LP750 SV Valentino Balboni Exhaust System
Introduction
Why does the VB LP750 SV exhaust system carry the name Valentino Balboni, and who exactly is he? Not everyone knows the answer, but true Lamborghini enthusiasts should be familiar with his story. Valentino Balboni devoted 40 years of his life to cars from this brand.
Biography
Valentino Balboni was born on May 13, 1949, in the Italian village of Casumaro. The village is near Cento and sits between the provinces of Ferrara and Modena, just a little over 10 km from the birthplace of Ferruccio Lamborghini.
How did a village boy find his way to Lamborghini? The story was later told by Alfredo Pizzi, the priest from Balboni’s parish. He had accompanied Valentino and other local boys to a friendly football match in Sant’Agata Bolognese. While near the Lamborghini factory, young Valentino watched workers unloading Miura bodies that had arrived from Bertone. After receiving permission from the priest to stay near the plant a little longer, he spoke with factory employees, who saw his passion for cars and advised him to apply for a position. Just a week later, he was accepted as a trainee by Ferruccio Lamborghini himself.
After starting as a mechanic’s apprentice, Valentino Balboni eventually persuaded the team to let him join Bob Wallace on test drives of brand-new cars. Over the following 35 years, he personally tested around 80% of all Lamborghini vehicles built during that period. That is what made him a living legend among Lamborghini enthusiasts and far beyond the brand itself.
Achievements
In recognition of his contribution to Automobili Lamborghini SpA, the company dedicated a special Lamborghini series to him in 2009. Based on the Gallardo platform, it was named the LP550-2 Valentino Balboni. Production was limited to 250 units. The cars were configured according to Balboni’s personal preferences, with rear-wheel drive and chassis settings chosen to deliver a sharper and more involving driving experience. They were also finished with white and gold center stripes inspired by the look of 1970s sports cars.
The Creation of the VB Brand
Today, Valentino Balboni is the former chief test driver of Automobili Lamborghini SpA. Even now, he remains one of the world’s most respected specialists when it comes to Lamborghini automobiles.
After retirement, Valentino Balboni spent several years working as a consultant for Automobili Lamborghini SpA before turning his attention to personal projects. One of them became “VB”, a brand created to develop and sell upgrade components for Lamborghini vehicles. The debut took place on August 20, 2016, at Concorso Italiano in Monterey Bay, California. The first product presented by the new company was a titanium exhaust system developed specifically for the Aventador LP750-4 SuperVeloce.
Aventador LP750-4 SV VB Exhaust System Overview
This titanium system weighs just 6.3 kg, which is 23 kg less than the factory setup. According to the official VB press release, the new exhaust was designed to introduce “a new dimension in sound.” VB planned to produce only 30 examples of the VB LP750-4 SV exhaust system. Each system carries the “VB” logo and a signed plaque bearing Valentino Balboni’s autograph. The logo itself is derived from the names of two locations in the Modena area that Balboni used for testing Lamborghini cars.
Every exhaust system is made by hand. Production of each unit takes more than 350 hours, and it is easy to understand why when you study its complex shape, the quality of the welds, and the level of finish throughout the entire structure.
The VB LP750 SV exhaust system fits the vehicle precisely and mounts in the same way as the original unit. No additional modifications are required, and installation time is estimated at around 4 to 5 hours.
The VB LP750 SV system does not use valves. The goal behind its development was to make the Lamborghini Aventador LP750-4 SV sing, rather than simply create the loudest exhaust system possible.
After dyno testing, the VB LP750-4 SV system showed a modest gain of around 10 hp, although Valentino Balboni himself was confident that the car already had more than enough power. The system is a cat-back design, which means the emissions class and overall environmental compliance remain unchanged.
Each system was supplied with a handcrafted titanium display stand, a transport case, and a book personally signed by Valentino Balboni.
The first systems were expected to begin shipping to customers between December 2016 and January 2017.
