Yahoo Finance Every Car Enthusiast Should Visit Italy's Motor Valley
Whether you are a car enthusiast or not, the Emilia-Romagna region is a place you should add to your bucket list. Found in the northern part of Italy, the region is home to cities including Bologna, Ravenna, Modena, Parma, and Ferrara. Emilia-Romagna, also known as Motor Valley, is the beating heart of Italian car culture. You can find some of the best-known Italian automotive brands here such as Ferrari, Lamborghini, Maserati, Pagani, De Tomaso, Dallara, and Ducati. Automotive factories, museums, racetracks, and driving roads are just the beginning: you can also indulge in delicious food and wine and explore historical sites in the area. We spent a few days in some of the cities within Emilia-Romagna driving, eating, and learning. After reading this, we won't be surprised do the same.
The Motor Valley Festival is a celebration of engines, innovation, culture, and the food and wine of this unique region. The fifth annual event took place in May. Part of the 2023 Motor Valley Festival was the Cavallino Classic Modena in its third edition. It is a concours d'elegance that celebrates some of the best classic Ferraris.
This year, 32 participating cars were presented for judging on the lawn of Casa Maria Luigia before parading through the historic streets of Modena to Palazzo Ducale in Piazza Roma. Locals flocked to experience the parade firsthand and to take in the sights, sounds, and smells of the cars.
Cars poured into the grand square, revving their engines to signal that they had arrived. They pulled onto an elevated stage for a brief introduction before parking in front of the beautiful palace and letting visitors get up close and personal with these beautiful machines. The Motor Valley Fest is a lot more than just parades. From May 11 to 14 there were roundtables and conventions, exhibitions of cars from Motor Valley brands, tastings, and, of course, parades.
Later that evening we returned to Piazza Roma and were surprised by the turnout and variety of cars. There were endless rows of old and new Ferraris, Lamborghinis, Alfa Romeos, Lancias, Lotuses, Porsches, and AMGs. One thing was very different from what we’re used to back home: there was not a single American car in sight. With the Palazzo Ducale as the backdrop, this was an extremely picturesque scene. Even as the daylight faded, the square was buzzing with people talking, admiring, and taking photos of the eclectic gathering of cars.
The Ducati Factory and Museum tour in Bologna is a treat even if you are not a motorcycle fan. Our group was taken through the factory where we saw how they build, conduct quality checks, and test every Ducati bike before it leaves the factory. The museum tour starts with a case of old Ducati radio parts and other electronics the company built during World War II before transitioning to become a motorcycle manufacturer. You can then follow the brand's progression through the years and see how they evolved into one of the most prestigious motorcycle marques today.
Once you are done with the tour, make sure you walk around Piazza Maggiore and check out the historical architecture as well as the food markets. If you have some extra time, we also recommend going out into the hilly Bologna countryside and experiencing places like the Palazzo Di Varignana Resort where nature, cuisine, and health come together.
Many of the most coveted Italian car brands reside in Modena. We started at the Maserati factory which has had its home in Modena for over 80 years. During the tour we walked the production line of the Maserati MC20, saw the testing facilities, and were able to sneak a quick peek at the engine lab and paint shop. After the tour, we spent some time in the Maserati Ian showroom, which had a small collection of cars for us to enjoy looking at.
With the recent unveiling of the new 2024 Maserati GranTurismo, the automaker was celebrating the GranTurismo nameplate with a few special cars: a 1947 A6 1500 GranTurismo; the first generation’s last GranTurismo produced, named Zèda; and a 2024 GranTurismo painted in a handful of different colors. This was to showcase the Fuoriserie collection, Maserati’s personalization program, which allows you to pick a custom paint job and a livery, if desired, and to choose from a few wheel and brake caliper options.
Modena is also the home of famed Italian chef Massimo Bottura, who is the chef patron of Osteria Francesca, a three-Michelin-star restaurant located in the heart of Modena. We were able to spend the evening with Massimo and his wife, Lara, at their country home, Casa Maria Luigia, and share a fantastic meal with them learning about his culinary and automotive passions. In fact, his motto for Italy is "Fast cars, slow food."
If you have the need for speed, be sure to stop by the Autodromo Modena where you can purchase two to five laps in a variety of different cars such as the KTM X-Bow, Ferrari 458 Challenge, Lamborghini Gallardo Super Trofeo, Lamborghini Huracán Super Trofeo, or Ferrari 488 Challenge. We piloted the 670-hp Ferrari 488 Challenge car for two laps. The lead instructor ran me through a quick presentation before warming up the car and hopping in the passenger seat. The 1.3-mile circuit gives you a chance to cut loose and burn off some of those pasta calories, but the cost is not for the faint of heart.
