Lamborghini has opened a new showroom in Leeds bringing these lust-after motors to Yorkshire. Kathryn Armstrong joined them on a tour of the county’s finest routes.
You may have seen cycles taking on the Buttertubs Pass near Hawes in the Yorkshire Dales during the Tour de France, but a fleet of Lamborghinis is a another sight to behold on this amazing stretch of road.
Quite what you call a collective of Lamborghinis is debatable. Given their Italian heritage, a 'lust' of Lambos works. Or maybe, given their speed, a 'lightning' of Lamborghinis?
Whatever, these smart motors are the stuff of dreams and particularly love the challenge of the Buttertubs Pass, a road described by Jeremy Clarkson as 'England's only truly spectactular road'.
Getting there requires a squeeze through tiny village streets and over bridges so tight you actually breathe in as you navigate through. They challenge throaty engines and anticipate performance on empty roads ahead.
The cars' Latin charm means they are made to take in looks, stares and long, slow whistles of appreciation. Not to mention the whoops and wonder of a bunch of schoolkids waiting to cross the road in Knaresborough the next day, who can't get their phones out fast enough to take photos of these beauties revving at the lights.
Even if you're not one of those people who do that revving kind of thing, these cars will gleefully turn you into one, that's what happens once you're at the wheel. Playthings with power.
These are notable and remarked-upon vehicles, from the Huracán EVO coupé to the Spyder, causing stirs and stares as they are let loose on a tour of their new Yorkshire surroundings to mark the arrival of the new Lamborghini showroom in Leeds.
The newly-built showroom is owned and operated by Park's Motor Group, and is the first Lamborghini franchise for the privately-owned company: Park's has more than 60 dealerships in Scotland and the north of England.
Located on the south east of Leeds with easy M1 access, it provides a spacious display area for new and pre-owned vehicles, reflecting the demand for the new Super SUV, the Lamborghini Urus, as well as the iconic V12 Aventador and V10 Huracán super sports cars.
These were among the models taken on their Dales' drive from showroom through villages to a first stop at Broughton Hall near Skipton.
There is an expectation that super SUV Lamborghini Urus (£165k), will deliver for a new market of drivers - unashamedly, families. More than a car, it is a beautiful place to spend some time. It's a cocoon with a kick. Devastatingly gentle to handle, you hunker down into the seat and almost let it takes the reins.
Andrea Baldi, CEO of Automobili Lamborghini EMEA Region, reckons this model will be a winner for the Lamborghini family and also insists the company is now targeting a female market for all its models.
Speaking at The Yorke Arms in Ramsgill, he explained: 'Urus at the moment has nine months waiting time. Urus arrived and gave us a big boost. (All our cars) are easy to drive and we are aiming more cars at women and have a female advisory board to hear the voice of women more - and understand the mistakes we have made. We expect that in the next decade we will see women customers become at least 30-40 per cent of the total so it's a big target that we have - but it's a must,' he says.
The company expects orders for around 35 cars a year at the Leeds showroom in one of UK's fastest growing regions, despite the Brexit issue.
Says Baldi, 'I don't expect Brexit to destroy the market, I guess there will be maybe a hesitation in the beginning but this will remain one of the biggest markets for us and we will start to increase our market share.'.
An example is the Aventador, 'We launched the car in 2010 now we have sold out until 2021, so it is easy to imagine that after that there will be something new.Clearly we are working a lot on the new products and we are going to make sure of that every time we make a significant jump.
'We are very pleased to open our new Leeds dealership. There has never been a more exciting time for the Lamborghini marque and our growing number of owners, with an exceptional three-strong model range and Lamborghini's continuing tradition of ground-breaking achievements in design, technology and performance. Complementing our production cars and limited edition series is the broader Lamborghini world, comprised of exclusive events, exciting exploration of art, culture, heritage and the best of 'Made in Italy', and we look forward to welcoming clients from throughout Yorkshire and the north east to these experiences,' he adds.
The UK is consistently in the top three Lamborghini markets worldwide, headed by the USA, and is the largest within Europe. Automobili Lamborghini delivered a record 4,553 vehicles globally in the first six months of 2019. Growth was largely driven by the Urus Super SUV, with increased deliveries also of super sports car models Aventador and Huracán.
