 Km/h (112 Mph) while above 310 Km/h (193 Mph) the rear flap opens to reduce drag and offer a higher top speed.

In the Strada setting these flaps open at 70 Km/h (45 Mph) and when going faster than 310 Km/h the fins in at the front close for a reduction in lift … however, in the impressive Corsa mode the front to rear and left to right setting of the angle on these fins is constantly monitored and altered to get the optimum performance during acceleration, both lateral and longitudinal.

The Lamborghini Huracan Performante is also about 40 Kg (88 lbs) lighter compared to the standard LP610-4 model and comes with bespoke Pirelli P-Zero Corsa tires … still four-wheel drive but with a recalibrated setting for both AWD and ESP, a new, more open exhaust system, firmer suspension and an even quicker 7-speed transmission … all this results in a rumored top speed of no less than 340 Km/h (210 Mph) while acceleration from 0 to 100 Km/h will only take 2.90 seconds (compared to 325 Km/h (202 Mph) and 3.20 seconds on the Huracan LP610-4.

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The debut outing of the Lamborghini Huracán GT3 took place in April 2015 with two cars fielded by Grasser Racing Team, which quickly hit victory in the Blancpain GT Endurance Series Cup at Monza.

Today, a year later, the Huracán GT3 is ready for a global challenge: it has been chosen by more than 20 customer teams, with 40 cars competing over 78 race weekends in 13 of the most prestigious GT championships worldwide: from IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship in the United States to Asian Championships such as SuperGT, Asian Le Mans Series and GT Asia, through Europe’s major series such as Blancpain GT, ADAC GT Masters, British GT Championship, Campionato Italiano GT, International GT Open, International Endurance Series and Michelin GT3 Cup.

After making its 2016 debut in the US WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, the Huracán GT3 is now ready to hit the track in the main European GT championships.

The season starts on the weekend of April 9/10 with the Blancpain GT Sprint Cup Series at the Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli, where there will be forty cars on the grid including seven Huracán GT3s. The Grasser Racing Team will field three cars with the following driver line-up: the new members of the Lamborghini GT3 Junior Program Luca Stolz and Michele Beretta in car number 19, while behind the wheel of the # 63 will be the GT3 factory driver Mirko Bortolotti and the GT3 Junior Driver Nicolas Pohler. The number 16 will be driven by Jeroen Bleekemolen and Stefan Rosina.

Three other Lamborghini Huracán GT3s will race with German team Attempto Racing, also fielding drivers from the Lamborghini Squadra Corse GT3 Junior Program: Jeroen Mul and Max Van Splunteren will share the cockpit of the car # 100, with Daniel Zampieri and Patric Niederhauser in # 101. The third Attempto Racing Huracán GT3, number 77, will run with the former GP2 world champion Davide Valsecchi and Jack Falla on board. The Misano grid includes the X-Bionic Racing Team, with a Huracán for Cèdric Leimer, 2012 champion of the Lamborghini Blancpain Super Trofeo Europe, and Laurent Jenny.

On April 9/10, the Huracán GT3 will also debut in the Japanese Super GT series, which opens the season from Okayama. JLOC and Lamborghini Team Direction (the latter with the GT3 Factory Driver Adrian Zaugg on board) will compete in the GT300 class.

In mid-April, over the weekend of 16/17, it will be the turn of German championship ADAC GT Masters (first round in Oschersleben) and the British GT Championship, which starts at Brands Hatch. The two championships will see ten Lamborghini Huracán GT3 protagonists, eight of them in the German series fielded by the following team: Attempto Racing, Bonaldi Motorsport, Grasser Racing Team and HB Racing. In the British GT, Barwell Motorsport will race with two cars.

The following week, on April 23 and 24, two other major European series will start: the International GT Open, with the Estoril circuit hosting the first round, and the Blancpain GT Endurance Cup Series in Monza, coinciding with the first round of the Lamborghini Blancpain Super Trofeo Europe.

In the International GT Open a Lamborghini Huracán GT3 will be fielded by Orange1 Team Lazarus (with former FIA GT champion Thomas Biagi behind the wheel), while in the Blancpain Endurance series the Huracáns will be deployed by eight customer teams: Attempto Racing, Barwell Motorsport, Grasser Racing Team, Konrad Motorsport, Ombra Racing and ARC Bratislava.

The month of May will be full of competitive commitments. Over the weekend of April 30/May 1, the first round of the Italian GT Championship will be held in Monza, with four Huracán GT3s on grid from Antonelli Motorsport, Imperiale Racing and Ombra Racing. From Autodromo di Imola, on May 14/15, will start the Michelin GT3 Le Mans Cup, with a Huracán GT3 fielded by FFF Racing.

