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The need for speed

May 14, 2020 | Michael Turtle | 54 Comments

ADVENTURE TRAVEL

Lamborghini Academy, Italy

Someone had told me that when you turn on the engine of a Lamborghini, you feel your heart roar along with it. In my case, I think it skipped a few beats.

Thereโ€™s something quite terrifying about being put behind the wheel of a machine that has the power to reach 350km/hโ€ฆ especially when you donโ€™t even own a car yourself.

Test drive a Lamborghini, The Lamborghini Academy, Imola Racetrack, Italy

The Aventador had been sitting in the pit lane of Italyโ€™s famous Imola racetrack since I arrived, challenging and inviting me to feel its power.

The hand painted red exterior of Lamborghiniโ€™s finest design shimmers in the sun. Even motionless, it exudes speed.

Streamlined and sleek, it is a car as impressive on the inside as it is beneath the bonnet (if you can call it a โ€˜bonnetโ€™ when youโ€™re talking about a $500,000 sports car).

My time with it will come.

Test drive a Lamborghini, The Lamborghini Academy, Imola Racetrack, Italy

Today is going to be no day for play. Iโ€™m not here for a thrill-seeking joyride.

This is the official Lamborghini Academy and some of the worldโ€™s best drivers have been recruited to teach me and the other six participants how to handle this beast on the track.

Test drive a Lamborghini, The Lamborghini Academy, Imola Racetrack, Italy

There will be speed, there will be slides, there will be corners, there will be straights and, I fear, there will be at least one change of underwear.

Test drive a Lamborghini, The Lamborghini Academy, Imola Racetrack, Italy

Racing around Imola

I get in the first Lamborghini Iโ€™m going to try and fail the initial test. As the first lap begins I find my car motionless.

No amount of pedal-pushing, wheel-turning or quiet sobbing is making it move.

How could they have put me in this car on my own with so little instruction?

Sure, we are going to be learning a lot once we are out on the road but perhaps it wouldโ€™ve helped if Iโ€™d been told how to turn the thing on!

Test drive a Lamborghini, The Lamborghini Academy, Imola Racetrack, Italy

An instructor runs over to help โ€“ ah, the big button in the centre panel with the word โ€˜startโ€™ on it. It makes sense, although I didnโ€™t realise Lamborghini had modelled their control panel on Windows 98.

Still, Iโ€™m on the move now โ€“ and with much more speed than anything from Microsoft could even pretend to have.

Test drive a Lamborghini, The Lamborghini Academy, Imola Racetrack, Italy

The car drives so smoothly. It seems to glide along the track as I push down cautiously on the accelerator.

And itโ€™s responsive too. Itโ€™s as though it knows what my hands are going to do with the steering wheel before I do.

I relax a bit into the seat (hitting my helmet on the low roof in the process) and start to concentrate on the track ahead.

Test drive a Lamborghini, The Lamborghini Academy, Imola Racetrack, Italy

The Lamborghini Academy is all about personal and individual training. For our track runs we go out in groups of three cars.

The first car has two instructors who are leading the way, setting the speed and demonstrating the best positions on the track. In the other two cars are two of us, the race novices.

Test drive a Lamborghini, The Lamborghini Academy, Imola Racetrack, Italy

Using a radio straight into speakers in our helmets, the instructors talk us through the course, giving advice on how to take corners, when to brake, how to chicane through the chicanes.

Watching in their mirrors, the instructors help correct our technique, encourage when we do well or (as is usually the case with me) point out when we make mistakes.

Test drive a Lamborghini, The Lamborghini Academy, Imola Racetrack, Italy

โ€œPay attention to your braking point,โ€ the instructor keeps telling me. I mishear it every time as โ€˜breaking pointโ€™, a subconscious nod to my rising stress levels.

Itโ€™s actually not as hard as I imagined it to be and it feels like the car itself is helping me most of the time. But the level of concentration you need is so great that I feel constantly tense, a slight shake in my legs and sweat soaking my shirt.

No wonder professional racers are all so skinny!

Test drive a Lamborghini, The Lamborghini Academy, Imola Racetrack, Italy

Round and round we go, the corners becoming more familiar and the straight increasingly tempting to accelerate along. We do a few laps and then rest before heading out for the next set, changing cars to try different models (and colours).

Each time the speed increases. My technique also improves and it starts to feel a bit more naturalโ€ฆ assuming skidding around corners at 200km/h is what nature intended us to be doing.

Test drive a Lamborghini, The Lamborghini Academy, Imola Racetrack, Italy

For someone like myself, a nervous driver at the best of times, the experience is emboldening. I feel myself becoming one with the Lamborghini as the day progresses.

