April 6 and 7, 2024 will go down in Automobili Lamborghini history. It was during these two days that the first edition of Lamborghini Arena took place at Imola Circuit, an event organized to celebrate the Sant’Agata Bolognese super sports car maker.
The event brought together the world of Automobili Lamborghini in one place at the same time, honoring the passion and successes of the brand and celebrating past and present, always with an eye to the future. During the two-day event, attendees were given the chance to interact with the carmaker’s innovations and challenge themselves by driving, both in reality and virtually, the many models that sped down the track of the Santerno circuit during the event, as well as the chance to meet some of Lamborghini’s partners at the stands within the circuit paddock.
More than 6000 participants and 380 cars: just some of the numbers from the event, which was open to clients, fans, brand enthusiasts and employees to experience Lamborghini firsthand.
Stephan Winkelmann, Chairman and CEO of Automobili Lamborghini, remarked: “Lamborghini Arena is a celebration of the love and passion that people have for our brand. We are really proud to have staged such a unique event, which comes at a very special time for our company, following last year’s 60th anniversary celebrations and in the 2024 year that coincides with the hybridization of the whole range. We want to share moments that are so important to us with our fans, and the aim is to bring together the whole Lamborghini community in one place at an event that is truly open to everyone, from clients and enthusiasts to employees. These two days were entirely dedicated to Lamborghini style, something we are very proud of.”
Lamborghini Arena was an event full of initiatives involving the whole company in all its parts, highlighting its commitment to innovation and excellence. In line with this tradition, the Sant’Agata Bolognese company has always been associated with state-of-the-art design, and so the festival had to have an area dedicated to Lamborghini Centro Stile. Here, visitors had the chance to admire the original sketches that gave rise to the most recent models and to appreciate the designers at work in creating the iconic lines and angularity typical of Lamborghini, starting from a simple blank page. On the subject of design, the Automobili Lamborghini Museum brought together a selection of artworks in the hospitality area, commissioned in 2023 from artists from all over the world, embodying the brand’s spirit and adrenaline and celebrating the company’s 60th anniversary.
Lamborghini Accessori Originali had a stand at the event and, together with Akrapovič, entertained visitors with a demonstration of car exhaust installation with the chance to listen to their unmistakable sound. The Automobili Lamborghini R&D department also offered an exclusive experience through its Garage Tours, during which technicians, together with enthusiasts, were able to delve into new technical details of the cars, as well as explore new and important insights into the Super Trofeo program. Of course, it was the cars that were the undisputed stars of the event, with a Parade of 352 Lamborghinis on the Imola Circuit track on Sunday, forming one of the most extensive and impressive parades in the company’s history.
Together with Automobili Lamborghini, the many partners of the Sant’Agata Bolognese carmaker offered numerous activities designed for all ages and needs. A kids’ area offered children interactive experiences developed in collaboration with LEGO Italy and the chance to “take to the track” on the Lamborghini and Ducati kids’ track. Activities for adults included the Ducati Desert X and Multistrada test drives along Imola’s city streets. Among the various activities offered by Lamborghini partners, Tod’s presented an area where it was possible to personalize the iconic Gommino loafer developed with Automobili Lamborghini and officially presented in January, thanks to the skills of an artisan from the Marche company.
Pirelli attended the event with a stand featuring a selection of its products homologated for the Lamborghini Urus, where an expert was on hand to provide information and guidance regarding the tires. O2H brought two cryo chambers to the circuit to try out, which involved total immersion of the body at temperatures of up to -140 °C / -220 °F. The hospitality area was enriched by an ambient fragrance dedicated to Automobili Lamborghini created by Culti Milano. Lavazza coffee offered moments of quality relaxation and refreshment, while MR Collection displayed 1:8 scale models of the most iconic cars. Gillette Labs was also present with a stand, where it showcased its products with gifts for guests, accompanied by an interactive challenge in keeping with the theme of the day: to park a radio-controlled truck between two Lamborghini model cars. Prizes were given to the successful participants.
