2014 - Vmax200 EvoMax

Wow what a day.  Thanks to Amos Menin and Craig Williams for inviting me to Vmax200 with EvoMax last weekend.  It required an early start, with Max and I waking at 4:00am on Saturday morning before attempting to creep a 5ltr V12 carb fed Countach out of the garage without waking the whole of Newcastle at 4:30!!!!

We took a leisurely 200 mile drive down to Vmax and were the first car to arrive at 8:15am, stopping once for fuel at Woodall Services.  The Countach was brimmed before we set-off, which highlighted a slight issue with the fuel pump within the near-side fuel tank which would only take a few litres, whereas the off-side tank was almost empty.  No matter she was running well.


The setting for Vmax is amazing with old planes littering the roads around the airfield. It was clear #blasst was not going to outrun the modern metal, and there was no way I wanted to replace the clutch after removing the engine twice in the past 3 years already, so gently off the line was the plan for the day.

Footage from the Countach

I was pleased to see so many people enjoying the Countach and what it stands for in the history of the Supercar, and love the footage Martyn and Richard took from the 911 Turbo when we ran together.

After a full day on track we were one of the last cars to leave and head back to Newcastle, running in Convoy with the @supercardriver gang in the Ford GT Mirage 720 and 9ff.

200 miles south, Vmax200, then 200 miles home in a day with no problems. That my girl.

So what did she do? I don't know, but somewhere in the 140-150 mark. Now I'll have to fix that fuel pump before the next run to see if that helps at the top end.

2013 - Lamborghini 50th Tour - Tour number 4 - Loro to Monaco via Factory

I'm at Donington (and a bit of Alton Towers) whilst the Euro Trip continues.

Fab Trip

19th to 20th MAY

Got an offer I couldn't refuse, how would I like to use Tris's Countach in Italy with Dave Bell (ace supercar technician from Autolinkgarage Newcastle) who I'd shared many a pint with on Geneva 'Show and Snow' events "trademark pending". Well it took me all of 10 seconds; not only that but Cov said we could use his apartment in Loro.  A quick look at Ryanair to Pisa and a hire car to get to  Loro Ciuffena-, £103 all in for two of us. Bargain of the century. However the little Panda had more traveling  to do than I thought.

Arezzo

When we picked BLASST up from a couple of lovely ex-pats organised by Neil Bowers in Loro,  we found out the plan had changed and the Lambo was now wanted in Monaco!!!!! The little Panda hire car has some work to do this weekend.  Tris suspected the brakes were binding so I checked them out with Dave, nothing serious, so we went sightseeing to Florence.  You can't begin to imagine the stir a Countach causes in Italy, winding down busy cobbled streets; the noise echoing from the walls as we carved our way through milling crowds; no end of one way streets to the only parking space in Florence was amazing. We finished the day with a fabulous visit to Arezzo  a beautiful town surrounded by an impressive Roman wall. Back home, bite to eat with Neil and Linda Bowers and another night at Cov's place.

Cov's appartment outside Loro Ciufenna

Up early the next day and Dave and I travelled to S Agata Bolognese, where BLASST was made almost thirty years ago, funny how many little hatchbacks want to mix it with a Countach.... they didn't ..... We caused a stir putting it in the Factory  car park,  god its loud even just parking it.

S Agata on route to the Factory

Factory Visit no 2

Dave and I asked at reception where the museum and factory tour was, we posed for a few photos and followed a group of visitors to the factory tour, was well impressed with the freedom to explore the factory, we saw a new Aventator coming off the line and filling up for the first time, lots of visitors dressed casually were milling around, busy we thought, Dave and I wandered over to the cafeteria and noticed there were an awful lot of visitors in there already....  As we were trying to figure out the way in, a gentleman came over and introduced himself as Valentino Balboni, he asked if we were in the Countach we said yes and wondered were the museum was, he pointed to the big doors we came through and said the factory tour was out there too and he would show us, meanwhile did we need lunch. We had a very pleasant lunch in the Staff canteen with Lamborghini's most famous test driver and finally realised that somehow we had been in the factory on our own!  Valentino organised the actual factory tour for us which is highly recommended, what a nice guy.