For the other drivers, most of them owners of sports cars already, itโ€™s just as affirming.

This isnโ€™t like driving on the normal roadsโ€ฆ even on some of the European freeways. There are only a few people who will ever have the chance to control a car at this pace on a track like Imola. As it turns out, deep down, we all have the need for speed.

Other Lamborghini Academy posts:

  • High-speed driving tips from Lamborghini’s chief instructor.
  • Lamborghiniโ€™s students: Youโ€™ll be surprised at who actually attends the academyโ€ฆ
>> Check out the official page for the Lamborghini Academy here <<

THE BEST ACCOMMODATION IN BOLOGNA

Bologna is a great place to base yourself to explore the region. Here are my tips for some of the best accommodation.

BACKPACKER

For a good budget option, I would suggest the Dopa Hostel near the city centre.

BUDGET

For an affordable hotel, Albergo Panorama has good rooms right in the town centre.

BOUTIQUE

If you’re looking for an interesting design hotel, I would suggest Art Hotel Commercianti.

LUXURY

And to splurge, the Savoia Hotel Regency is probably the best in Bologna.

Time Travel Turtle was a guest of Lamborghini and the Emilia Romagna tourism board but the opinions, over-written descriptions and bad jokes are his own.

Emilia-Romagna Travel Guide

WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT EMILIA-ROMAGNA?

To help you plan your trip to Emilia-Romagna:

  • It may not be Italy’s most famous city but here’s why you should visit Bologna
  • The mosaics in Ravenna are some of the most stunning you’ll ever see
  • Find out why Modena Cathedral is a World Heritage Site
  • The best things to see in the historic city of Ferrara
  • Rimini is known for its beaches, but don’t miss this colourful neighbourhood
  • Learn some Italian cooking at the home of the country’s first cookbook’s author
  • You haven’t truly tasted balsamic vinegar until you’ve tried it in Modena
  • With famous local ham and cheese, Parma has to be one of Italy’s best food cities
  • Learn more about the Ferrari car company at these excellent museums
  • The experience of a lifetime – driving a Lamborghini on Imola racetrack!

Let someone else do the work for you:

You may also want to consider taking a tour in Italy, rather than organising everything on your own. Itโ€™s also a nice way to have company if you are travelling solo.

I am a โ€˜Wandererโ€™ with G Adventures and they have great tours of Italy.

You could consider:

  • Highlights of Italy (8 days)
  • Ultimate Italy (14 days)
  • Local Living Tuscany (7 days)
  • Iconic Italy – National Geographic (14 days)

When I travel internationally, I always get insurance. Itโ€™s not worth the risk, in case thereโ€™s a medical emergency or another serious incident. I recommend you should use World Nomads for your trip.

Reader Interactions

    Comments Cancel reply

  1. Erin De Santiago |

    May 9, 2012 at 8:42 pm

    Reply

    Still a bit jealous, but so happy for you guys! It sounds like such a great experience. Great photos btw! ๐Ÿ˜‰

    • Michael Turtle |

      May 10, 2012 at 6:05 pm

      Reply

      It was definitely a lot of fun. And, to be honest, not quite as scary as I thought it was going to be. Maybe you’ll get a turn next time… ๐Ÿ™‚

      • Margi Doshi |

        April 1, 2016 at 4:04 am

        Reply

        Hey, this looks awesome! Its been my dream to do this since i was a child. Do you remember the cost of this?

  2. Jeremy Branham |

    May 10, 2012 at 12:54 am

    Reply

    Well at least you didn’t have any traffic to deal with! ๐Ÿ™‚ What an awesome experience but I would be a bundle of nerves as well. I can handle MY car OK but not so sure about a lamborghini at high speeds!

    • Michael Turtle |

      May 10, 2012 at 6:08 pm

      Reply

      Not having traffic and other cars made it so much easier! Especially seeing as everything was on the wrong side for me. The hardest thing I find when driving on the wrong side of the road is avoiding all the other cars who are in the lanes I ‘drift’ into. (ps, I didn’t tell the Lamborghini folk that I tend to get confused about that kind of thing…) ๐Ÿ™‚

  3. Nina F |

    May 10, 2012 at 1:05 am

    Reply

    What a spectacular experience. You are so lucky! I was born driving a car, and so would LOVE to be behind the wheel of a Lambo (and hopefully find the “start” button…).

    • Michael Turtle |

      May 10, 2012 at 6:10 pm

      Reply

      Well I hope you get a chance one day then. I loved it and am obviously not a huge enthusiast. So I can only imagine what it would be like for a big Lamborghini fan!

