Holden’s well known European campaign during the 1980s is fairly well documented, but 20-years later, the HSV Clubsport was used as a base to take on the likes of Mercedes, BMW, Jaguar and Audi in the Italian-based International Superstars Series.
Badged as a Chevrolet Lumina CSV CR8, it was more than competitive against the prestigious names it was up against with Grand Prix winner Johnny Herbert behind the wheel during the 2010 season wearing 05 of of course.
Superstars was a series for initially four-door luxury sports models, but allowed coupes in later. Variants such as the BMW M3, Jaguar XFR, Audi RS4 and RS5, Cadillac CTS-V, Chrysler 300C SRT-8, Maserati Quattroporte, Mercedes C63 AMG, Porsche Panamera and Lexus ISF all competed on-track during the series existence.
Debuted during the 2008 season by Maurer Motorsport and Maria de Villota at Valencia for Round 5, the Chevrolet failed to take the start.
Regulations for Superstars ensured many production components remained including the body, while aerodynamics were added and the mighty 6.2-litre LS3 V8 engine lightly settled for racing application.
It was set to be one of three Lumina CSV CR8s to feature on the grid, but the program soon transferred to Motorzone Race Car for the 2009 season.
Fabrizio Armetta used the Chevrolet for the second half of the season and it was a less than successful after finishing a best of 13th from six races, which included five failures to finish.
Development during the off-season was fruitful as the team expanded to three Luminas and stepped up its attack by signing Herbert for the series.
Herbert contested the International Superstars Series and scored seventh in the title after scoring the Chevrolet’s first podium at Imola and winning in South Africa where the final round was run at Kyalami.
Armetta returned to front Motorzone Race Car’s attack after Herbert departed and scored just two top 10 finishes in a limited program to finish 20th in the 2011 series.
In response, the Chevrolet enters were taken on by Solaris Motorsport fronted by Francesco Sini.
A large development phase was undertaken to make the Lumina CSV CR8 a competitive prospect again.
Sini proved the point by scoring two podiums and a victory to end the year fourth in the title, but Solaris was shifting its effort towards a new model. The Camaro.
The 2013 season proved to be last for Superstars and Sini used the Camaro for most of the season displaying the direction the team were going in.
A podium for Sini at Imola as a fill-in for his Camaro proved the package was still competitive, but the Superstars Series was in trouble and financial difficulties forced its closure at the end of the 2013 season.
Replacing it for 2014 was the EuroV8 Series ahead of a new promotor for the next season, but this proved the last hurrah.
Solaris put the Lumina to good use, with drivers Domenico Schiattarella and Giovanni Berton scoring five podiums across the season before it all came to an end.
Planned to be re-named the SuperTouringSeries and promoted by Daniele Audetto, but it never eventuated.
It closed a largely unknown chapter in Holden’s European history.