Starting as a mechanics apprentice in the late 1960s, balboni rose to become the companys chief test driver for. Balboni, the retired lamborghini test driver, took to the track in the drako gte electric super car. Or, indeed, lamborghinis legendary gun driver valentino balboni. Valentino balboni is lamborghinis recently retired test driver, a man who worked under ferrucio. Gallardo is best sold lamborghini of all the times. Watch former lamborghini test driver valentino balboni. Aug 09, 2016 longtime lamborghini test driver valentino balboni has formed a new tuning firm focused on the supercars churned out of santagata bolognese.
Fresh from full groundup restoration, managed by famed lamborghini miura test driver, valentino balboni and leading miura restoration specialists, cremonini classic. Aug 25, 2010 see instrumented test results and photos, and read about the 2010 lamborghini gallardo lp5502 valentino balboni at car and driver. Valentino balboni was one of lamborghinis test drivers for 40 years. Sep 19, 2017 16 questions with valentino balboni, former test driver for lamborghini. I got a clue quite how different balboni was back in 2001, when i dropped in at lamborghini to have a go in their diablo gt. Feb 29, 2020 the former lamborghini test driver is impressed by the incredible power and amazing control. Famous lamborghini test driver bob wallace passed away. Watch lamborghini test driver valentino balboni take the. Valentino balboni once hid from the police inside lamborghini. He is the former chief test driver of automobili lamborghini spa. Lamborghini gallardo lp5502 valentino balboni 2009. Feb 26, 2020 drako gte electric supercar gets a shakedown with former lamborghini test driver. May 18, 2015 valentino balboni was never just another test driver. Or, indeed, lamborghini s legendary gun driver valentino balboni.
Valentino balboni, the man formerly in charge of tracking lamborghinis for a living, had good things to say about. Legendary lambo test driver valentino balboni starts. Valentino balboni, the man formerly in charge of tracking lamborghinis for. The man who developed lamborghinis supercars for 40 years talks about the. Jul 24, 2017 valentino balboni was one of lamborghinis test drivers for 40 years. Hes possibly the last person id have expected to bump into at the launch of an electric hypercar. Watch lamborghini test driver valentino balboni take the urus. Drako asked former lamborghini factory test driver, valentino balboni, to talk about the gtes ontrack prowess, and he says there is a lot of enjoyment to be had driving it quickly around a. The italian gathering will celebrate its 10th year with one of the biggest names in lamborghini. Lamborghini gallardo pays homage to longtime test driver. Catching up with valentino balboni, the man who was chief test driver at lamborghini for 40 years.
So whats the balboni bit about in the lamborghini gallardo lp5502 valentino balboni name. The man who developed lamborghini s supercars for 40 years talks about the past and future of highperformance cars. Watch lamborghini test driver valentino balboni take the urus off. Balboni, even though officially retired as chief test driver, has signed a twoyear contract with lamborghini as a consultant through 2010 that can be renewed multiple times. In case youre not sure what all the drama is about, valentino balboni spent four decades as a test driver for lamborghini. Drako gte electric supercar gets a shakedown with former. In the 1980s, balboni was the only test driver who was simultaneously employed in prototype development, production and customer service at lamborghini. Why the miura is the greatest lamborghini ever made.
Jan 23, 2019 valentino balboni worked at lamborghini for about 40 years and was the companys chief test driver for many years, during which he drove just about all of santagata bologneses raging bulls. Lamborghini test driver valentino balboni on the worlds greatest job. The powerful v10 engine makes it easy to perform controlled oversteer, naturally within the limits of the drivers abilities. Valentino balboni drives the bosss countach hemmings. Oct 19, 2015 as a child, i cared nothing for cars designed before i was born. Meeting the legenadry lamborghini test driver valentino balboni june 14, 2017 for thirty minutes i got to chat with valentino about his passion for the brand and get some insight into the man. Feb 26, 2020 balboni, the retired lamborghini test driver, took to the track in the drako gte electric super car. Meeting the legenadry lamborghini test driver valentino. Ferrari s dario benuzzi is a pretty slick dude but also a rather more polished act than balboni a bit more designer shades. Lamborghini murcielago with 415,000km on the clock is the ultimate daily driver.