  4. Matthew Karsten |

    May 10, 2012 at 10:33 pm

    Reply

    Nice Michael! I just did this as well, but in Mexico. So much fun!

    Love the sound of that engine… ๐Ÿ™‚

    • Michael Turtle |

      May 12, 2012 at 6:19 pm

      Reply

      Awesome! The engine sound really is pretty cool… you feel it the whole way through your body!

  5. Adam Tan Choon How |

    May 11, 2012 at 1:05 am

    Reply

    Im so interest on the Laamborghini Academy driving course…
    may I know how much for the course and it take how many days ?

    • Michael Turtle |

      May 12, 2012 at 6:17 pm

      Reply

      The academy normally goes for one and a half days – but it’s only run occasionally. This link will give you the latest info on where and when the next one will be held: http://www.lamborghini.com/en/events/

  6. Todd Steiner |

    May 14, 2012 at 2:19 pm

    Reply

    Wow, my jaw almost dropped! This is my dream car ever since I was a teenager, but I can’t afford purchasing its beauty. I guess having it will just be a dream for me.

    • Michael Turtle |

      May 16, 2012 at 1:18 am

      Reply

      Yeah, it’s certainly not a cheap car. But, after having driven it, I can see why people are prepared to spend so much money to have one!

  7. AlexBerger |

    May 15, 2012 at 4:52 am

    Reply

    Sexy cars and a fun adventure! Not bad for a day’s work!

    • Michael Turtle |

      May 16, 2012 at 1:21 am

      Reply

      I’ve certainly had worse days ๐Ÿ™‚

  8. Cam |

    May 19, 2012 at 4:34 am

    Reply

    Sweet! What an experience. I think I’d Sh*t myself…

    • Michael Turtle |

      May 20, 2012 at 9:22 pm

      Reply

      I think I came close… ๐Ÿ™‚

  9. Cole @ Four Jandals |

    May 26, 2012 at 5:08 pm

    Reply

    Okay this just reached number 2 on my list of things to try. One is being a passenger in a Formula 1 car. Hoping to do this on our trip to Rimini with the #blogville house soon!

    • Michael Turtle |

      May 26, 2012 at 6:20 pm

      Reply

      Only number 2? When number 1 is just being a ‘passenger’? Man, you don’t understand what it’s like to have the steering wheel of this baby in your hands!! ๐Ÿ™‚

  10. Steven Taylor |

    May 27, 2012 at 2:29 am

    Reply

    Oh come on, this is too cool! Turtle in a Lamborghini….?? ๐Ÿ˜›

    • Michael Turtle |

      May 27, 2012 at 5:20 am

      Reply

      Slow and steady wins the race… that’s what the turtle always said!

  11. Mary @ Green Global Travel |

    June 27, 2012 at 6:45 am

    Reply

    What a unique experience! Based on my driving record, I think I’d rather have someone else at the wheel ๐Ÿ™‚

    • Michael Turtle |

      July 3, 2012 at 8:35 pm

      Reply

      That’s what I thought too. Thankfully there wasn’t much traffic so it was pretty hard to crash into anyone else!!

  12. Bethaney - Flashpacker Family |

    July 9, 2012 at 11:14 am

    Reply

    Ahh… my husband would think that this is the best thing in the world! Another reason I can use to convince him we should move to Italy for a few months of living and travelling.

    • Michael Turtle |

      July 9, 2012 at 10:14 pm

      Reply

      Always glad to help. Although he might not be quite as excited when he finds out it costs 5000 euros…

  13. Cornelius Aesop |

    January 10, 2013 at 5:47 am

    Reply

    I think I can best sum up my thoughts on this post in two words – Vroom Vroom.

    Yup, maybe said with a hint of jealousy but that about sums it up.

    • Michael Turtle |

      January 14, 2013 at 9:03 pm

      Reply

      Ha ha. I think you’ve summed it up perfectly. And it’s ok to be jealous, I wrote it with five words in mind: na na na na na! ๐Ÿ™‚

  14. Tom Barrett |

    January 10, 2013 at 3:45 pm

    Reply

    WOW. WOW. WOW. I’m very envious of you and the people that went on this experience.
    Definitely is on my bucket list for this year.
    How much did you have to dish out?

