The Italian brand is set to retire its Huracan GT3 and introduce an all-new car, the Temerario.
Lamborghini’s acting motorsport boss Rouven Mohr revealed the change at this year’s Lamborghini Super Trofeo World Finals.
The car will debut in 2026 and Lamborghini has already teased the car’s look with an illustrated silhouette. Testing is set to begin early next year.
Crucially, the car will be powered by a 4.0-litre twin-turbocharged V8, leaving the Audi R8 LMS among the last V10-powered cars in GT3 racing.
The Audi R8 and Lamborghini Huracan are powered by the same Audi-built V10 engine.
Despite the homologation of the R8 LMS GT3 extending to 2030 and the Huracan GT3 set to expire in 2029, it stands to reason that both will fall out of favour among customers.
The Huracan will be replaced and Audi has ended its factory GT3 program and effectively shuttered its customer racing program, which offers basic supply of spare parts.
That’s a result of Audi committing to Formula 1 with Sauber.
The last road-going R8 rolled off the Bollinger Hofe production line in Germany earlier this year, and Audi shows no sign of making a successor to the iconic sports car.
As it stands, the Audi R8 LMS is the oldest GT3 car currently homologated through to 2030. Parts supply will continue until 2032.
Turbocharged engines have become popular among the top GT3 manufacturers. Aston Martin moved away from the V12 in favour of a turbocharged V8 in the Vantage.
Ferrari also ditched its N/A V8-powered 458 when it moved to the V6 turbo 488.
BMW last used a naturally aspirated engine in the Z4 but moved to a turbo V8 with the M6 and then a turbocharged inline-six for the M4.
There are just a handful of naturally aspirated GT3 cars currently homologated, and that list looks like it’ll get even more truncated soon.
Lexus and Mercedes are also set to introduce new cars. The exact specifications of those cars are up in the air. If the road-going Mercedes-AMG Couple is anything to go by, then the next-gen GT3 car will turbocharged.
The new GT3-spec Lexus has been spied with a turbocharged V8. Surprisingly, the road-going version of that car hasn’t been glimpsed yet.
Current FIA GT3 homologation cycle
- Audi R8 LMS GT3 2015–2030
- BMW M4 GT3 2022–2029
- Callaway Corvette C7 GT3-R 2016-2026
- Mercedes-AMG GT3 2016–2029
- Porsche 911 GT3 R 2010–2024
- Porsche 911 GT3 R 991 2016–2025
- Porsche 911 GT3 R 991 II 2019–2028
- Porsche 911 GT3 R 992 2022–2030
- Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT3 2019–2031
- Bentley Continental GT3 2018–2025
- Ford Mustang GT3 2024–2031
- McLaren 720S GT3 2019–2029
- Ferrari 458 GT3 2011–2024
- Ferrari 488 GT3 2016–2028
- Ferrari 296 GT3 2023–2030
- Lamborghini Huracan GT3 EVO II 2022–2029
- Nissan GT-R Nismo GT3 2012–2026
- Nissan GT-R Nismo GT3 2018–2030
- Lexus RC F GT3 2017–2030
- Acura NSX GT3 2017–2028
- Corvette Z06 GT3.R 2023–2030
Discussion about this post