Americans! Race a Lambo for $17.5k!

We're known as champions of consumer advice here on Top Gear. No, really, we are. And we've got a little nugget for all you Americans that live in the United States of Americans.

Lamborghini has just announced the cost of competing in this year's brand-new Super Trofeo race series in America, and it costs just $17,500 per driver.

So, for around $300 more than a base-spec Chevrolet Cruze, you can partner another driver who has squandered the ‘sensible car fund' and race a 570bhp, V10-engined racing Lamborghini Gallardo at some rather smashing circuits.

As you know, the Super Trofeo has been gunning for some time now, but it's the first time the Lambos have hopped across the pond to race in the States. The series begins on July 5th at the American Le Mans North East GP at Lime Rock Park, then onto the Kansas Speedway, the Calabogie Motorsports Park in Canada, Virginia International Speedway and the Auto Club Speedway in California.

The best drivers from the American Super Trofeo series will then race against the best from Europe and Asia in a Lamborghini Battle Royale in Vallelunga, Rome, in November.

For your money, you get 120 minutes of practice, a 40 minute qualifying session, and two 50-minute races, which is over four hours of track time per weekend. That's $17,500 per driver, for 20 hours in a racing Lamborghini, versus quite a few thousand more hours if you bought the Cruze. But your hours in the Cruze won't be filled with carbon fibre and oversteer and noise and horsepower and clapping fans and possible podiums. They will be filled with monotone, crushingly disappointing runs to the supermarket, with only the hammers-blow of regret that you didn't buy a seat in a Gallardo, keeping you company. That's a lot of time to be spent in angst.

The fee - $35k per car - includes the four-wheel-drive LP570-4, full service package, car transportation, a Pirelli tyre package, driver race suits, trackside hospitality and, erm, parking. Though if you've pilfered from the ‘sensible car fund', you may only need a bus pass and a good excuse to your partner.

What are you waiting for?

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