Oct 19, 2015 why the miura is the greatest lamborghini ever made. Legendary lambo test driver valentino balboni starts tuning firm. Fans of the raging bull know balboni by heart, as the veteran. Feb 26, 2020 drako gte electric supercar gets a shakedown with former lamborghini test driver. He became the face of the brand and an ambassador for lamborghini. Lamborghini gallardo pays homage to longtime test driver. Well i never, if it isnt valentino balboni, the legendary lamborghini test driver. Valentino balboni hits the track with drako gte electric. 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.
A ride with the legendary test driver it was rather a shock for us to bump into lamborghini s former mule punisher at the launch of the drako gte electric car. Its superlative handling and roadholding and its driving assistance systems make the gallardo lp 5502 valentino balboni an extremely safe super sports car. Legendary lambo driver balboni tames drako gte hyper ev on track. 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. Partly its that lamborghini has had the guts to allow its retired chief test driver to create the car he wants, but more than that its what this car. Starting as an intern with the car company, he moved his way up to test driver. Valentino balboni lamborghini aventador svj exhaust. Lamborghini testdriver balboni to attend italian gathering. Back in 2009 it launched the gallardo lp5502 balboni, which, if ive got my sums right, was the first rear wheel drive lamborghini. Watch lamborghini test driver valentino balboni take the. Valentino balboni vintage lamborghini 400gt youtube. Valentino balboni was one of lamborghinis test drivers for 40 years.
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. Valentino balboni takes the lamborghini urus off road. In fact, for several of those years he was the test driver. Hes possibly the last person id have expected to bump into at the launch of an electric hypercar. 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. V alentino balboni was born on may, 1949 in casumaro, italy, less than 7 miles from ferruccio lamborghinis birthplace. Ferruccio lamborghini was always close to the test drivers and he used us to demonstrate the potential and attitudes of the car.
Lamborghini gallardo lp5502 valentino balboni first test. Watch former lamborghini test driver valentino balboni. Watch lamborghini test driver valentino balboni take the urus off. He started at lamborghini sweeping floors, and worked his way up to be the chief test driver for the company. Starting as an intern with the car company, he moved his way up to test driver, driving more lamborghinis. Valentino balboni is a retired lamborghini test driver. Valentino balboni is the former chief test driver for lamborghini, but he retired in october 2008 after 40 years of work in lamborghini. Serving the company for over 40 years, he is regarded as one of the best lamborghinias experts in the world. 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. Jul 25, 2017 the name valentino balboni might not ring any bells unless youre a diehard lamborghini fan. Longtime lamborghini test driver valentino balboni has formed a new tuning firm focused on the supercars churned out of santagata bolognese.
Nov 05, 2011 lamborghini lp5704 superleggera action drive with valentino balboni. Valentino balboni celebrating the most iconic test driver. Balboni was the chief test driver for lamborghini for years, after getting his start as a mechanic. In the 1980s, balboni was the only test driver who was simultaneously employed in prototype development, production and customer service at lamborghini. He worked for automobili lamborghini, and for over four decades spent most of his time behind the steering wheel. Valentino balboni celebrating the most iconic test driver in the world it was april 21 st 1968 when valentino balboni first clocked on, as an apprentice, at the lamborghini workshop. Lamborghini test driver valentino balboni standard edition.
Starting as a mechanics apprentice in the late 1960s, balboni rose to become the companys chief test driver for. He is the former chief test driver of automobili lamborghini spa. Meeting the legenadry lamborghini test driver valentino balboni. A ride with the legendary test driver he hammers the car around, accompanied by whirrings and a lot of tyre squeal the drako corners neatly, but you still sense its huge heft. Lamborghini test driver valentino balboni on the worlds greatest job dw burnett puppyknuckles valentino balboni may be retired from his day. Design inspired by the house of the raging bulls legendary test driver. Watch the drako gte ev benchmarking against a tesla model s. 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. For thirty minutes i got to chat with valentino about his passion for the brand. Watch lamborghini legend valentino balboni reunite with the.
Lambo honors its legendary test driver with its most intense gallardo ever. Serving the company for over 40 years, he is regarded as one of the best lamborghinis experts in the world. As lamborghini s chief test driver for some 40 years, valentino balboni had a hand in the development of virtually every car to emerge from santagata since the last miuras rolled off the line. Jun 30, 2009 lamborghini is paying tribute to its longtime test driver, valentino balboni, by putting his name on a limited run of rearwheeldrive gallardos.
Famed lamborghini test driver valentino balboni explains that and more. See instrumented test results and photos, and read about the 2010 lamborghini gallardo lp5502 valentino balboni at car and driver. Or, indeed, lamborghini s legendary gun driver valentino balboni. Longtime lamborghini test driver valentino balboni has formed a new tuning firm focused on the supercars churned out of santagata. Giles meyrick meets lamborghini chief test driver valentinoi balboni at the silverstone classic where they chat about the argument between. Lamborghini has made a habit of this for a while now. Valentino balboni said that the first car that got him excited about cars was a silver bizzarrini gt 5300 that he saw at the turin car show in 1966. Lamborghini test driver valentino balboni standard. Sep 19, 2017 we were able to catch up with valentino, who is from italy, briefly during the event and then later for a lengthier conversation where he discussed everything from how he started working at lamborghini to what it meant to be a test driver to what made a car worthy of winning the valentino balboni award. Why the miura is the greatest lamborghini ever made. Together they offer the most exclusive gallardo ever.