Dave and I were up next day at the crack of dawn with Monaco in our sights , but unfortunately I had to drive the little Fiat Panda from very near Florence down to Monaco whilst Dave drove the Countach. I was always in front so Dave didn't lose me,  but for over 200 miles I couldn't shake off two guys in a Citroen Berlingo van with ladders on the roof, they must have been mystified how a 1.2 Panda could stay in from of a Countach for so long, I was mystified how the van could maintain a steady 80mph and that Italian workmen will travel over 200 miles to a job. We left the Lambo in a hotel car parkin Monaco for Tris to use during the GP weekend, she did well, never missed a beat did well over 700 miles in 3 days, unforgettable.

2013 - Lamborghini 50th Tour - Tour number 3 - Ferruccio's Vineyard

Day number 2 from Dave, whilst I'm at work..... hmm  Just not on.

Lamborghini Wine anybody?

Today we drove from our hotel in Convoy (10 cars) to Patrizia Lamborghini’s vineyard and resort in Panicorola, to meet with the rest of the participants.

There we met Ferruccio’s widow.

Ferruccio Lamborghini's widow welcomes the tour

A small local museum is located their and Gino had drove the only Lamborghini that Ferruccio bought new from Sweden - a white LP500S.

The only Lambo Ferruccio ever owned himself. A Countach

After a look around the museum and a short video display, we then had a tour around the cellars (there’s a lot of unused capacity as Ferruccio thought he would initially become part of a local conglomerate of wine producers), and this was where we had a rather nice lunch of local meat, cheese, cake and of course wine.

A small photo shoot then took place.

Blasst at home with her family

Following lunch we drove in convoy to Lago di Trasimeno, for a boat trip to Isola Maggiore. There we enjoyed a beer and a walk around the island.

Then it was back to the hotel and another meal out at the other hotel.

2013 - Lamborghini 50th Tour - Tour number 3 including a Christening

Whilst I was searching for a bag in the streets of Bologna and enjoying the hospitality, or not, from British Airways, my Lambo 50 co-pilot was preparing for tour number three for Blasst.  The Lamborghini Family Tour down at the lake just south of our Rome to Bologna lunch stop.  Therefore he returns to Loro Ciufenna and the Bowers/Cavoto clan to meet up with my usual rally partner, and intermarque championship co-driver Mark Cavoto (Cov) who has just arrived from Buxton.

Over to David for the updates:

After a busy night at the Factory Party, Tris was heading home via BA, and I was returning to the quiet factory car park to pick up the Countach for the next leg of its Journey…. to the FerruccioDay2013 event with Cov.

First I had to drive the 2 hours to Loro Ciuffenna to meet up with Cov - negotiating the Motorway tolls in a RHD car is not easy at the best of times, but even more difficult when you know you have to jump out of the seat, and run around the car!

After 2 hours, I was in Loro but I had approached the old bridge from the wrong side and was unable to get across, after getting some very sketchy directions I ended up in a housing estate, getting flashed at by Uncle Neil, which was extremely fortunate.

A quick trip around the new bridge, and I was parked outside Neil and Linda’s house. A quick change of clothes and I was ready to go to the Christening…. that I’d been mysteriously invited too… in a Roman Catholic Church in another village.

View from Neil's new home in Loro Ciufenna

Leaving the Countach behind, I jumped in Neil’s car, to go to church with Neil, Linda and Lisa. The modern church was quite surprising, and so was the length of the service (about 25 minutes - no hymns or communion) followed by photographs everywhere.

Italian Christening for with the Bowers

We then quickly popped to Jonty’s wife’s parents house to wish everyone the best, negotiating the tight overgrown cambered entrance in both directions.

Amanda Bowers looking Cute

Topped up with fuel (always a mini adventure in itself) I jump into the passenger seat and let Cov drive us both down to the starting point for Tour number 3.  

About 1 hour later we arrived at our Hotel in Tuscany..

HOTEL BORGO TRE ROSEVia i palazzi, 5
53040 Valiano di Montepulciano (Siena)

View from the first hotel

After checking in, we then drove to 

HOTEL RELAIS ALLA CORTE DEL SOLE
Località I Giorgi
06061 Petrignano sul Lago (Perugia)

for a few drinks and snacks, and to meet some of the other guests including Olivier, Philippe, Jon and Sheryl (the latter 2 from Perth driving a hired Gallardo Performante).

Let's see how the family event compares with the factory tour...........  It's going to be a hard trip to follow....