Emilia-Romagna could put forward an excellent case to be the cultural heartland of Italy. Parmesan cheese, balsamic vinegar, bolognese and Luciano Pavarotti himself all hail from this affluent region in northern Italy.
But if, like me, you are a petrolhead, there can be no doubt that this is the place to be.
Italy is of course famous for its flamboyant supercars; and almost all of them come from within a few miles of one another.
Modena, at the heart of Emilia-Romagna, is the birthplace of Enzo Ferrari, and the company is still based in Maranello just a few miles away.
And so are Lamborghini, Maserati, Pagani and Ducati – all within easy driving distance of Modena itself.
On a tour, I got a peek inside the production lines – Ferrari and Ducati guarded their secrets closely, with no photographs allowed – while Pagani is less a factory (the company even tries to avoid the word) and more an artisan workshop.
The interior is designed to replicate a Renaissance square, complete with a working clock tower that strikes on the hour and calls the workers to lunch. It was unlike anything I had ever seen.
It’s not just the companies themselves. Everywhere you go, there are names and places that will send shivers of excitement down the spine of those of us with unleaded coursing through our veins.
But we are a dying breed. More often than not, young people don’t care how fast a car goes or how it makes you feel – they care about economy and environmental impact.
As Christopher Pagani, the son of founder Horacio Pagani and the company’s head of marketing, points out: “We are petrolheads. But how many in the younger generation know the difference between a V6, a V8 and a V12?”
Not only that, but the EU has decreed that in just 13 years there will be a total ban on new petrol and diesel cars being produced in a bid to step up the battle against climate change.
This is a problem in Emilia-Romagna. As with all of Italy, tradition is hugely important.
Mention spaghetti bolognese here and you will be treated with disdain – bolognese goes with tagliatelle, and you MUST twist your fork.
As our tour guide told us, every time you cut pasta instead of twirling it “a grandmother in Bologna dies”.
And it is tradition, particularly among Ferrari, Lamborghini and Pagani, to use a huge, powerful V12 petrol engine in their flagship models.
It is part of the DNA of these cars and seen as so important, and the turnaround to fully electric vehicles so short, that the Italian government tried to shield supercar makers from the petrol phase-out planned in 2035.
It seems to be a particular problem for the area’s biggest name: Ferrari.
While Lamborghini is committed to being battery-only by 2030 and Pagani is used to innovation and perhaps less constrained by decades of tradition, Ferrari is yet to launch an all-electric car.
An announcement, I was told, is expected in the near future.
More problematic for the prancing horse is the fact that everything that goes into its cars is hand-built and assembled on-site.
However, there are no signs of a gigafactory to produce batteries for electric cars.
So how can history and tradition be reconciled with meeting regulations and protecting the planet?
The answer may lie, somewhat surprisingly, in food.
After all, the two are intertwined in Emilia-Romagna – the area’s rich agricultural history meant a lot of tractors, and the mechanics that worked on them soon found those skills were transferable to the far more exciting world of motorsport.
It’s well documented that Italians are strict on their cuisine. Even a cappuccino after lunchtime is frowned upon.
But there are some out there who are putting an exciting twist on rules that are normally set in stone.
At Trattoria Da Me in Bologna, chef Elisa has combined the Italian staples of cheese and gelato to create something unmissable and unique.
It sounds crazy, but you only have to try it to see why they’ve done it.
Another of Emilia-Romagna’s most famous sons is Massimo Bottura, a legendary chef consistently named among the world’s best.
Getting a seat at his three-Michelin-star restaurant in Modena is almost impossible but I was lucky enough to sample a six-course meal created by him at Motor Valley Fest’s gala dinner.
Bottura is known for putting a twist on traditional dishes, and Strawberry Fields – combining traditional risotto with strawberries and champagne – was the first time I’ve tasted a mix of strawberry and sausage. It was one of the best things I’ve ever eaten.
So while tradition and history are important to Italians, they are happy to break both when there is innovation done to a high standard.
And innovation is key at Pagani – the region’s youngest hypercar maker. Its two models – the current Huayra and the legendary Zonda – look more like spaceships than road cars.
And while Christopher Pagani has a hint of sadness as he talks about a petrol-less future, he says they will adapt: “We’ve always been looking at the possibilities to do things in the market which aren’t there.
“When the company started 25 years ago it was about using carbon fibre that was only used on race cars.
“A lot of other companies in the area didn’t understand this was a possibility. When my father started everybody thought he was crazy. But he has always been a visionary.
“It is a tricky moment in history. You don’t know what to follow, what to do. Electric cars, the solutions they use make the package very heavy.
“There is space to create something very customised, very engaging that still has the fun. The sound is hard, it’s the trickiest part.”
Proponents of electric cars will point out that the latest electric hypercars have straight-line performance that outstrips even the most advanced petrol cars.
They may be right. But as I was strapped into a 670bhp Ferrari 488 car at the Autodrome di Modena, the last thing on my mind was more power.
This was a dream come true for me, and a huge part of that was the sound, the vibrations and the emotion that comes from a bellowing twin-turbo V8 a few inches behind your ear. It was one of the greatest experiences of my life.
Anyone can do this (providing their pockets are deep enough) and it is a sensation unlike any other. Would it be the same in an electric car? Having never driven one, it is difficult to say.
What I will say is this – just because something is necessary for the greater good, it does not mean we cannot mourn its passing.
When last petrol car rolls off the production line, I will raise a glass of Emilia-Romagna’s finest Lambrusco and quietly lament its passing.
But I feel certain Italy’s innovators will have found a way to make future cars as beautiful, exciting and passionate as those of years gone by.
Where cars are stars
MUSEO FERRARI, MARANELLO – half an hour outside of Modena, and packing some of the world’s most iconic cars. ferrari.com/it
LAMBORGHINI MUSEUM – the same distance from Modena, feast your eyes on the car world’s greatest bedroom wall posters from Italy’s maddest car maker. lamborghini.com
PAGANI AUTOMOBILI – around 20 minutes from Modena is Emilia-Romagna’s newest supercar maker, but one that established itself as a household name. pagani.com
Book the trip
Stay there
Rooms at the ResArt Iàcomus hotel in Bologna start at £78 a night on a room-only basis. resart-iacomus.bologna-hotels.net/en
Rooms at the Best Western Premier Milano Palace Hotel in Modena start at £215 a night B&B. milanopalacehotel.it
Get there
Flights to Bologna operate from Edinburgh, Gatwick, Heathrow, Luton, Manchester and Stansted.
More info
You can also find more information at motorvalley.it and emiliaromagnaturismo.it.
