My Interview with Valentino Balboni from Lamborgini

While taking pictures of the cars of Concours d'Elegance in Kuwait two weeks ago, I pumped into Ahmed Al-Enezi. The manager of Kuwait Cars Museum and he is taking care of the Concours cars and judges.

So I asked who do you have this year from the judges, He mentioned a lot of great names in the motoring industry. The he Said : Valentino Balboni!

Mr. Valentino Balboni started working for Lamborghini on April 21, 1968 as a mechanic apprentice in the company. Eventually he was personally asked by the founder of the company, Ferruccio Lamborghini, to test-drive the newly built cars.

Valentino Balboni has reportedly driven about 80% of all Lamborghinis ever built; among the marque aficionados, Balboni has risen to cult status. In 2008 Balboni was still active for the company as the chief test-driver and ambassador: fluent in English and German, he often appeared at different Lamborghini-related events, like the unveiling of new models. In July 2009 Lamborghini announced a special edition run of 250 Gallardo LP550-2 "Valentino Balboni edition" supercars; the company stated that the new car was to be rear-wheel driven in accordance with Balboni's preference for the thrill of cornering a rear-wheel driven vehicle.

Balboni, even though officially retired as chief test driver, has signed a two year contract with Lamborghini as a consultant through 2010 that can be renewed multiple times.

Back to my story, I told Ahmed that I MUST meet Mr. Balboni. He said that he will try his best to help me meet him. and asked me to go to Marina Hotel lobby and wait for him.


I went to the lobby, and couldn't wait for Ahmed. So I saw an Italian lady and asked her : Hi, I know that you'll say that I am a kid and silly, But am not leaving till I meed Mr. Balboni!


She said wait, picked up the phone.. and called someone and she was talking Italiano! 


Me : Are you calling your bodyguard ?
She : No, I just informed Mr. Balboni That you're waiting for him, He'll be down in 5 mins!!
Me : Nooo No, Don't bother him, I can wait for three hours!

Mr. Ahmed came in and I told him that I took care of everything!


Few moments later I saw Mr. Balboni coming down talking on the phone. I stood and waited for him to finish the call.. Now we start :)

The Stig : Mr. Balboni, It is an honor for me to meet you and shake your hand.
Balboni : I would like to thank you for taking the time of your day and come to see me (with a big real smile.. not fake smiles)


The Stig : I am a big fan of you and Lamborghini and can't believe you are actually in Kuwait right now, Do you mind If I take a picture of you right here ?


Balboni : Of Course not, Please tell me where you want to take the picture. 

The Stig : (After taking the picture) Can I ask few questions, If you don't mind ?

Balboni :  Of course Of Course, I have few minutes for you.

The Stig : What is the greatest car you have ever driven ?

Balboni : Of course it is a Lamborghini. A Miura.

The Stig : Why the Miura ?

Balboni : Because it was the first car I started testing.

The Stig : Other than Lamborghinis ?

Balboni : It Has to be the Pagani Zonda C12S.

The Stig : What do you like the most about Lamorghinis ?

Balboni : Every Lamborghini has its own character and personality that you will not find in other cars. The Lamborghini will make everybody turn their heads and  try to see the car that generates this sound.

The Stig : Have you met Mr. Enzo Ferrari in person ?

Balboni : I was so close to him, but never got the chance to shake his hand. He is a great man and one of Italy's legends.

The Stig : I know That Mr. Pagani used to work with Lamborghini in the past, Do you know him?

Balboni : Yes, We are actually a very good friends and I really likes the cars he make. Proper stick manual transmissions, rear wheel drive and sounds and looks like an Italian super car should be.

The Stig : What Do you think of Ferrari, The Company and the cars they make?

Balboni : Ferrari is a great name in the Motorsport and luxury car industry and they are one of our main rivals. and they make great cars, well known for good looks and performance. but they are not like a Lamborghini in terms of exclusivity.

The Stig : What is the car that you use everyday ?

Balboni : Audi A4 3.0 Turbo Diesel. its good for 247 Bhp. and I like it.

The Stig : What do you think of the modern German sports cars? Such as Porsches, BMW M Power, And AMG Mercs ?