Then sees the start of the GT Asia Series and the Asian Le Mans Series. In the first, FFF Racing will field a Huracán GT3 for the duo of GT3 Junior Program drivers Andrea Amici and Edoardo Liberati. In the Asian Le Mans Series the VSR team of Vincenzo Sospiri gets on track with a Huracán GT3.

Lamborghini Squadra Corse, in accordance with its philosophy, provides technical support on track to a select group of teams, sending its expert technicians and engineers to support the Huracán GT3s in both sprint races, but especially in the endurance races, with particular attention to the 24 Hours of Spa Francorchamps (28/31 July), the 12 Hours of Sepang (9/11 December) and the two remaining American endurance races: the 6 hours of Watkins Glen (July 2/3) and the Petit Le Mans at Road Atlanta (October 1/2). It is not expected support for the Nürburgring 24 Hours at the end of May.

“The number of Huracán GT3s sold to date in the world,” commented Giorgio Sanna, Head of Lamborghini Motorsport, “demonstrates the validity of our product, which combines the needs of gentlemen drivers and professionals, consolidating the relationship between Lamborghini Squadra Corse and the customer teams that choose us. We are also pleased that several teams from the Lamborghini Blancpain Super Trofeo have decided to move on to the GT3 program, marrying our strategy regarding customer racing. We expect a very tough season and we are ready to give technical and logistical support including a spare parts service for all the championships in which we are involved, relying also on partners in US and ASIA consolidated through the Lamborghini Blancpain Super Trofeo. Last but not least, we are proud to have been able to give valuable career opportunities to our young drivers coming through our programs, thanks to the commercial success of the Huracán GT3.”

The Lamborghini Huracán GT3 in detail

The Lamborghini Huracán GT3 is the first race car developed exclusively at Sant’Agata Bolognese. Its design is based on a hybrid body shell mainly formed of aluminum and reinforced with carbon fiber components in the areas of greatest torsional stress. The body shell is equipped with a roll cage that meets FIA regulations and extends to the rear end, thus enhancing torsional stiffness. The front of the chassis has been specially modified to host a high-efficiency, centrally placed radiator for engine cooling. At the rear, modifications have been made to position the gearbox in the best possible location and significantly improve aerodynamics at the same time.

The body is crafted in composite materials (CFK, Kevlar, fiberglass), and the aerodynamics were developed together with Dallara Engineering, featuring the direct support of Gian Paolo Dallara, the company’s founder. As in the Huracán Super Trofeo, the body has a quick-connect fastening system for the body panels and high-performance radiators for engine coolant, and engine and gearbox oil.

The aerodynamics of the car have been optimized to improve air stream penetration and to maximize grip and traction in any conditions, on any type of track. Extensive development ensures extremely efficient aerodynamics, thanks in part to an adjustable rear wing, front and rear diffusers and front air intakes, which can be regulated to obtain the best set-up on any track, whatever its condition.

Special attention has naturally been paid to safety. The seat in the Lamborghini Huracán GT3 is formed from a carbon fiber shell meeting FIA specification 8862 and an OMP fire extinguishing system with seven nozzles. An additional safety feature is the roof hatch system, a device that enables rescuers to provide first aid to the driver in case of accident, through a carbon fiber panel that is easily accessed on the roof. Also provided are OMP safety belts, a fuel tank meeting FT3 specifications, and adjustable pedals.

The front and rear LEDs lighting systems are the same of the Huracán road version. What’s more, a special kit has been developed for endurance racing that features three supplementary lighting systems – one horizontally shaped unit at the center of the car’s nose, and two placed near the bottom of the bumpers.

The Huracán GT3 is powered by a naturally aspirated 90° V10 engine with a displacement of 5.2 liters and direct injection. The engine is derived from the street version of the Huracán. Electronic control is provided by a Bosch Motorsport control unit that is also responsible for data collection, traction and gearbox management, and control of the multipurpose TFT display on the instrument panel. All the electrical wiring is specifically designed for racing use, to ensure faster and easier service by technicians. Maximum power and torque can be varied to suit the type of intake restrictor that every GT championship applies to engines according to the Balance of Performance, a tool for equalizing the performance of GT cars. Also modified is the weight of the vehicle, which in the Huracán GT3’s case is 1,230 Kg (dry weight).

With rear-wheel drive, the Huracán GT3 is equipped with a Hör 6-speed sequential gearbox with three-disc racing clutch controlled by two paddles behind the steering wheel.

