Well, this story was originally meant for the 25th anniversary issue of the magazine. In a way this is better, since with 25 stories in it, even a red Lamborghini could have been lost in all those pages. So, the idea was to go for a dad and daughter breakfast date in a Lamborghini; we did something similar when Miura was ten or twelve. But today, at 22, she has her opinions, beliefs and outlook. And yes, she drives.
The excitement in her eyes was palpable, but she has learnt to downplay emotions unless she is with extremely close friends and family. Waking up Miura has not been a tough act, unlike her temperamental namesake from Sant’Agata Bolognese. She was all set and eager to go even before the sun peeped out. She yanked the key to my Mahindra XUV700, and we took off — she never misses a chance to drive. She learnt to drive in our old Mercedes Benz C-Class, but she also went to a proper driving school and got her license. And I have to admit that she is a good, careful driver.
Alas, she was not supposed to drive today. Lamborghini India has very strict rules, for obvious reasons, and that means the performance-car experience is a must to take anything from their stable out for a drive. What follows is a loose transcription of the conversation I had with her as we slithered around the avenues of Mumbai. As expected, the Huracán EVO Spyder’s ride quality was impossibly bad over bad roads and got better as the asphalt smoothened out. It is a shame one cannot see the sculptured V10 as the roof folds in. But, oh boy, you can hear it!
Morning walkers stalled and took pics, and children screamed as I blipped the throttle to invoke the devils hidden in the 5.2-litre ten-cylinder block. You can’t go fast thanks to speed cameras and speed breakers, but nothing could stop me from flooring the pedal to impress Miura — 0 to 100 kph in 3.1 seconds? How about escaping the clutches of the camera car three or four times in ‘track’ mode? Talk about perfectly legal rear-wheel-drive fun! But this car is also about drop-dead gorgeous looks, and I will let Kaizad’s superb photography do the talking! — Bijoy Kumar Y
BKY: So, did you, at any given point of time, think that naming you after a car, or for that matter a bull breeder, was an unfortunate thing to do?
Miura: Not really. I always get the occasional confused looks and countless spelling errors, but I never let it bother me (I keep a list of all the ways my name has been misspelt). I was always aware of how unique my name was, and with a name like this, I would always command attention. Well, it was a good thing when I discovered I like attention. I’ve always considered it to be a conversation starter, which continues to hold true.
BKY: What is Gen Z’s opinion on ultra-luxury sports cars that are more of a trophy than a functional mode of transport?
M: As a token Gen Z kid who grew up around kids who fantasised about getting their hands on luxury cars, no matter how good the specs of a car may be, there will always be a tinge of trophy-ness attached to a sports car. With the first specimens of Gen Z now being adult people with adult money, you see a lot more reviews on the functionality of sports cars on the Internet. You can always purchase a family-friendly SUV from the plethora of good choices out there, but who said the Urus is not family-friendly?
BKY: How important is legacy when it comes to building successful brands like Lamborghini? The side stories of the original creators and such?
M: Legacy is always important. It pains me to see legendary brands of car dilute their essence to pander to an audience that can’t even remember what reel they watched two swipes ago (I am no exception). You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink. In the same way, Lamborghini can enrich their brand’s appeal by leaning into their rich history, but only those who truly understand it will appreciate its nature. The rest will click pictures and those will disappear in 24 hours.
BKY: What’ll you do as a social media student to get more reach for the vehicles in the country? If you’re the social media manager for Lamborghini, what would you do?
M: Collaborate! Mumbai alone is home to a galaxy of stars from the Bollywood universe, many of which have their own pet Lamborghinis that haunt the gullies of the town. Get together with these stars and feature their story on what led them to get their first Lambo. An audience loves two things: a heartfelt story, and celebrities. Mix those two together with some sugar and spice, and you can have a lovely cocktail of social media engagement.
BKY: Can there be an electric Lamborghini?
M: Realistically, that is the next stage of vehicle evolution. Everyone and their mother’s cars are soon going electric. But there are elements to a 10-cylinder engine that will be heavily missed. The sheer sound of the car as it starts that shakes crows from their slumber. It would be like asking for an americano and getting a latte. The strength is such a vital part of Lamborghini’s legacy (as we mentioned before) that attracts people. For the eco conscious sports car fan, it’s a good sale, but for the fanatic it’s a foamy latte they never ordered.
BKY: Which celebrity do you think of when you see a Huracán convertible?
M: I can just envision Ranveer Singh and Deepika Padukone slinking through the streets of Bombay in their haute couture, on their way to a private dinner. DP’s hair in the wind, Ranveer waving to his fans at the signal. It’s the perfect fit.
BKY: If you could drive this car with no restrictions, where would you go and why?
M: If I had to say a place, I’d say New Zealand, solely from the tales I’ve heard of your adventures there. Long, smooth roads littered with sheep on either side. All I need is a playlist to fit the mood and I’m set. But realistically, give me toll money and I’ll do laps of the new Atal Setu bridge, or even the Bandra-Worli Sea Link.
BKY: Which musicians do you think of when you think of Lamborghini?
M: The space cowboy himself, Jamiroquai. His metallic purple Diablo in the Cosmic Girl music video has me on my knees. Purple is my favourite colour and that car has a special place in my heart, for obvious reasons
BKY: Should Lamborghini focus on pure sports cars rather than SUVs?
M: Too much of a good thing can also be bad. Pure sports cars, no matter how nice, are not super practical. For someone who’s travelled through Mumbai streets in cars, autos and on bikes alike, a low-riding car is no match for the hills that are some speed breakers out there. Plus I don’t think there are a lot of older couples going on a date night without their kids in a two-seater sports car. Family dynamics are established in the back seats of a cramped car on the way to dinner. You can’t expect Indians to get past that to buy a sports car. So, SUVs are the right way to crack into a larger market and earn enough to still manufacture the low riders for those who dare to own them.
BKY: If you had all the money in the world, would you ever buy a Lamborghini?
M: Of course. I think I would disappoint my ancestors if I literally didn’t live up to my name. I have a scale model of an orange Miura on my desk, I’ve grown up around scale models and life-sized ones, and it’s one of those prophecies that was written the day I was born. Miura will buy a Lamborghini — but first she will go to college.
