Touring Italys Motor Valley, Where You Can Drive Ferraris, Lamborghinis and More
It costs about 14 euros, or about $15, per minute to drive a rented Lamborghini on the public roads of northern Italy’s Emilia-Romagna region.This feels especially exorbitant in a place where a couple of coins buys a glass of world-class wine.
Even more grating, however, is that the experience is actually worth the money.Stomping a supercar’s pedal to the metal is exhilarating at an undeniable, visceral level.The chaperone in the passenger seat during my own supercar test drive had to ask me to stop shouting with joy as I accelerated.Twice.I hadn’t even realized I was making a sound.Lamborghini, Ferrari, Maserati and the high-end motorcycle brand Ducati are just the most recognizable names among the many, many manufacturers that come together in what is sometimes called Italy’s “Motor Valley.” Most are within an hour’s drive of Bologna, making it possible to construct a weekend-long holiday crash course (pun intended) in the niche — but global — world of supercars.Most of the companies offer similar experiences — factory tours, driving simulators, vintage car expos and branded gift shops are almost ubiquitous.
The factories in the Motor Valley resemble Amazon warehouses, at least at first glance.Sterile overhead lights illuminate mostly gray interiors in which S-shaped assembly lines weave across giant, open-floor work spaces.
Small teams of workers in matching industrial uniforms focus on their assigned, often narrow tasks — affixing a door panel here, sealing a windshield there, constantly tightening and retightening various nuts and bolts.Whirring drills, cranking wrenches and the pounding of rubber mallets give everything a productive, almost musical soundtrack.The Ferrari campus in Maranello feels the most like a theme park and, of all the supercar destinations in the area, seems to attract the widest range of tourist.
The company-themed cafe next door serves as a waiting room for everyone from bored adolescents playing Pokémon Go to ...