Not many women can claim they’ve driven a Lamborghini. In fact, not that many men can claim that either. In 2023, Lamborghini sold in 263 cars in Australia and only 11 per cent of those were to women (that’s only 28 cars).
So when Lamborghini invited me to Adelaide for two days of Lamborghini Esperienza Corsa action and I could use the hashtag #shedrivesalambo for all my influencer (influenzing as my mate Michael Masi so thoroughly enjoys calling it), I couldn’t throw my drivers license at them quickly enough.
We were to be driving a fleet of Huracan Tecnicas around one Australia’s top supercar sandpits, The Bend Motorsport Park in South Australia. Outside of Phillip Island and Bathurst there is no track that car journo’s enjoy more. You won’t kill yourself or the car (hello Bathurst) and the venue and track are world class, just ask any international rider or driver who’s been here. To drive one of the world’s top supercars on this track is a mind boggling experience.
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So who were these women that drive Lambos? They weren’t media, I was the only journalist. They must be the ultimate ‘Auto Queens’ I decided. When a Huracan Tecnica will set you back about $450,000 (before on-roads) not only do you need to be boss enough to comfortably spend in these hectic financial times but you need the hutzpah to drive one of these things and to cope with the non-stop attention is garners. I was expecting vivacious, savvy powerhouses and I was pretty bang on, operating with a level of class and sophistication that isn’t always expected in a stereotypical Lambo driver. Very down to earth and very good behind the wheel. Of course there were a few outrageous personalities but I would be disappointed if there weren’t. And I was dying to meet them!
Susan from Brisbane, grew up on a cane farm in North Queensland and had been driving since she was eight. Her garage currently consists of a Ferrari F8 Spider, Huracan Tecnica and, for good balance, a Toyota HiLux Rogue. She also has a gold Huracan arriving about now, you may be able to spot her from the moon. Susan is also a track day enthusiast and knows how to put down a lap because she enjoys the data. And similar to Susan, for most attending it was not their first Lamborghini and it was certainly not their first supercar. Some had come to cars through their partners, some had come through their own personal fascination, some were part of car clubs and some were track day regulars – Lamborghini Australia’s dealerships had flown in several of their female clients from each state.
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I sat down next to Melissa and immediately needed to know her life story.
“Outside of driving I’m a mum, I’ve got two girls eight and 10 and I run two property businesses,” she told me. “I’m a small scale developer and I run a real estate agency that focuses on property management.”
Mel’s love for cars started as a teenager with an interest in rally through a boyfriend at the time. Her first car was a Mazda RX-7 Series 3, she explained: “I was very into JDM’s (Japanese Domestic Market – a vehicle that was only sold in Japan for it’s local market) before JDM was even a thing. And because I’m a bit of an entrepreneur, I started importing cars from Japan with grey imports starting with a [Nissan] Skyline.”
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Mel took a 15 year hiatus from cars, returning with a power move purchase of a Ferrari F8. This reignited her love for high-powered engines and the community around them.
“Now I have a Huracan Evo, a McLaren 675LT in the garage and coming is a Corvette Z06 and a V12 Lamborghini Revuelto.”
I asked Mel why Lamborghini: “because the cars are gorgeous, the naturally-aspirated V10 sounds amazing and you just get a real connection to that power and that control that you have when you’re driving a car.”
Mel has now done her fair share of track days and spent way too many hours in her simulator not to mention her side hustle – running a well respected car club @thefastlane.au with a huge a following and massive regular turn out.
The next impressive Auto Queen was Jacqui.
“I bought my first Lamborghini when I was 50, it was a Gallardo,” she explained. “I’m now 62 and I’ve had five in total. I purchased my last one for my birthday last in August and that was a Red Huracan Evo Spider.
“I called it a sex machine,” she laughed.
“I’ve had a Ferrari Testarossa and a Ferrari 458 but I hadn’t had a supercar for 10 years. When I turned 50, my 16 year old son said ‘Mum you’re too young to buy a Ferrari. You don’t want a Ferrari, what you want is a Lambo. Get a Lambo mum.’ The kids thought I was gangster.”
I wondered what people think when Jacqui reveals her Lamborghini black box? Not surprisingly, they want to know how she made the money! And so did I.