Pulling out of the pits onto the track the adrenaline quickly kicked in when I unleashed the full 670 prancing ponies that the 3.9-liter turbo V-8 produces. I reveled in the sound for a second or two before quickly getting on the brakes for Turn 1. Trying not to make a fool of myself, I took the first lap gingerly to get acclimated to the car and track. The instructor next to me provided tips before each corner so I could maximize our experience. As I approached the last corner, I picked up the pace to set myself up for a true test of the 488 Challenge’s acceleration and brakes on the front straightaway. As I pinned the throttle to the floor, I watched as the tachometer climbed furiously to redline like a bat out of hell. The rapid acceleration made the straightaway seem much shorter than it was, and before I knew it, I was stomping on the brakes hard into Turn 1 again.
I picked up the pace during lap 2 as I felt a lot more comfortable and, after a much quicker second lap, made it back to the pits in one piece. Sure, I have experienced insanely fast and agile cars before, but never a race car of this caliber. The 488 Challenge felt so dialed in. The acceleration, turn-in, brakes, and aero all aid in making you feel like a superstar if you treat the car with a healthy dose of respect. This experience was what I was most looking forward to on this trip, and although the drive went quickly, it did not disappoint. I mean, how often does one get to toss a Ferrari race car around a track?
In the heart of Maranello, you will find the Ferrari Factory and Museo Ferrari Maranello. This museum is not to be confused with Museo Enzo Ferrari, which is in Modena. In Maranello, the public can take a bus tour, which takes you through the factory complex and to the Fiorano circuit. Viewing the inside of the factory is only available to clients, Formula 1 sponsors, and selected media. We were able to go inside the factory, and our tour gave us a look into the manufacturing of Ferraris and the beautiful harmony of man and machine working together. On the production line, we saw the assembly of the Ferrari 296 GTB and GTS, Roma and Roma Spider, Portofino M, Purosangue, 812 GTS/Competizione/Competizione A, and Daytona SP3.
Next on the agenda was the Museo Ferrari Maranello, which has a wild collection of classic cars, supercars, hypercars, and race cars. Additionally, you can find plenty of trophies, photographs, and other significant historical memorabilia all throughout the museum. Our favorite room, the Victory Hall, celebrates Formula 1 and the victories of the Scuderia. On display are World Champion Formula 1 cars from 1999 to 2008, plus engines, trophies, and helmets. You can even take a crack at one of their racing simulators for a price.
The Lamborghini Museum, located in Sant’Agata Bolognese, was next. Our tour guide took us through the history of Lamborghini, which is fascinating, and we encourage you to read up on it if you have the time. The tour starts with Lamborghini’s first car, the 350GT, which has a unique and important backstory.
Ferruccio Lamborghini, a very successful tractor manufacturer at the time, bought a Ferrari 250GT but was not happy with it because the clutch kept breaking. He drove to Maranello and knocked on Enzo Ferrari's door, explained his issue, and asked what Ferrari could do to make the clutch more durable. Enzo Ferrari turned him away with a quote that got his blood boiling: "Let me make cars. You stick to making tractors." So he turned around and decided to make sports cars that were better than Enzo Ferrari's. Four months later, the Lamborghini 350GT rolled into the 1964 Geneva motor show, and the rest is history.
The museum is two floors and contains 19 brightly colored cars that we explored. Lamborghinis are the cars I gravitated to most as a kid, and apparently still do today. On display next to its three 1st place victory trophies was the Huracán GT3/GT3 Evo car that took the GTD class victories during the Rolex 24 at Daytona in 2018, 2019, and 2020. The car is displayed as it was when it finished in 2020, battle scars and all.
The Pagani Factory and Museum are located outside Modena in the small town of San Cesario sul Panaro. The Pagani factory only produces around 50 cars each year, and each car takes about three months to build. Inside, the factory was designed to look like an Italian Piazza with beautiful brickwork, street lamps, and even a functional clock tower. The guided tour gives you an inside look at the process each Pagani goes through to become the masterpiece that they are: that includes creating their own carbon fiber, 3D-printing parts, and precisely hand-building each vehicle.
After exploring the production line, we walked into a huge room with three autoclaves, which are like pressure cookers for carbon fiber. The high pressure produces the perfect surface quality of carbon-fiber parts because it prevents air voids from forming. Two of the autoclaves are much larger than the first, because the first was bought by Horacio Pagani himself in 1987 after securing a loan from his bank, and it's still in use to this day. After the tour, we walked out of the factory into the museum, which was filled with sketches, art, historic objects, machines, and seven iconic Pagani models.
I have personally wanted to visit these factories and museums for some time. You can feel all the passion and history in each factory and museum. The Emilia-Romagna region has so much to offer, and it's more than just an automotive experience. We know you will leave satisfied with a full stomach and camera.
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