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take in the view from this medieval
village and its magnificent namesake
castle. I then lunch on chestnut gnocchi
with rico a at La Vecchia, on the village
piazza. While I eat, a crowd tentatively
forms around the car, spellbound by its
sinister good looks. (This will prove to be
a common occurrence in the days ahead.)
After lunch, I return to the road, set-
ting the car in drive mode. In the hills I
steer by what feels like
telepathy. The Aventador’s
gearbox is sharp, with
remarkable traction and
fierce pulling power in the
corners. For a bit of fun I
drop into track mode, step
on the gas and throw the
car into a few tight turns,
which it shrugs off with-
out my needing to brake or
change gears. Emboldened,
I decide to put the Aventador’s F1-grade
engine to the test on an open stretch of
tarmac. In seconds it goes from fun, to
exhilarating, to somewhat unsettling.
2012 LAMBORGHINI AVENTADOR
The bells and whistles
When the horizon begins to warp, I take
my foot off the accelerator.
Rounding a bend, I’m presented with
a sudden, magical tableau of green fields
and steepled villages spread across an
undulating land, like a shaken-out quilt
that’s just settled back onto the bed. I
pull off the road to photograph the scene
from atop a rock. A
polizia
vehicle draws
up beside me, and one of the policemen
saunters over to ask if he can check out
the Aventador. Sure, I say, and return to
my photos.
He comes back a li le while later, look-
ing downcast. “Lamborghini,” he says, “this
is a car of dreams, a dream shared by all
of Italy.” He considers this statement for
a moment, then adds, “But looking at her
makes me feel sad. I can’t help thinking
that the economy, the environment, oil
prices, thewar on speed ... cars like thiswill
soon be restricted to the history books.”
We part ways, him sniffing, me ponder-
ing the irony of a police officer lamenting
the war on speed. The road snakes deeper
into the hills around Rapolano Terme,
where I finally park and bed down for a
couple of nights at Laticastelli. Ownedby a
retiredArgentine poloplayer, this formerly
abandoned centuries-old village has been
painstakingly restored and converted into
a boutique hotel offering long views over
deep valleys, as well as a restaurant hailed
as one of Tuscany’s finest.
I endmy triphere, dreaming retirement
dreams of moss-so ened corners some-
where in ancient Italy, of quiet, unhurried
mornings and goodwine. And, naturally, of
an aircra -inspired supercar always near
to hand to keep things interesting.
CINDY-LOU DALE,
an English writer who
specializes in supercars, has rather amazingly
never been pulled over for speeding.
ABOVE, AND BEYOND
Climbing the road to the Italian mountain village of Compiano pays off in
jaw-dropping views across the Taro River to the Apennine Mountains
Starting Price:
$387,000
Engine:
The rear-
mounted 6.5-liter
V-12 delivers 700
horses and all-wheel
drive via a seven-
speed automated
manual gearbox.
This is a track-tuned
power plant of the
highest order.
Performance:
The
Aventador does
zero to 62 mph in
2.9 seconds and can
hit a top speed of
217 mph. It’s longer,
lighter, narrower and
slightly taller than
its predecessor, but
that’s irrelevant,
really, when all
you’re trying to do is
keep it on the road.
Perks:
There’s an
onboard computer,
a booming Lambor-
ghini sound system
and a rear-view
camera equipped
with parking sensors
to keep the bumper
(such as it is)
pristine. And did
we mention its
menacing power and
jaw-dropping looks?
BOARDINGPASS
Looking to do
an Italian road
trip of your own?
Enjoy 5 inches
of extra legroom
in United’s
Economy Plus
and arrive in
Rome relaxed
and refreshed.
36
MARCH 2012
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