Featuring valentino balboni driving the 1986 countach qv downdraft gla12997, made specially for the ceo of lamborghini at the time, patrick mimran. Aug 30, 2016 lamborghini test driver valentino balboni on the worlds greatest job. Retired testdriver and brand ambassador valentino balboni. With only 250 cars made, it is one of the more rare of the gallardo line.
Valentino balboni born may 1949 is the former chief test driver of lamborghini, a manufacturer of sports cars in italy. Drako gte ev lamborghini valentino balboni test drive. Lamborghini test driver valentino balboni by matthias pfannmueller coterie press are pleased and excited to have put together a special deal with swiss publisher hubelhouse, and author matthias pfannmuller to copublish in the usa the book the best job in the world. V alentino balboni was born on may, 1949 in casumaro, italy, less than 7 miles from ferruccio lamborghinis birthplace. Valentino balboni hits the track with drako gte electric. A man filled with passion for cars, balboni tells his careers story from the beginning how he chose to work for the exotic. He worked for automobili lamborghini, and for over four decades spent most of his time behind the steering wheel. In fact, for several of those years he was the test driver.
Famed lamborghini test driver valentino balboni explains that and more. Feb 28, 2020 drako asked former lamborghini factory test driver, valentino balboni, to talk about the gtes ontrack prowess, and he says there is a lot of enjoyment to be had driving it quickly around a. Lamborghini is paying tribute to its longtime test driver, valentino balboni, by putting his name on a limited run of rearwheeldrive gallardos. Ferruccio lamborghini was always close to the test drivers and he used us to demonstrate the potential and attitudes of the car.
Valentino balboni was never just another test driver. The lamborghini gallardo lp5502 valentino balboni is the secondquickest lamborghini ever, and the 16thquickest production car weve tested. Over the course of a few years, balboni grew among the ranks in lamborghini and in september 1973, valentino balboni was given a black miura sv super veloce a car that most of us can only dream of driving. He was always the coolest of the italian test drivers. The former lamborghini test driver is impressed by the incredible power and amazing control. The powerful v10 engine makes it easy to perform controlled oversteer, naturally within the limits of the driver s abilities.
Watch former lamborghini test driver valentino balboni speak. Lamborghini test driver valentino balboni on the worlds. Longtime lamborghini test driver valentino balboni has formed a new tuning firm focused on the supercars churned out of santagata bolognese. The incredible story of valentino balboni classic driver. Performance the first modern rearwheel drive lamborghini. Famed lamborghini test driver valentino balboni loves porsches. Together they offer the most exclusive gallardo ever. Valentino balboni is one of the most significant figures in lamborghinis history. Lamborghini gallardo lp5502 valentino balboni instrumented test. Its superlative handling and roadholding and its driving assistance systems make the gallardo lp 5502 valentino balboni an extremely safe super sports car.
V alentino balboni was born on may, 1949 in casumaro, italy, less than 7 miles from ferruccio lamborghinias birthplace. Jun 14, 2017 meeting the legenadry lamborghini test driver valentino balboni june 14, 2017 for thirty minutes i got to chat with valentino about his passion for the brand and get some insight into the man. Valentino balboni lamborghini aventador svj exhaust. These 50 books have a signed and numbered book plate on page 3 set alongside the image of valentinos lamborghini employee pass. When balboni retired from active test driving and took on a role as brand ambassador in 2010, the company honored him by naming a. Lamborghini test driver valentino balboni standard edition. See instrumented test results and photos, and read about the 2010 lamborghini gallardo lp5502 valentino balboni at car and driver. Lamborghini test driver started as a garage gofer lamborghinis longtime chief test driver, valentino balboni, tells how he landed a dream job wheeling supercars. Serving the company for over 40 years, he is regarded as one of the best lamborghinias experts in the world. After going upstairs, balboni was faced with ferruccio lamborghini, bob wallacelamborghinis first chief test driver, a new zealander whod been hired away from maseratis race team and a man. Valentino balboni was present at the 2017 pebble beach concours and signed 50 copies of his landmark book best job in the world that had been released in 2015. Oct 19, 2015 famed lamborghini test driver valentino balboni explains that and more.