    • Michael Turtle |

      January 14, 2013 at 9:10 pm

      Reply

      Hey Tom. I was a guest of Lamborghini but it’s quite a few thousand euro for the experience. But it’s a tiny group and you really get to spend a long time on the track and in the cars (all day basically). Check out the website if you’re interested in doing it… could be fun! ๐Ÿ™‚

  15. Sebastian @ Off-The-Path.com |

    June 15, 2013 at 10:16 pm

    Reply

    Sounds awesome. Driving 200 kph is normal for me (I live in Germany, we drive up to 275 kph) but driving this in a Lamborghini on a race circuit must be awesome ๐Ÿ™‚

    • Michael Turtle |

      June 23, 2013 at 1:11 am

      Reply

      I couldn’t handle the speed! I don’t mind travelling that fast but I don’t like to be in control because I don’t trust myself ๐Ÿ™‚

  16. Sam @ Travellingking.com |

    December 30, 2013 at 7:59 pm

    Reply

    I dont drive just yet (due to laziness) but this is my dream!!!
    I would be terrified of driving a car that costs the same as a house!!!

  17. ukash kart |

    January 4, 2014 at 6:27 am

    Reply

    Okay this just reached number 2 on my list of things to try. One is being a passenger in a Formula 1 car. Hoping to do this on our trip to Rimini with the #blogville house soon! – See more at:

  18. araba oyunu |

    January 10, 2015 at 12:07 pm

    Reply

    Thatโ€™s what I thought too. Thankfully there wasnโ€™t much traffic so it was pretty hard to crash into anyone else!!

    • Michael Turtle |

      February 2, 2015 at 7:20 pm

      Reply

      Yes – such a good point. I had a hard enough time just keeping the car on the track. If there had been traffic, I would have been stuffed!!! ๐Ÿ™‚

  19. Will Lammon |

    February 22, 2017 at 7:19 pm

    Reply

    Nice story. I have never get the chance to sit on this car and It’s way too difficult me to buy car like this. Anyways enjoy your ride.

    • Michael Turtle |

      April 2, 2017 at 2:32 pm

      Reply

      I think it’s difficult for most people to buy a car like this. That’s why this experience is a great way to try it out! ๐Ÿ™‚

  20. Martin Fatima |

    November 8, 2017 at 1:23 am

    Reply

    Wow, Lamborghini, This car is amazing. I’m a big lover of this car. Seeing this car makes the mind happy. You have shared good knowledge and Nice to read your blog.

    • Michael Turtle |

      November 14, 2017 at 12:57 pm

      Reply

      I’m glad you like it! I think there’s a good reason why Lamborghini has so many fansโ€ฆ and I have definitely become more of one myself!

  21. Pusat Jagaan |

    August 29, 2018 at 8:25 am

    Reply

    These cars are just *amazing* and *stunning*.

    I’m almost broke, can’t afford something like that anytime soon.

    • Michael Turtle |

      October 14, 2018 at 12:16 pm

      Reply

      Ha! I don’t think most people could afford a car like this. But I hope you get a chance to drive your favourite one day – that would be fun!

  22. moon |

    February 12, 2019 at 5:31 pm

    Reply

    You are so lucky! I was born driving a car, and so would LOVE to be behind the wheel of a Lambo (and hopefully find the โ€œstartโ€ buttonโ€ฆ).

  23. Robinson Cindy |

    February 7, 2020 at 8:13 pm

    Reply

    Wow, Lamborghini, This car is amazing. Iโ€™m a big lover of this car. And driving this car would be dream . You have shared good knowledge and Nice to read your blog.

  24. Rick Williams |

    April 19, 2020 at 1:10 am

    Reply

    Man, I simply love Lambos and one day I’m going to own one. So jealous you got to have a drive of a Gallardo. Did you get to drive the Aventador? That’s my true favorite! Nice feature thanks.

  25. Rodney |

    August 21, 2020 at 5:45 am

    Reply

    I still get in cars looking for the key ignition system and get a gentle tap on the shoulder and my lovely wife saying to me “press the button”.

  26. Wayen Jensen |

    November 28, 2020 at 3:14 am

    Reply

    I used to fly airliners for a living and it always made me giggle landing in Bologna because they use a Lamborghini as the “Follow Me” vehicle for arriving aircraft. Sadly I never got to drive one.

  27. Beth Davey |

    December 6, 2021 at 8:51 pm

    Reply

    It’s a good story Michael. I’ve never had the opportunity to ride in this vehicle, and it would be far too tough for me to own a vehicle of this caliber. In any case, have a good time on your ride.

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This is the website of travel writer, Michael Turtle. After working in broadcast journalism for a decade in Australia, Michael left Sydney to travel the world indefinitely and write about the places, people and experiences he discovers. This isn't a diary - these are real stories from the world.

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