Balboni goes topless

To me this makes about as much sense as the 430 Scuderia Spyder....
end of post

Monza Rally Show.

Kimi Raikkonen's switch to the WRC may have caught many by surprise but competing across various motorsport disciplines is really nothing new. In the past drivers, well, they just drove whatever, for money or for sport. Jim Clark drove F1, F2 but also Lotus Cortinas and Ford Fairlanes not to mention Indy. Vic Elford was a Rally World Champion with Porsche and an F1 driver with a number of teams. He drove 908 and 917 in endurance races and even won the Nürburgring 84 hr (that's right, 84 hours) of 1967 in the Porsche's first car with a semi automatic transmission. Of course there is John Surtees who was both a 350 and 500cc bike champion and a Formula 1 World Champion.

In this hyper corporate era it's always nice to see some of the biggest names in motorsport letting loose and having fun. In Monza last week we got to see Valentino Rossi and Audi's "Dindo" Capello tear it up in WRC cars. Great Idea the Monza Rally Show, a friendly competition on a special stage created using the Monza circuit. Especially cool is the use of the old abandoned banked track.

Capello is obviously as comfortable with the handbrake on this Citroën as he is with the big Audis at LeMans. This may be a friendly competition but make no mistake, they are still racers: Capello, after he crosses the finish line what he chuckles to navigator Gigi Pirollo roughly translates to: "F-it, If I didn't win with that one I'll cut my nuts off!".

At the end of the highlight clip, Rossi and Capello are speaking and Valentino congratulates the Le Mans winner, "Now we try on motorcycles". But then he tells Dindo they should do some enduros together. Capello suggests an R8.... I'm guessing it might happen. Cool!

More Clips after the jump

Who is Valentino Balboni?

LP550-2
- 550hp
- RWD
- 30kg less
- 10% price reduction over LP560-4

- 8 colors
- sticker white band and gilded edging
- limited 250 units
- 0/100km : 3.9






Technical data – Gallardo LP550-2 Valentino Balboni

Frame & Body

Frame Structural aluminum space frame, based on aluminum
extruded parts welded to aluminum-cast joint elements
Body Aluminum with thermoplastic ″hang on″ parts
Rear Spoiler Electronically controlled
Mirrors External mirror with electrical closing system
Suspension Aluminium double wishbones front and rear suspension
system, anti-roll bar, anti-dive and anti-squat
ESP 8.0 Full ESP System with ABS, ASR and ABD

Airbags

Front Front Dual-Stage driver and passenger airbags, side Headthorax
airbags
Tires (front/rear) Pirelli Pzero 235/35 ZR 19 – 295/30 ZR 19
Wheels (front/rear) Aluminum alloy, 8.5″ x Ø 19”- 11” x Ø 19”
Steering Power-assisted rack and pinion
Curb-to-Curb turning circle 11.50 m (37.73 ft)

Brakes

Steel brakes Power vacuum, aluminum alloy calipers: 8 cylinder front
calipers and 4 cylinder rear calipers
Ventilated discs (front-rear) ø365mm x 34mm (14.37 x 1.34) in front –ø356mm x 32mm (14 x 1.26) in rear
CCB brakes Power vacuum, aluminum alloy calipers: 6 cylinder front
calipers and 4 cylinder rear calipers
Ventilated discs (front-rear) ø380mm x 38mm (15 x 1.5) in front –ø356mm x 32mm (14 x 1.26) in
rear

Motor

Type 10 cylinders V90°, DOHC 4 valves, common-pin crankshaft
Displacement 5.2 l
Compression ratio 12.5:1
Maximum power 550 hp at 8,000 rpm
Maximum torque 540 Nm (398 lb-ft) at 6,500 rpm
Engine management system Bosch MED 9
Cooling system Engine and gearbox radiator
Cooling system oil Oil to Water cooler
Cooling system water Two water radiators
Emission control system Catalytic converters with lambda sensors
Lubrication system Dry sump

Drivetrain

Type of transmission Rear Wheel drive
Gearbox 6 Speed + reverse, an optional robotized sequential e-gear
system with actuation by paddles on the steering column
Clutch Double plate ø 215 mm (8.46’’)
Rear Differential 45% limited slip

Performance

Top speed 320 Km/h (199 mph)
Acceleration 0-100/h (0-62 mph) 3.9 sec

Dimensions

Wheelbase 2560 mm (100.8 in)
Overall length 4345 mm (171,1 in)
Overall width 1900 mm (74.8 in)
Overall height 1165 mm (45.9 in)
Track (front/rear) 1632 mm- 1597mm (64.3 – 62.9 in)
Dry Weight 1380 Kg. (3042 lbs)
Weight distribution (front/rear) Front 43%/rear 57%

Capacities

Engine oil 10 litres (2,6 US gal)
Fuel tank 90 litres (23,8 US gal)
Engine coolant 20 litres (5,3 US gal)
EU - version

Consumption with E-Gear
Urban 20,1 l/100 Km. (14,05 mpg UK)
Extra urban 9,2 l/100 Km (30,70 mpg UK)
Combined 13,3 l/100 Km (21,24 mpg UK)
CO2 315 g/km

Consumption with manual transmission
Urban 22 l/100 Km (12,84 mpg UK)
Extra urban 9.9 l/100 Km (28,53 mpg UK)
Combined 14,4 l/100 Km (19,62 mpg UK)
CO2 341 g/km