In what may be one of the most Italian things that has ever happened, the Italian State Police rushed a donor kidney from Padua to Rome for a transplant in a Lamborghini Huracan. Last week’s journey is around 483 km, but with the help of a specially-outfitted supercar, the police made it happen in just about two hours at an average speed of 230 km/h — and that’s a journey that normally takes around six.
The police posted a video of the Lambo after the completed journey, and it is just delightful:
Grazie alla nostra @Lamborghini Huracan abbiamo trasportato in tempo il rene di un donatore per il trapianto a una persona
“Per salvare una vita non servono superpoteri” anche solidarietà, tecnologia ed efficienza aiutano @CNTrapianti @MinisteroSalute #essercisempre#5novembre pic.twitter.com/teUxqbMgvW— Polizia di Stato (@poliziadistato) November 5, 2020
Yes, the Italian Police own a Lamborghini and use it as a regular ol’ patrol vehicle most of the time. It’s outfitted with lights, a police computer, and other equipment for traffic stops and arrests. That said, though, the machine isn’t exactly ideal for the day-to-day (where, exactly, do you intend to put someone that you’ve arrested?). It’s still cool as hell for these more extreme circumstances, though.
But for this specific instance, the frunk came in handy. The police force turned it into a refrigerated compartment for organ transport or the delivery of other temperature-sensitive medical supplies.
With a 325 km/h top speed and a 0-60 time of 2.8 seconds, it’s one hell of an efficient vehicle for these high-speed runs.
The Italian police actually own a few different Lambos, with this specific one joining the force back in 2017. It’s a pretty solid use of a supercar, although folks on Twitter have wondered why Italian officials didn’t just use a helicopter to transport the kidney. A Google Maps view of the Policlinico Universitario in Padua, the starting hospital, doesn’t seem to show a helipad or an easily accessible flat area nearby, so a Lamborghini likely made the most sense here.
I hope the receiver of the kidney knows how it was transported. I know that, personally, I’d work to make sure that kidney is well-appreciated for as long as it lasts.
H/t to Mark Longoria! Thank you!