by Jack Booker
This artful video features iconic drivers and vintage italian masterpieces!
While the internet is flooded with videos of the latest European hypercars, this video stands out for multiple reasons. It features not one, but two vintage Italian exotics from 1969, the Ferrari 365 GTB/4 “Daytona” and the Lamborghini Miura S “Millechiodi”. The history of these two legendary manufactures is quite long, and the video makes it very clear that the rivalry which began decades ago is still very alive today. Watch the video and see which car wins the ‘race’!
Spoiler alert, this isn’t a serious race but rather a high-speed appreciation of the two works of art. The video is very well done and it presents an engaging story without any dialogue! The leading actor is none other than the historic Valentino Balboni, former chief test driver of Lamborghini, where he served for 40 years! Very few can pilot a bull like he can! Likewise for Ferrari, the Daytona is driven by the Italian racing veteran, Arturo Merzario. With iconic drivers like these, and cars to match, this video is a rare treat.
Sure there is no clear winner, but if they were to actually race, my money is on the mid-engine, modified Miura Millechiodi. Balboni himself called the car an ‘extreme’ Miura. It pops and shoots flames out of the back, while shifting through the gears, and it appears to be a very raw experience when compared to the Daytona. Yes, the Daytona seems almost serene when compared to Lambo. It has a certain elegance that the Miura purposefully avoids. So whether or not the Lamborghini wins the race, the question remains- which car would you rather drive?
The answer should be easy, because the Ferrari is slower and much less rare, but one thing keeps it in the discussion- that unmistakable Ferrari V12 sound. Sure the Ferrari doesn’t shoot flames, but it sounds absolutely amazing, even when compared to the Miura. The Daytona embodies the Ferrari experience and it is well established in the long genealogy of Maranello’s grand tourers. It may indeed be the more pleasurable car to drive.
But the Lamborghini is visceral and far more exclusive than the Daytona. Balboni had not even driven it until very recently. Plus, the Millechiodi looks a lot cooler too (in my opinion). The Miura is an all-time beautiful automobile, and maybe even the first ‘supercar’. This special edition doesn’t exactly improve on the original design, but I wouldn’t say it looks worse either. The Millechiodi is its own thing altogether, and that’s why it is so much more attractive than the Daytona. If you can get past the raw driving experience, the Miura may be the more rewarding car to drive.
In regards to speed, we already established that the Miura is probably the true winner of a hypothetical race, but the drivers are just as important here. While both Balboni and Merzario have more miles than most behind the wheel of Italian greatness, Arturo is the more qualified ‘racer’ here, so maybe this race would be closer than one would think. But since there is no winner in the video and each car would be a uniquely enjoyable experience to drive, we will call this one a tie, and continue to appreciate the vintage glory as the video intends for us to do.