The brake system includes Brembo Racing discs. The front units are 380 mm in diameter and have 6-piston calipers, with 355 mm discs and 4-piston calipers at the rear. The brakes are also equipped with a supplementary cooling system for the discs and calipers. The Bosch Motorsport ABS system boasts ten positions that can be selected by the driver using a button on the steering wheel, and the same is true for the traction control adjustment, which can also be set over ten parameters to trigger the system according to road grip and degree of tire wear.

The price of the Huracán GT3 is 369,000 Euros, excluding taxes and delivery.

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He again went for a very aggressive look, complete with wide wheel arches surely inspired by the riveted look used by LB Performance on their wide body conversions, perfect to create that old-school race track look that has been gaining popularity lately.

Up front the headlights have been removed and their opening sealed to create a better airflow while the front bumper is heavily restyled and received a set of fins for increased stability at speed while a fixed rear wing is installed to keep those wide, deep dish wheels with massively wide racing slicks firmly attached to the track.

On the inside we can clearly see a roll over bar, which happens to be required for that weekend race car, track version of your Lamborghini Huracán … why not, a perfect toy to get rid of the stress of work during the week.

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This is Lamborghini’s next Blancpain Super Trofeo Series race car, the Lamborghini Huracán Super Trofeo, which will see action in Europe, Asia, and North America. Interestingly, it will share the grid with its Gallardo forbearer, but race in a different class.

Video found on the Youtube RoadandTrack channel

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Back in September 2011, at the IAA in Frankfurt, Germany Stephan Winkelmann confirmed a limited production run of only 20 units of the Lamborghini Sesto Elemento (which was unveiled as a concept a year earlier at the 2010 Paris Motor Show by the way) would be built, priced at a serious US$ 2,200,000 the Sesto Elemento would not be street legal and could only be used on track days or on private grounds. Without knowing if the actual production version would be very close to the concept or not Lamborghini still managed to sell the Sesto Elemento … in fact in late June 2012 we heard all of them were sold … but is the Sesto Elemento actually sold out ?

Construction of the concept prototype was handled by Carrozzeria Imperiale, however the production version would be manufactured at the new Prototype and Pre-Series building Automobili Lamborghini SpA inaugurated in July 2012, in fact what is believed to be the first unit of the Lamborghini Sesto Elemento production was on display at the 2012 Pebble Beach event in California.

Fast forward to May 2013 … all of a sudden a photo shows up online depicting a Sesto Elemento with totally different wheels … and a German license plate at the back while being loaded or unloaded from a transporter.

Now things are getting interesting … why would there be a license plate mounted on a car that is limited to only 20 units and isn’t street legal anyway? Is there something in the pipeline Lamborghini hasn’t mentioned yet … all the information we could get our hands on still mentions ‘for track use or on private roads only, not street legal on public road’, so there is no reason to ‘register’ the car and get a license plate right?

Also why would they change the wheels, where the full carbon wheels not up to the task and did they put alloy wheels with carbon fiber fins on the car instead? They still show a central locking nut so at least the Sesto Elemento will not run on regular five bolt wheel fixing, but still it is a strange thing … has something changed that will allow a Sesto Elemento to be registered for road use after all?

Remember back in late June 2012 a statement was made all 20 units were sold … so why put together a special VIP event at the Spring Mountain Motorsport Ranch in Nevada, USA that allows ‘possible customers’ to be a passenger in a Sesto Elemento. At first with a Lamborghini pilot behind the wheel for a few laps after which the ‘invitee’ would be able to drive himself … imagine that: actually driving a 570hp car that weighs less than 1,000 kg on a track?

Something else that captured our eye was the fact the Sesto Elemento at this event sat on street tires in some photos … if this is a track only car and you hand out a ‘test’ on an actual track why not mount racing slicks on it, that would increase cornering speed even further and impress the hell out of the drivers … the answer is simple in fact, during the day in Nevada there were three sessions for people to drive the Sesto Elemento on hand, during one of the sessions a problem with the tires came up and the entire set of wheels and tires was replaced with a different design rims … and different tires.

On the other hand, the single photo of this event that has been posted on the official Automobili Lamborghini SpA FB page shows another thing that is different between this ‘customer test’ car and the earlier concept models … take a look at the side windows … this test car has the small sliding sections we see on race cars while all the time the previous Sesto Elemento we saw had normal side windows … that wouldn’t open, but still.

So what’s the bottom line here … the Sesto Elemento is in fact still a ‘track only’ car, hence the different wheels (I suppose these are stronger) and the special side windows … but why bother with the license plate in Germany? We’ve also picked up the rumor not all 20 units have been firmly assigned yet … there are still a few available … that is why this high profile VIP event was put together in the USA, to sell the remaining $2,2 million Sesto Elemento units … still that license plate keeps lurking in the back of my mind … would there be a Sesto Elemento Strada in the pipeline?

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