The Lamborghini Winter Accademia – A dance on thin ice

During their annual Winter Accademia in the picturesque winter scenery of the cozy village Livigno, Lamborghini gets their participant’s rear parts moving. The dance teachers? Instructors and professional race drivers of the Lamborghini Squadra Corse. The music? V10 and V12 engines. The dance? Doesn’t matter as long as you move. And that is guaranteed on Livigno’s thin ice.

Winter Accademia – The 12 Hours of Livigno

Livigno is located in the north of Italy just a few miles away from the Swiss border. A modest village which attracts winter sport enthusiasts during the cold months. During the warmer months it attracts hikers, bikers and whole sports teams to their training camps. At my arrival the sun was shining. Approximately 2000 m above sea level the bright white skirts that adorn the mountain peaks fall down to the valley. The scenery is fantastically beautiful.

And right here in this beautiful part of Italy Lamborghini host their Winter Accademia. Or rather the 12 Hours of Livigno. Through their well structured program participants enjoy pure Italian automotive history. Under pretty tough conditions as well.

May I?

If Lamborghini asks for a dance, you simply don’t refuse the request. Especially if your dance partner is the new Aventador S LP740, which will be introduced shortly at the Geneva Motor Show. Boasting 740 hp and a 6.5-L V12 the upgrade to the iconic bull comes with a high level of temperament.

One of the biggest updates is the four-wheel steering. It helps the car for an unprecedented agility on the glassy parquet. The combination of LDS (Lamborghini Dynamic Steering) and LRS (Lamborghini Rear-wheel Steering) adapts to the speed and the selected driving mode. Driving at lower speeds the rear axle steers in the opposite direction with respect to the front axle. This generates a virtual reduction of the wheelbase for impressive agility in curves. Driving at higher speeds on the other hand both axles rotate in parallel. The virtual extention of the wheelbase ensures full control of the car and higher stability.

Also new is the fourth drive mode EGO. Besides the modes STRADA, SPORT and CORSA, that among other things regulate the maximum distribution of torque between the front and rear axle, the EGO mode now lets you set the pace. The individual settings of engine, gearshift, steering, suspension and stability control have become fully customisable like they have never been before.

Just like the predecessor, the new Aventador S combines dynamic, elegance and aggressiveness in a distinctive design. At the same it has been optimized in regards to power and performance.

The warm up

Under professional supervision of the Lamborghini Squadra Corse you learn a few tips and tricks in no time, that help you to memorize the right step sequence. After a short theoretical introduction and learning about the new technical features and tyres, it is time to warm up.

The warm-up excercises of the day: donuts, 360 turns in the style of 007 and continous drifting using the pendulum effect. Right after that it gets time to hit the track which requires participants to successfully implement all of the techniques.

Waltz or Tango?

The drive with professional GT3 driver Andrea Amici resembles a weightless waltz. His movements seamlessly flow into each other. Unopposed the 1.58 tonnes heavy bull lets itself be guided through the track. He hardly steers. Gentle but dominant his foot regulates the throttle. He lets the rear break out twirling us from one curve into the next one. We’re slickly gliding over the ice to the rythm of the 12 cylinders. It’s as simple as that. At least for Andrea.

It’s a whole different story with the other participants of the Winter Accademia. Having all of the assistence systems switched on the Aventador S generously forgives clusmy steps on its toes. Turning them of however the elegant waltz turns into an unintended tango every now and then. After a short flight the impressive lifts end on top of the soft snow hike. A good dance lives from feelings. And Italians notoriously have a lot of it.

After 12 hours of intensive training and constant feedback from the instructors, even untrained drivers literally get the hang of it. Therefore the driver training in Livigno is suitable for enthusiasts of any level. If you are interested in participating in one of these events you should hurry up since tickets are sold out very fast.

Grazie, Lamborghini! See you next time.

More info about the Winter Accademia: Lamborghini