Way back in the 1960s when Lamborghini was still very young and its new cars were some of the most exotic creations on the planet, Ferruccio Lamborghini, the tractor-maker turned supercar manufacturer, sometimes figured out his own methods for getting a new car noticed.
When the transverse-mid-engined Miura first appeared as a bare chassis and engine package on the show stage, for instance, most people thought the layout was so spectacular that it had to be a racing car – but it wasn’t. By the time Marcello Gandini had put a body on it, however, it was even more jaw-dropping than it had been in the raw, so when Lamborghini’s test driver arrived in Monte Carlo with it at the end of a flat-out proving run, Lamborghini suggested he just drive it into the Casino Square, give the mighty V12 engine a few whoops, then park it up and let the prospective buyers just gather round to drool and place their orders.
Lamborghini has been through a lot of crises, a lot of owners, and a lot of equally jaw-dropping supercars since then – and finally, under VW Group ownership and Audi guidance it has both the security and fine build quality that no previous benefactor was ever able to give it, and it has arguably the best cars it has ever had. It also has the magic of the name almost undiminished, and more often than not Lamborghini can still raise the odd eyebrow at shows like this, if not by a completely new car then at least by some outrageous twist on an existing one. Like chopping the top off or adding a bundle of horsepower or losing a shed-load of weight.
Which is why it was rather disappointing that the headline news at Lamborghini today was that they had joined forces with fashion giant Versace to produce ‘The New Lamborghini Murcielago LP 640 VERSACE – ‘a model offering significant enhancements to the interior fittings’, as well as special colours, trims, and ‘a superb array of exclusively designed, hand-crafted accessories, all made to the exacting standards of the “Couture” line’.
There’s a Couture Limited Edition luggage set with him-and-her suitcases in matt-black calfskin with a Greek fret motif and a white satin interior. And ‘a fabulous pair of driving shoes in blamatt blue calfskin together with a pair of driving gloves will complement the Versace luxurious accessory line’, while ‘the “Versace Precious Items” division has exclusively created for the car buyers a Chrono Matt Soft Touch watch, available in a glossy black ceramic version and in a white one, depending on the car model chosen. The watch accessories line will be featured by a precious ladies watch in glossy white and ceramic set with extra clear diamonds’.
The Isis white and Aldebaran black versions will be limited to a maximum run of just 10 cars. They also showed the Gallardo Nera special edition (limited to 185 cars) and put the spotlight on Lamborghini’s ‘ad personam’ customisation programme.
And you’d have to say that, if you like that kind if thing, it was all exquisitely done – but it’s hardly as exciting as driving into Casino Square after a white-knuckle test-drive through the mountains from Sant’Agata Bolognese is it? Maybe next time.