Balboni : They build nice and reliable cars that you can drive for long distance without needing a massage. and they target a different segment of customers. affordable and can be used everyday. but they will never give you the presence of a Lamborghini.

The Stig : What was the top speed you did? and which car was used to achieve the top speed ?

Balboni : I did 341 km/h in a Lamborghini Murciélago at Nardo.

The Stig : What about the new upcoming LP-700? is it faster ?

Balboni : You know a lot! this is a secret and I can't tell how fast it goes, but it will be unveiled in Geneva Motor show.

The Stig : How do you feel when Lamborghini named one of thier cars after your name as a limited edition?

Balboni : I was really touched, It was a feeling so strong to see a company created in the 60s and never named a car after anyones name. then when they do it.. they did after my name and I am still alive. ti feels so special and it is a very limited edition one. only 250 cars will be made.

The Stig : Was it your decision that the car will be a rear wheel drive?

Balboni : It was Both me, And the top management. we wanted to make something really special and limited this time. a car that professional drivers will enjoy. it has been more than 20 years since Lamborghini made a two wheel drive car. And I am really in love with it.

The Stig : Did you got the chance to drive the old McLaren F1 ? and what do you think of it ?

Balboni : Unfortunately I did not. but I like everything about the car, especially the center driving position. but this car was all after weight saving and driving pleasure.

The Stig : Do people recognize you in Kuwait ?

Balboni : Yes, Actually I was happy when I knew that people would know me not just as a chief test driver only, but also as an ambassador of Lamborghini. Few guys came to me and took pictures when I was in the mall the other day.

The Stig : They said that you took the Lamborghini Miura SV on a drive the other day!

Balboni : Yes, It was one of the best moments driving this car here in Kuwait and I had some Lamborghini owners following me to the 2nd ring road. it was a unique experience.

The Stig : If you got to drive a car in road of your choice,

 with a a passenger of your choice, 

in a car of your choice, 

what music would you listen to ?

Balboni : I will drive a Lamborghini Gallardo two wheel drive, 

And I will drive it in the Nürburgring. 

The music will be the sound of the engine behind me. 

and the passenger should be someone who knows a lot about cars, Just like you.

The Stig : I am so sorry, I would spend a week with you, non-stop questions. but I know you are a busy man. appreciate the time you spent with me. and I really think you are one of the greatest men alive now.

Balboni : I really enjoyed your company and the Kuwaiti hospitality. 

The Stig : Thank A lot Mr. Balboni. see you

Balboni : Don't Call me Mr. Balboni! Call me Valentino. we are friends now.

I got his e-mail, and he singed something special for me. 

He is very humble. always smiling.. and his Italian accent is so amazing.

2012 McLaren MP4-12C Driven!

The new McLaren was a along waited car and everyone is waiting for it. it has shown a great potential and from its predeccessor the 20 years old McLaren F1, you know that this company is going to make something that worth the waiting.

And I posted about the invitation and launch of the car in Kuwait, Just incase you missed it, please click here


This Time the car has been driven by Jenson Button with representatives from the media, and apparently they liked the final car.








The first video follows the world's auto journos around as they were introduced to the vehicle for the first time. The second clip, meanwhile, is all about introducing exactly what kind of figures the car can produce on a proper track. McLaren says that 0-62 mph can be clicked off in as little as 3.1 seconds when the MP4-12C is fitted with the optional Pirelli tires and that the quarter-mile dash takes just 10.9 seconds.


Those numbers are super fast for a car with this price tag! I guess the main contender here will be the Ferrari 458 Italia Lamborghini Superleggera and Porsche GT2 RS.


We'll just have to wait and see when the car arrives in Kuawit maybe in June this year.


Enjoy!

McLaren MP4-12C Launch VIP Invitation

I got an invitation through one of my friends t the Launch of the new McLaren MP4-12C in Alraya Ballroom.

It was very exclusive, about 40 people or less were invited. I as lucky enough to be amongst those 40.

That's My invitation dangler.

I will not bore with the technical information as long as am not going to add something new. everything is available online.

The took our names at the gate to make sure of the invitations, then everything seemed to be white and orange!