Drako with 1,200 horsepower, balboni found a lot to love. The gallardo lp 5502 valentino balboni edition is a rather special vehicle because it gets its name from the lamborghini test driver. Lamborghini gallardo valentino balboni technical specifications. Lamborghini test driver valentino balboni on the worlds greatest job dw burnett puppyknuckles valentino balboni may be retired from his day job, but hes not slowing down. As lamborghinis longtime test driver, he got some time behind the wheel of lamborghini ceo patrick mimrans countach when it was new and again, more recently, with filmmaker ben bertucci along for the ride. Well i never, if it isnt valentino balboni, the legendary lamborghini test driver. Valentino balboni worked at lamborghini for about 40 years and was the companys chief test driver for many years, during which he drove just about all of santagata bologneses raging bulls. Oct 18, 2018 after going upstairs, balboni was faced with ferruccio lamborghini, bob wallacelamborghinis first chief test driver, a new zealander whod been hired away from maseratis race team and a man. How a lamborghini test driver used the factory to flee the. In his 40 years of service with lamborghini, there should be a lot of anecdotes about the former chief test driver, valentino balboni. Famous lamborghini test driver bob wallace passed away the.
Starting as a mechanics apprentice in the late 1960s, balboni rose to become the companys chief test driver for decades, wringing out every. Apr, 2020 well i never, if it isnt valentino balboni, the legendary lamborghini test driver. In a test drive of the lp 5502 valentino balboni, the test driver bearing the name of the car said he was against egear because it takes some amount of vehicle control away from the driver, and allwheel drive lamborghinis from the beginning, and the company was divided over awd cars. The vehicles sporty temperament is emphasized by the characteristic white and gold. Balboni is synonymous with lamborghini testing and as a way of saying thank you lamborghini created the gallardo lp5502 valentino balboni. Valentino balboni takes the lamborghini urus off road. Giles meyrick meets lamborghini chief test driver valentinoi balboni at the silverstone classic where they chat about the argument between. Lamborghini gallardo lp5502 valentino balboni first test. Valentino balboni was never just another testdriver.
Coterie press will be the exclusive importer of this very. I got a note the other day that valentino balboni would be in town this week for an annual lamborghini rally with gotham dream cars. Drako gte electric supercar gets a shakedown with former lamborghini test driver. Serving the company for over 40 years, he is regarded as one of the best lamborghinis experts in the world. Lamborghini test driver valentino balboni standard. Drako asked former lamborghini factory test driver, valentino balboni, to talk about the gtes ontrack prowess, and he says there is a lot of enjoyment to be had driving it quickly around a circuit. Meeting the legenadry lamborghini test driver valentino balboni.
Jan 28, 2019 valentino balboni is one of the most significant figures in lamborghini s history. The lamborghini countach driven by valentino balboni youtube. Former lamborghini test driver valentino balboni tries out. This was the first time he was given the complete free command of a lamborghini as a test driver. Legendary lambo test driver valentino balboni starts tuning firm. He became the face of the brand and an ambassador for lamborghini.
Longtime lamborghini test driver valentino balboni has formed a new tuning firm focused on the supercars churned out of santagata. He retired in october 2008 due to italian government work regulations, after having served the company for 40 years. Design inspired by the house of the raging bulls legendary test driver. Delivered new to italy where it resided for nearly its entire life. Watch the drako gte ev benchmarking against a tesla model s. Fans of the raging bull know balboni by heart, as the veteran. The story of when valentino balboni hid from the police. Highlights fresh from full groundup restoration, managed by famed lamborghini miura test driver, valentino balboni and leading miura restoration specialists, cremonini classic restoration works totalling nearly 300,000. How a lamborghini test driver used the factory to flee the cops. As lamborghini s longtime test driver, he got some time behind the wheel of lamborghini ceo patrick mimrans countach when it was new and again, more recently, with filmmaker ben bertucci along for the ride. The original supercar, the lamborghini miura delivered new to italy where it resided for nearly its entire life finished in the timelessly elegant colour.
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