
Out Of The Comfort Zone
OUT OF THE COMFORT ZONE
“For driving it you have to be in perfect psychophysical conditions; if I do not feel in perfect shape, I leave it home and get the other one (a Porsche)”. – Duccio
All Lamborghini owners that I know have called their car with those classic names that are used in these cases of delirium among a car guy and his car: Chicca, Tweety, Christine, Kelly, etc., and so I was wondering what kind of sweet and feminine name could ever choose Duccio, since his Gallardo Valentino Balboni has been already named by the Factory in honor of the historic test driver of Sant’Agata Bolognese. He smiled, telling me that he had never given any names, but if he had to choose one, “Selvaggia” (Italian word for Wild, but also a female name) would be the most suitable, and we fully agree. Wild, an almost untamable beast, that lacked in the Lambo lineup since the Diablo, with its rear always wanting to dirt your pants when you will not be too kind with the gas pedal, let alone if the Raging Bull decides to overpower you. Not a Gallardo like all the others, and not just because they only made 250 of these, or because there is more carbon fiber, less weight and a shape at the edge of pornography, thanks to the white band edged in gold that runs the entire length of the car , from the front hood to the engine compartment in the back, here in glass, to put on display the 5.2cc V10.
Duccio bought it just over two years ago near Modena and as soon as he saw it was undisputed love. “She was calling for me, more than any other car I had tested until then, but when I started the engine, the exhaust of the Super Trofeo was the exclamation point on my check.” – This Gallardo Valentino Balboni is a proper jewel and manages to be both stylish and menacing, noisy as the storm that heralds the end of the world, enough to force its owner and the lucky passenger to use headphones (aeronautical) in order to safeguard their eardrums after a long motorway drive. But the feature that has become the main focus of our passionate friend, is definitely the fact that it’s only rear-wheel drive, in fact, as the name suggests there are 550hp (here, a few more) and two-wheel drive (the right ones, those behind): obviously, with a weight that stops the scales at 1380kg, you will have to work hard to keep the nose in the middle of the roadway. The gearbox, the 6-speed automatic E-gear transmission, shoot the gears using 540Nm of torque out of the 10 cylinders and you will enjoy a pure driving experience and at the same time a challenging fight with your skills. If it rains, you have to put aside the headphones and wear (figuratively of course) kid gloves, since the power reserve is always there ready to kick in the back, and with the 295” rear wheels, every ruts and bumps is immediately sent in the cockpit, even the lines on the asphalt become a challenge. No notice, if you exaggerate, it will spank without a second thought. Ok, you don’t have to be Balboni for driving a Balboni, it is comfortable (the leather interior is exceptional and does not give up any kind of comfort) for every kind of trip, but it requires more attention than usual, in order to become intimate with her, a racing track is definitely the ideal playground.
And it’s fast, damn fast. It only takes 3.9 seconds to sprint from 0 to 100 kph and easily reaches 320 per hour, but it all seems further amplified by the supersport exhaust system fitted here, that would be able to trigger all the alarms in your neighborhood with a simple push on the pedal. Yeah, like a boss. While our Davide (the photographer) keeps to shoot a photo after the another, we talk with Duccio as if we were good old friends: a great guy, so brilliant and likeable: the right person to come down from that kind of car, which is not a “simple Lambo”, but a very special Lambo, enhanced by technical and mechanical choices adopted by the Brand to pay homage to one of his key men and the anecdotes that its owner tells about it.
Driving fast is one of the most glorious experiences that you can do (where permitted, of course), but to prove ourselves and tame a wild beast like that, coming out of our comfort zone, is deeply satisfying and that’s what makes you happy, leaving home holding the key of your beloved “Selvaggia” in your hand.
by Alessandro Marrone Photos by Davide Carletti