Meeting the legenadry lamborghini test driver valentino. Jul 24, 2017 valentino balboni was one of lamborghinis test drivers for 40 years. On wednesday, drako published a new video that stars none other than valentino balboni, the former chief test driver for lamborghini. Famous lamborghini test driver bob wallace passed away the. Lamborghini murcielago with 415,000km on the clock is the ultimate daily driver. Lamborghini gallardo valentino balboni technical specifications. The italian gathering will celebrate its 10th year with one of the biggest names in lamborghini. Feb 29, 2020 thankfully, veteran and legendary lamborghini test driver valentino balboni had a go at the drako gte to give us an insight inside its cockpit while testing its limits at the thermal club raceway.
Ferruccio gave valentino his first job at lamborghini, and the first time he went out as a test driver for lamborghini it was in a lamborghini miura which valentino counts as. Performance the first modern rearwheel drive lamborghini. May 18, 2015 valentino balboni was never just another test driver. Watch former lamborghini test driver valentino balboni speak. Valentino balboni, the man formerly in charge of tracking lamborghinis for a living, had good things to say about. In case youre not sure what all the drama is about, valentino balboni spent four decades as a test driver for lamborghini. Valentino balboni drives the long lost 1 of 2 lamborghini. Former lamborghini test driver valentino balboni tries out. The name valentino balboni might not ring any bells unless youre a diehard lamborghini fan. Aug 18, 2015 the italian gathering will celebrate its 10th year with one of the biggest names in lamborghini. A man filled with passion for cars, balboni tells his careers story from the beginning how he chose to work for the exotic.
How a lamborghini test driver used the factory to flee the cops. Best lamborghinis of all time pictures, specs, and more. Famed lamborghini test driver valentino balboni loves porsches. Gallardo lp5704 superleggera and valentino balboni, former chief test driver of lamborghini. This special limitededition gallardo 250 worldwide is rather verbosely named to honor 40year veteran lamborghini test driver valentino balboni, who has not only helped develop every car since. Valentino balboni born may 1949 is the former chief test driver of lamborghini, a manufacturer of sports cars in italy. Lamborghini is paying tribute to its longtime test driver, valentino balboni, by putting his name on a limited run of rearwheel drive gallardos. Oct 18, 2018 lamborghini test driver valentino balboni remembers how he got the best job in the world. Jun 14, 2017 i had the pleasure of meeting a man who is synonymous with lamborghinilegendary test driver valentino balboni. A recent upload from the youtube channel dailydrivenexotics has the shows host, damon fryer, meet up with balboni to ride shotgun as the. He retired in october 2008 due to italian government work regulations, after having served the company for 40 years.
Watch lamborghini test driver valentino balboni take the urus. Retired test driver and brand ambassador valentino balboni will help roll out the 2015 italian. 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. An icon in automotive history has passed away on thursday, september 19. Lamborghini s longtime chief test driver, valentino balboni, tells how he landed a dream job wheeling. Valentino balboni drives the bosss countach hemmings daily. 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. Sep 19, 2017 16 questions with valentino balboni, former test driver for lamborghini.
Aug 09, 2016 longtime lamborghini test driver valentino balboni has formed a new tuning firm focused on the supercars churned out of santagata bolognese. Drako gte electric supercar gets a shakedown with former. Valentino balboni was never just another test driver. Drako gte ev lamborghini valentino balboni test drive. He has long been revered as one of the many legends surrounding the worlds most uncompromising sports car brand valentino balboni, a remarkable test driver with his own personal cult status. The incredible story of valentino balboni classic driver. Legendary lambo test driver valentino balboni starts. Limited to 250 units, the gallardo lp 5502 valentino balboni was named after lamborghini test driver valentino balboni and to his request, unlike the contemporary lineup, the balboni is rear wheel drive, reducing the curb weight by 30 kg 66 lb to 1,470 kg 3,241 lb. The powerful v10 engine makes it easy to perform controlled oversteer, naturally within the limits of the driver s abilities. The former lamborghini test driver is impressed by the incredible power and amazing control. Oct 19, 2015 as a child, i cared nothing for cars designed. V alentino balboni was born on may, 1949 in casumaro, italy, less than 7 miles from ferruccio lamborghinias birthplace. Retired test driver and brand ambassador valentino balboni. Nothing like a retired lamborghini test driver to shakedown an electric supercar.
In his 40 years of service with lamborghini, there should be a lot of anecdotes about the former chief test driver, valentino balboni. Aug 30, 2016 lamborghini test driver valentino balboni on the worlds greatest job the man who developed lamborghini s supercars for 40 years talks about the past and future of highperformance cars. Balboni, the retired lamborghini test driver, took to the track in the drako gte electric super car. Aug 25, 2010 see instrumented test results and photos, and read about the 2010 lamborghini gallardo lp5502 valentino balboni at car and driver. A man filled with passion for cars, balboni tells his careers story from the beginning how he. Famed former lamborghini factory test driver says valentino balboni says the drako gte allelectric fourdoor hypercar works great around a track. Gallardo is best sold lamborghini of all the times. Valentino balboni drives the lamborghini gallardo lp5502. With lamborghini, one can only look at valentino balboni. Valentino balboni is one of the most significant figures in lamborghinis history.
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