Lamborghini
is rubbing off

What do you give a motorbike that already has everything? With the Panigale V4, the wish list is a short one. A few more Superbike titles would be nice, to top the eight manufacturers’ titles won by the 916 family. The Panigale V4 R has already bagged five in a row since 2022. Even die-hard Ducatisti have probably long since come to terms with the V2’s retirement in 2018; after all, the Twin-Pulse firing order makes the V4 run like two coupled V2s, thus preserving its familiar character. With its combination of racing pedigree, an engine with MotoGP DNA and a silhouette that commands admiration even without a driving licence, the Panigale V4 has nothing left to prove anyway.

So what do you do? You bring colour into the mix. Just as has now happened. With the V4 S, the Ducati Factory Made programme is making its debut in the Panigale range, meaning the Panigale of your dreams is built directly at the factory in Borgo Panigale. Instead of just red on red, there are eleven colours to choose from, categorised by character: Ducati Red and Ducati Yellow as iconic choices, Thrilling Black and GP19 Red for the style-conscious, and Aviator Grey and Arctic White Silk for connoisseurs. Added to these are five shades from Lamborghini’s Ad Personam catalogue, with names straight out of an opera box: Arancio Xanto, Giallo Belenus, Verde Scandal, Viola Pasifae and Blu Uranus. If that still looks a bit too tame, opt for the Corse or Performance paint schemes and have PRO brakes, an STM dry clutch or adjustable footrests fitted straight from the factory. Incidentally, the standard V4 remains in classic Ducati Red.

Red is, in any case, the colour of winners, as Russell Hill and Robert Barton discovered in 2005. The evolutionary anthropologists from the University of Durham had analysed the Olympic combat sports at the 2004 Athens Games: athletes wearing red won evenly matched contests in more than 60 per cent of cases. Subsequent studies have, however, cast doubt on this effect; another study suggests the reason lies more with the referees, whose perception can be influenced by the colour red. Ducati doesn’t need this, of course, as it’s the stopwatch that counts on the racetrack. Nevertheless, the colour makes a fine impression.

The same goes for the technical innovations. Yes, they’ve been working hard on these at Borgo Panigale too, and have further refined the 2027 model: It now delivers 218 PS – two PS more – thanks to a revised intake system, exhaust system and lubrication. The rev limiter only kicks in at 15,000 rpm in second to fifth gear. The front frame keeps the front tyre better planted on the tarmac at steep lean angles, and the new combination of Dynamic Engine Brake and Race Brake Control allows the rear wheel to assist during braking in a way that was previously reserved mainly for professionals. That means an average lap time reduction of 0.4 seconds at Vallelunga. Not bad at all!

→ Discover the new Ducati Panigale V4