JLOC Remains Non-Committal on 2027 Temerario Switch

JLOC boss Isao Noritake says that his team has still not made a final decision on which Lamborghini model it will field in SUPER GT next year, expressing a desire to continue running at least one example of the Huracan GT3 EVO2.

Noritake was speaking ahead of last weekend’s Motegi season-closing double-header, where Takashi Kogure and ex-Formula 1 driver Daniil Kvyat rounded off the year with a first victory for the team in two years, jumping up to fourth in the GT300 standings.

Factory support of the Huracan was initially expected to end after 2026 amid Lamborghini transitioning to the Temerario GT3 that debuted this year in Europe and North America, but the Italian marque’s motorsport boss Andrea Reggiani recently confirmed that support for the Huracan will also continue in 2027.

Against that backdrop, JLOC has the option of continuing to use two examples of the Huracan, as well as a split effort with one Huracan and one Temerario.

“I’m heading to Italy next week for some meetings,” Noritake told Sportscar365. “I suppose that’s when we’ll figure things out — I’m sure Lamborghini has its own thoughts as well. I want to check on the current status of the Temerario.

“There’s been a lot of noise lately regarding the BoP, but I still believe that if we run the [Huracan] according to SRO standards, it has more than enough potential.

“We’ve run this platform for a long time, and now that it’s the EVO2 version, our mechanics know it inside out. It’s a fully matured car. As for the Temerario, we’ve been in regular contact with Lamborghini about it, and it seems to be getting faster bit by bit.

“I’ll head to Italy next week to meet with them and decide on our next steps.”

Regardless of the team’s final decision, Noritake confirmed that JLOC is planning to take delivery of its first Temerario in the coming months.

“Our place in the production queue is already set,” Noritake said. “We’re definitely buying the car, the arrangements are in place, but I’m still weighting up whether we will race it.”

While technical support, including spare parts, for the Huracan will continue next year, a Lamborghini spokesperson clarified that the use of one of the marque’s factory drivers, such as Kvyat, would be contingent on the adoption of the Temerario.

Noritake was non-committal when asked if he expected Kvyat to figure in the team’s plans again in 2027, only saying: “Since he’s under contract with Lamborghini, that is something else that we will have to discuss with them.”

However, the JLOC boss was effusive in his praise of Kvyat’s performances in what was the Italian-licenced driver’s first season in GT3 competition.

“He has a natural, innate talent,” said Noritake of Kvyat. “The more he drives, the faster he gets. His lap times are incredibly consistent; it’s truly impressive.

“I wish I could have given him a better car to show what he’s capable of. I think he has been quite surprised, honestly, by the GT300 category itself, in many ways.”

For Kvyat’s part, the 32-year-old says he has not yet made a decision on his 2027 plans, but was enthusiastic about the prospect of a second year racing in Japan.

“Nothing is confirmed yet,” Kvyat told reporters last weekend. “Of course, there are things going on, but it’s still too early to talk about them.

“I love the racing in Japan, it’s very competitive here. Now I have learned all the tracks, there were many new tracks for me this year, including this one [Motegi].

“It would be great to continue here, but we will see. I need to look at all the options.”