Calling all racers: 2009 Lamborghini Driving Academy bookings open

If you have €3,900 ($4,900) in your pocket and the desire to put an Italian exotic through its paces around a track, then you’re in luck as Lamborghini is once again running its annual Driving Academy. With courses open to all performance enthusiasts - not just Lamborghini owners - the Driving Academy provides a unique opportunity to test a number of different models and be taught by the company’s own professional instructors.

Before you grab your phone and start calling the local Lamborghini dealer, note that only European locations have been announced so far. However, as in previous years, Lamborghini will likely announce some events for the U.S. as well.

Two new courses are being offered. The first is the Track Academy, which will be held at various European race tracks from the second half of the year and allow participants to explore the full potential of the standard Gallardo and the newer Gallardo LP560-4.

The second course is the Advanced Academy, which has been designed to focus on optimum control and performance on the race track, fully supported by a professional in-vehicle telemetry system. Driving is undertaken in the Gallardo LP560-4 and the Murcielago LP640.

All classes include technical and safety briefings, followed by handling and performance exercises, with instruction on how to get the most from race track driving. Participants improve their handling and feel of Lamborghini’s permanent four-wheel drive cars, learn to manage understeer and oversteer, practice maneuvers with and without ABS and ESP, learn how to drift, and find the optimal racing line on a track.

For all this, the €3,900 asking price may still appear to be a little steep for just a weekend’s worth of driving, but remember the price also includes hotel accommodation plus a video recording of your stints on the track.