Bologna airport puts 631-hp Lamborghini follow-me car into service

Enthusiasts visiting Italy's Motor Valley could get a taste of the region's car-building tradition as soon as they land in Bologna. Airport officials renewed their partnership with Lamborghini to let a Huracan Evo loose on the tarmac.

Lamborghini has provided the Bologna Guglielmo Marconi Airport with follow-me cars for several years. The latest raging bull to join the fleet is an all-wheel-drive Huracan Evo powered by a naturally-aspirated, 5.2-liter V10 that delivers 631 horsepower. It's painted in a shade of green named Verde Turbine Matte and it wears specific orange decals, a livery reminiscent of the one seen on the latest Evo-based Super Trofeo race car unveiled earlier in 2021. Pilots need more than a head-turning design to know where they're going, so the Huracan also gains a light bar.

What is a "follow-me car" you may ask? The Huracan's main task is to meet an incoming plane at the end of the runway and guide it to the gate where its passengers will disembark. The driver is constantly in contact with the control tower, changes are not unheard of, so Lamborghini installed a radio in the cabin. How officials will decide who gets to drive the Huracan and who ends up in a 55-horsepower econobox hasn't been revealed; we predict an intense, winner-takes-all round of drawing straws (or tagliatelle, considering we're talking about a city globally known for its pasta-based dishes).

Lamborghini's latest follow-me car will be in service until January 2022, so you might catch a glimpse of it after landing in Bologna. It's not always out, but it's easy to spot if it's on the clock because most of the other cars on the tarmac are small Fiat models, like the 500 and the Panda. And, if you're into airport car-spotting, keep your eyes peeled at Amsterdam's Schiphol airport: KLM still uses older Mercedes-Benz G-Class 4x4s as service vehicles.

By Ronan Glon