Elite Traveler January-February 2017

INSPIRE LAMBORGHINI

ZAFRA TO CARMONA Having fallen for the Superveloce, I stuck with it, deciding it would be good value in the sweeping curves at the latter stages of the drive. It was a good selection. The sound alone making it worthwhile. One of the great V12s, the Aventador sounds like a symphony to shamelessly powerful, naturally aspirated engineering brilliance. The Superveloce is the ultimate expression of one of the ultimate V12s – more extreme, lightweight, it's definitely a car for short fun drives (or the track) more than a long cruise. It thrives on a track, or any empty open road you can pretend is a track. Who knows when Lamborghini will make another beast like this one? For the time being I settled down in the (slightly cramped) cabin, put it in Sport mode (Corsa being a bit too much for these roads) and headed off at what I thought was full throttle. Only to discover that with 750bhp it is almost impossible to find the limit. There always seemed to be more power available. This was an intense drive, with plenty of that fabulous noise, a reactive, firm suspension and steering that constantly gives you feedback. Drive it all day, as we did in Spain, and you know you’ve done a drive when you stop. But it is a testament to how much fun the car is that even after eight hours of driving, I didn’t want to get out (even though it was now dark and raining). But, as we drove through the narrow streets up to the Parador de Carmona, the idea of a cold beer also offered its own appeal. THE MIURA FARM The next morning we set out for the Miura farm and my chance to fulfill a childhood dream and drive the historic car named after it. On the way, I grabbed time in the Aventador Superveloce Roadster (a Superveloce with an optional lid). This is a lighter car and with all semblance of comfort stripped out is a much more intense experience than the normal Superveloce, boasting an even less forgiving setup and achingly hard seats. On a sunny day with the roof down, I imagine those incredible engine sounds would compensate for any lack of comfort. Sadly, the mist and rain from the night before had hung around. At least with the back window down we could get a sense of the true noise, but I wasn’t sorry this was a short drive. We were met at the farm by the iconic Miura sign and a first glimpse of the sensational curves of the beautiful little car (also a Superveloce). After meeting the current crop of the Miura family – including the son, nephew and grandson of the original Eduardo Miura who Ferruccio Lamborghini claimed as friend

Top: The Aventador

Center: The line up of Lamborghinis we drove Bottom: The Miura on the farm that gave it its name