Valentino Balboni was Lamborghini's celebrated test driver for 40 years, driving 80 per cent of all Lamborghinis ever made: he only retired in October 2008 because Italian work regulations forced him to. In honour, Lamborghini created the limited edition 2009 Gallardo LP550-2 Valentino Balboni. Rear-wheel drive, not four-wheel drive, because that's what Balboni preferred.
Now he's decided it's time to cash in on his petrolhead celebrity status himself, and launch his own brand: VB will sell ultra-exclusive, often-limited-edition aftermarket components for supercars. And the automotive brand he's using to launch his new firm? What else, but Lamborghini.
So, on 20 August at Concorso Italiano, an Aventador LP-750 SV will be revealed wearing an ultralightweight limited-to-30-units titanium exhaust, which Balboni is already describing as "a new dimension in sound" as well as "state of the art". With each taking 350 hours to construct, this is going to be quite some exhaust.
It's made from grade 2 titanium which is fully hand formed, mounted on billet cut titanium mounts and, cannily, bolts straight onto the car using the OEM fixtures. And it's light. Very light. The system weighs just 6.3kg, guaranteeing it's going to cost a fortune but also be the absolute must-have for every 'supercars in London' Lamborghini Aventador owner worth their salt.
The Aventador cans will be the first in a range of Balboni gear, so expect plenty more shots of expensive aerospace-grade supercar components being turned into luxury goods in coming months. Hopefully not all priced as borderline-ruinous as we suspect this Aventador exhaust is going to be...
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