I was carrying my camera and feeling shy not to be mixed with the press since i was one of few people wearing casual stuff along with the press.. everyone else seemed to know what they are doing! Deshdasha was the big hit!

On display and before we reached the car, we got an access to a computer where you can custom your car from zero to everything you want. and these are the colors available for the exterior.

This is how the car would look naked! the chassis, engine and everything.

The steering is obviously small and semi-oval bottom helps easy access to the car. It has a paddle shift gearbox and the paddles are mounted behind the wheels. one of my friends thinks that the steering wheel is relatively similar to Mercedes somehow, I couldn't argue cuz he owns a couple of mercs and he knows what he's saying.

The Brake system is claimed to be very effective even for those steel brakes. the actual car tested from the factory and covered over a 100,000 miles came with the standard steel brakes. they said that unless you go to the track every weekend, you won't need them.

The 3.8 Liter engine that was designed solely for this car. not as the Old McLaren F1 which was a 6.1 Liter developed by BMW M Division. or the 5.5 Liter that stuffed the SLR.

One of the turbos. as the engine is a twin turbine engine. which means high torque even on low speed.

after a boring speech, and the car is still covered. I was about to sleep. but thank god there was an engineer from the ones that used and still works on the old McLaren F1 car. Looking at him was a bit comforting :P

Moment of truth! naaaaaaah

I have already seen the car in many vids and pics. but to be honest, I was hoping to see in real life .

Everything in this car functional over formal. every vent is there for a reason.

The doors open almost like the SLR.

What a nice back you have :P

I was lucky enough to be the first to sit in the car, for someone of my figure, it is perfect. I wonder how someone that is 190cm tall or more would find the headroom of the car. you sit too low :/

Aerodynamics, Transmission, Traction control, Launch control and suspension all comes in a very accessible place for the driver. while the Aircon and other stuff comes within the switches in the door.

very simple



Hope you like it :)

McLaren F1 for sale!

The first production McLaren F1 has been put up for sale on Jameslist.com.
Priced at $3,175,000, the 1995 model only has 300 miles on the odometer. It features silver paint, a 6.1-liter BMW V12 engine, and an enduring legacy as one of the greatest cars ever built.
As you may recall, the F1 became the world's fastest production car in 1998 when it hit a top speed of 240.14 mph (386.5 km/h). It was later succeeded by the Koenigsegg CCR, Bugatti Veyron, SSC Ultimate Aero, and Bugatti Veyron Super Sport.

This McLaren F1 belongs to some American guy who left in his garage for almost 6 months without any maintainace or even started the car.

on the way to the local dealer, it simply burned!

reporters said that the owner was calm in an unusual manner! but later on the discovered that he bought the car for 2 Millions $$, while insured it for another 3 Millions $$.

Damn !

Ron Dennis says : Bugatti Veyron is a 'piece of junk'

Ron Dennis, Executive Chairman of McLaren Automotive, has described the world's most expensive production car as ‘a complete piece of junk'. The 63 year-old was being interviewed by Arabian Business when he said he could not even find a single aspect of the Bugatti Veyron that makes him feel good.
The man generally credited with Lewis Hamilton's racing success said the Veyron is pig ugly and cannot handle very well.
"I know that they have to cut the car open to take the engine out," he stated. "To make an engine in that configuration, you know, it doesn't go around corners."
Dennis then went on to refer to a BBC Top Gear comparison of his previous supercar, the McLaren F1, against Bugatti's technological tour de force. He described how the V12-powered F1 trounced the 16-cylinder Veyron so many times off the line that the filming crew got frustrated because his car was supposed to be beaten. Eventually the Veyron stopped dropping its clutch on take-off and was able to catch up to the McLaren F1.
The Bugatti Veyron is powered by an 8.0-litre, quad turbo engine making 736 kW (987 bhp /1,001 PS). In contrast the McLaren F1 had a naturally aspirated 6.0-litre kicking out 468kW (628bhp/ 636PS).
McLaren's latest supercar is the MP4-12C, a lightweight powerhouse with a 447 kW (600 bhp / 608 PS) 3.8-litre twin turbo engine. Ominously it is not the range-topper as something even more potent is being developed.