After the first day on the track, on Saturday 6 April Party Night was held at Bologna Fiere exhibition center: an evening of fun in full Lamborghini style, with music from the electronic band Planet Funk. As part of the evening, a symbolic car was presented which, as well as celebrating the event, once again focused attention on the Automobili Lamborghini personalization program: the Revuelto Ad Personam for Lamborghini Arena. This unique car stands out with its livery and special fittings, created through the exclusive Lamborghini Ad Personam department, which recently opened its new studio at the Sant’Agata Bolognese headquarters.
The exterior of this special car features contrasting colors with new carbon fiber elements that create a striking visual effect. The bodywork is painted in Grigio Hati (gray) with details in Verde Scandal (green) that accentuate the car’s lower line, roof, mirror caps and rear diffuser surrounds, all combined with the Verde Chiaro (light green) of the brake calipers. At the rear, the green, white and red colors of the Italian flag embellish the underside of the adjustable rear spoiler. The hood is crisscrossed by two racing-style stripes in Nero Noctis (black), bringing out the performance character of the V12 hybrid plug-in super sports car. The Ad Personam Studio had its own stand at the Lamborghini Arena event, where it showcased its innovations. Using Virtual Reality technology and a headset, clients enjoyed an immersive experience as if they were in the Ad Personam Studio in Sant’Agata Bolognese.
Lamborghini Arena also hosted the official tests for the 16th edition of the Lamborghini Super Trofeo Europe. More than 30 Lamborghini Huracán Super Trofeo EVO2 cars from every corner of the continent took to the Santerno track. Drivers and teams had the chance to perform tests on the same track that will host the first round of the season on 20 and 21 April, at the same time as the prestigious FIA WEC race weekend. Since the inaugural 2009 season, the Lamborghini Super Trofeo event has become one of the most popular and competitive international one-make championships, entirely managed and organized by Lamborghini Squadra Corse.
Derived from the road car of the same name, the Lamborghini Huracán Super Trofeo EVO2 is equipped with a 5.2-liter naturally aspirated V10 engine that delivers a power output of 620 CV. Essenza SCV12 hypercars also took to the tarmac at Imola Circuit. The most exclusive Lamborghini owners’ club was the star of four dedicated rounds on the track over the two-day event, creating a very special occasion for all fans of the brand to see and hear some of the 40 cars fitted with an 830 CV V12 engine designed by Lamborghini Squadra Corse.
One of the latest developments presented at Imola was the announcement of the recent partnership between the Sant’Agata Bolognese carmaker and Babolat, the French sports equipment supplier for tennis, padel, badminton and squash. The prototype of the first BL001 racket, which will be made as a very limited series of 50 units, was presented on the Saturday by Stephan Winkelmann, Chairman and CEO of Automobili Lamborghini, and by Éric Babolat, CEO of Babolat.
Spectators had the exclusive opportunity to watch an exhibition match on the padel court set up for the occasion between professional players, including Juan Lebrón Chincoa and Miguel Semmler. The technical concept and design of the BL001 was the result of almost six months of close collaboration between the Babolat and Automobili Lamborghini R&D teams. The BL001 is produced using an ultra-precise and entirely artisan process, with tests carried out on court and in the laboratory by experts from the French company. The racket was designed using the same tools, process and materials used for the production of cars at Sant’Agata Bolognese.
As well as being a celebration of the company’s present and future, Lamborghini Arena also provided an opportunity to showcase the glorious history of the brand through many of the Sant’Agata Bolognese carmaker’s most iconic models including the Miura, Countach and Diablo. Lamborghini Polo Storico, with its own stand at the event, is the department that preserves the company’s heritage through the management and study of the company archives, as well as restoration and certification of classic Lamborghini models up to the Diablo. As well as exhibiting a recently certified 1998 yellow Diablo VT Roadster with Nero Torpedo (black) interiors, Lamborghini Polo Storico exclusively showcased a Lamborghini Formula 1 car at the Imola Circuit, connecting the history of the Sant’Agata Bolognese carmaker and the circuit hosting the event.
Check out this video showing the entire parade of hundreds of Lamborghini cars on the track:
