Vintage '60 Minutes' Episode Shows How Unhinged Lamborghini Testing Used To Be

Modern Lamborghinis are marvelous pieces of precision engineering. Once Audi purchased nan then-struggling Italian supercar shaper successful 1998, purists were acrophobic of really nan notoriously sensible and superior German owners would alteration nan imperfect yet exhilarating brand. As personification who was three-years-old erstwhile nan acquisition occurred, I've only heard fables astir nan aged Lamborghini. Pre-Audi Lamborghinis like nan bullish LM002 that Jalopnik's ain Andy reviewed were described arsenic hairy-chested, uncomfortable, and unreasonable, but I ne'er rather understood conscionable really unhinged nan aged Lamborghini was until I watched this vintage "60 Minutes" episode.

The presenter rides alongside Valentino Balboni, 1 of nan astir legendary trial drivers successful automotive history who drove astir 80% of each Lamborghinis ever built betwixt 1973 and 2009, arsenic he tested a reddish Countach astatine speeds up to 180 mph connected nationalist Italian roads. Lamborghini didn't person a trial way until it was purchased by Audi successful 1998, truthful each of its cars were pushed to their limits and trial driven connected nationalist roads. Watching Balboni weave astir trucks and compact cars, moreover driving 3 abreast connected a two-lane roadworthy pinch unsighted curves, surely qualifies arsenic unhinged successful my book.

In an question and reply pinch Daniele Audetto, who was a erstwhile rally car driver successful nan domiciled of trading head for nan Lamborghini Countach, nan cognition and image that nan institution wanted to represent becomes clear. In classical Italian fashion, he equates a achromatic Countach to "a beautiful virgin," a reddish 1 to "a mature woman," and a achromatic 1 to "an intriguing woman."

Watching this arsenic personification raised successful nan world of governmental correctness, this style of speech is simply chaotic to spot televised, fto unsocial personification holding nan position of trading head for a well-known carmaker. These were very different times. These folks really enjoyed sexualizing nan Countach, pinch 1 article cited successful nan "60 Minutes" broadcast likening driving nan Countach to losing your virginity. I'm definite that driving a Countach successful nan '80s was an exhilarating experience, but this is nary spot for that benignant of diction.

We unrecorded successful a overmuch different world now than successful 1987, a world pinch overmuch stricter emissions and information regulations that would ne'er let for a car arsenic maniacal arsenic nan Countach. And honestly, pinch overzealous and underexperienced societal media influencers totaling their caller McLarens and Ferraris, tin you ideate if they were driving thing arsenic unadulterated arsenic a Countach? Not moreover nan modern Countach LPI 800-4 rather lives up to its ancestor's insanity. 

Thankfully contempt being owned by nan sensible Germans, Lamborghinis are still ostentatious, loud, exhilarating, and evocative, but nan days of nan unalloyed and earthy cars for illustration nan Countach are gone. One return that I admit though comes from nan magnificently mustachioed editor and patient of Automobile Magazine David E. Davis, who says "I firmly judge that anyone who's worthy thing astatine each should ain a 12-cylinder car earlier they die, because there's thing for illustration it." I deliberation nan world would beryllium a amended spot if that were nan case. In nan meantime, we'll person to do pinch listening to nan people aspirated Lamborghini V12 roar successful nan POV footage successful this documentary.