May 5, 2009

Valentine to Valentino

How would you like to tour in a Lamborghini? How would you like to make that tour with famed Lamborghini test driver Valentino Balboni? If you answered yes to these questions and hold a major credit card, your dream can well be realized. Gotham Dream Cars (GDC), an “ultra-exotic” car rental company and membership car club, will hold its first ever Legends Dream Car Tour, between June 9 and 10. This “intimate” event will give car lovers the opportunity to drive the latest Lamborghinis with Balboni (not to be confused with Frank Zamboni) on more than 150 miles of scenic, open roads in the New York area.

"The Dream Car Tour allows people to escape for a day while driving the cars of their dreams, whether they're Ferraris, Lamborghinis, Bentleys or Aston Martins,” said Noah Lehmann-Haupt, founder and CEO of Gotham Dream Cars. “We created the Legends Dream Car Tour to offer enthusiasts the chance to blow off some steam and at the same time have an up-close and personal experience with automotive legends. We are pleased to invite enthusiasts to meet, drive with and commemorate Lamborghini’s most legendary driver in an adrenaline-packed, four-hour drive.”

The Legends Dream Car Tour will consist of a morning session (8 a.m. - 1 p.m.) and afternoon session (2 p.m. - 7 p.m.) on both June 9 and 10. The Tour will allow participants the chance to spend time with Balboni and pilot several of the newest Lamborghini models, including the successor to the best-selling Lamborghini of all time -- the Gallardo LP 560-4 -- along with the Gallardo Spyder, the Murciélago and the ultrapowerful Murciélago LP 640.

Each tour will include breakfast or lunch (depending on the choice of session participants) at GDC’s clubhouse in northern New Jersey, a full vehicle overview and safety presentation, and a meet-and-greet session with Balboni. The tour will then put participants behind the wheel of each of the five cars -- including time riding shotgun to Balboni, who leads the tour as the grand marshal. Seats for the tour must be reserved in advance and can be purchased for $1,495 per driver. Non-driving passengers can attend free of charge. There will be four tours offered for a total of two days, with space limited to a total of only 40 spots. For more information or event registration, call 877-2-GOTHAM.