“My first business was a milk run back in the day. I had an Italian restaurant, industrial properties, I’ve been a jewellery manufacturer, and owned a jewellery store then manufacturing things like fence, glass, colour bond for schools and airports. I chased the dollar and I tell my kids ‘do the jobs than nobody wants to do on the days that nobody wants to do them.’”
Wise words.
Jacqui retired at the ripe age of 57 after working since she was 14.
“I took three days off after a cesarian for my third child,” she said. “I’m at peace, I’m accomplished. These days pressure to me is getting to pilates on time after school drop off.”
I think you’ve paid your due Jacqui!
So what do you do with an eyeball magnet like a red Huracan Evo Spider?
“I mostly do drive days that Lamborghini organise but I keep it in the middle of my house. I drive right in, it’s next to the kitchen so that on the days that I don’t drive it I feel like I’ve achieved. It’s like an oil painting, I can look at it and go – ‘today’s a hard day but I did that, I own that.'”
I was feeling quite inspired by this stage! After a stunning dinner in central Adelaide, the next morning we all bused out to The Bend Motorsport Park. Those that hadn’t experienced a track day before, were fair to say were mildly apprehensive. But others (Mel) had spent many hours in the simulator and had their ideal lap time embedded in their head.
We were greeted in the Lamborghini hospitality suite that travels the world, a beautifully designed generously sized suite with catering area, simulator and a space for driver briefing. The briefing was where we met our driving instructor for the day – a line-up of former race car drivers including Dean Canto who, if you’re a past fan Supercars, is a bit of a household name. Hallelujah he was to be assigned to my group for most of the day. Good egg that one.
We signed our lives away (little did they know all my assets combined cannot pay for a written off Lamborghini… so I signed TC’s assets off instead) and headed down to the garage to find our beasts. Not your usual Bend race car garage set up; it was decked out with couches, a coffee bar, more snacks and a legit DJ spinning vinyl the entire day. Love your work Lambo.
Understandably some of the group were terrified. These cars require massive amounts of respect, even though they have every bit of technology under the sun to save you in the most sticky situations, their pure power can be frightening. So after a few ‘you’ve got this’ Group one took off.
Driving a Lamborghini, almost any Lamborghini, foot flat to the floor, is a rush unlike anything you’ve ever experienced. Perhaps you own one, but have you taken it to an iconic racetrack and gone flat out? Only then can you truly experience what these cars are capable of. Especially with a highly qualified instructor in the car ahead of you, coaching you how to go faster. Once you start finding flow around a track like the Bend and setting up the final turn so you can get more drive onto the straight, you can understand the black hole of money that is motorsport.
One highlight of the day was watching Peter Crombie-Brown, head of Lamborghini Oceania, spin out at turn 16 as the heavens opened. He took it like a champ. I wouldn’t have wanted to be out there on that slippery surface. If anyone was actually allowed in the kitty litter it was him, certainly not me if I wanted an invite back!
We wrapped the day with certificates of completion, and were all physically and emotionally exhausted. Who knew sitting in a car with your foot flat could take it out of you so fiercely. We were ready for our next stop. Penfolds winery, anyone?
In true Lamborghini style we were taken on a extensive tour of the Penfold’s OG winery with a VIP tasting and dinner in their cellar. Here I was able to quiz the team on the event.
I asked Peter about the program and how it came to Australia.
“We need to do more for our female drivers and since the introduction of Urus we’ve seen more female come into the brand,” he said, referencing the brand’s SUV. “We knew it would go well, we knew it would be successful, but we didn’t realise how well it would go because the feedback from the customers has been that this is amazing, this is great. This is something we’ll likely do yearly, backing it onto of our other events like the Esperienza.”
Lamborghini’s Marketing Manager for South East Asia & Pacific Gianluca Nicosia explained” “it started in the US as #hedrivesaLambo two years ago with the launch of the Huracan Technica, then Dubai and this is first one in this region.”
Talking about the Australian female client base, Peter explained: “it’s a 50/50 mix of Urus and Huracan, they love the opportunity to come and drive these cars.”
So how can you come along to one of these events? You do not have to own a Lamborghini, hurrah! But you need to have a relationship with the dealer, the drive days aren’t publicly advertised. The dealer registers the` interest from the customer, or would be customer, with Lamborghini Australia HQ and you go from there. So ladies I suggest, if this has been either a bucket list activity for you or perhaps you are in the market for your first Raging Bull, touch base with you nearest Lamborghini dealer and go from there. Enjoy!
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