State police in Italy were tasked with a rescue mission on Tuesday when two officers used a Lamborghini Huracán to transport kidneys for transplant patients.

"Traveling on the highway to deliver the most beautiful gift of Christmas - life," police said in a statement posted on social media. The organs were sent from Padua in north-east Italy to hospitals in Modena and then to Rome.

Police said the use of the Lamborghini is "essential" as it frees up helicopters to respond to unexpected emergencies.

The Lamborghini Huracán, which has a top speed of 300 km/h, was a 2017 gift to the police from the luxury car maker. It was assigned to the highway patrol in Bologna for use in both normal police operations and emergency blood and organ transport.