Lamborghini Aventador

Lamborghini interiors do not find it hard to keep up with the exterior. Open the signature scissor or Lambo doors and you are welcomed by swathes of Alcantara and carbon fiber. There is now a trim called carbon skin and the option to leave parts of the carbon fiber tub exposed. The graphics in the instrument display have been updated. As always, this completely digital display can be customized in various ways. While Apple CarPlay is standard, the track-focused Lamborghini telemetry system is an optional extra. Owners who want to customize the interior even further have options of installing LED interior lighting and the limitless potential of the Ad Personam division that can fulfill all your stitching and material requirements. But even without them, the inside of a Lamborghini Aventador is a luxurious place to be in, filled with numerous details and touches inspired by fighter planes. Even the front trunk or the frunk is decently sized for a supercar, although there is a distinct lack of storage space for phones or sunglasses. Still it is the perfect place to be when you unleash the beast sitting behind you.

Few cars have been able to carry off the aerodynamic wedge shape like the Aventador. And this statement is true even today. But the modern Aventador is undeniably more aggressive than what it was at launch. Still, the philosophy is still form follows function. The body has been aerodynamically shaped to have as little drag as possible while also increasing downforce and diverting air to areas that need to be cooled. This is most easily visible in the front with its longer splitter that extends towards the sides. The front intakes are now narrower and come with fang like extensions. Similar improvements can be seen on the sides and the rear with slimmer intakes and a repositioned triple exhaust between the huge diffusers. The active rear wing is now movable in three different positions. But if that isn’t showboaty enough for you, then you can look at The Aventador’s other variants. Frankly, the SV Roadster and the SVJ make the standard Aventador SV look like a shrinking violet. But regardless of which one you get, you will get a lot of looks. And a lot of car going by the dimensions alone. At 4797 mm long, 2030 mm wide and 1136 mm high, the Aventador is essentially like a very wide skateboard riding on 20” front and 21” rear wheels shod with 255/30 front and massive 355/25 rear tires.

Once you’ve fallen into the seat and driven off, you are soon to be surprised by the Aventador’s ride quality. The push rod magneto-rheologic active suspension copes very well with bad roads in street focused Strada mode. When put in Sport or Corsa mode the suspension firms up and the rigid carbon fiber monocoque can be put to work. Combined with the now refined LDS (Lamborghini Dynamic Steering) with variable steering ratio, loads of aerodynamic grip and those massive tires, the Aventador can provide a driving experience that can go toe to toe with the best of them. The four-wheel drive layout and the newly introduced four-wheel steering makes it even more agile than it was before. Still it is best suited for smooth wide roads where it can really stretch its legs. Partly because of how wide it is. For those who demand even more control on their driving dynamics, there is the new Ego mode that can be customized to suit the driver’s individual needs. There are a few supercar niggles like the visibility and the hard seats and the not so communicative steering, but they can all be forgiven.

Just like the interior and the exterior, the engine has also been given a do over. The 6.5 L V12 produces 730 hp at 8400 rpm which is only 9 less than the SVJ. The torque figure is equally impressive at 690 Nm at 5500 rpm. Weighing just over 1500 kg, this translates to a power to weight figure of just a little less than 500 bhp per ton, a 0 to 100 kmph time of 2.9 seconds and a top speed of 350 kmph. It is as lively and rev happy as you might imagine. But it also comes with start-stop system and cylinder on demand to reduce fuel wastage. But on a car like this, these features make no sense. The ISR (Independent Shifting Rod) 7-speed gearbox with its single plate clutch also suffers due to this in the automatic mode. It acts weirdly at low revs and is not as fast as more modern DCT setups at higher revs. This gearbox is best left in automated manual mode and even then, is decidedly one of the biggest flaws of this superb car.  

Massive ventilated and cross-drilled Carbon-ceramic discs (400 mm front and 380 mm rear) are clamped by monoblock aluminum calipers (6 pistons front and 4 pistons rear) to provide massive braking power. These are further aided by an electronic stability system with integrated traction control and ABS.

Anyone looking at this car as a serious buying proposition is probably not working with a tight budget. And the Aventador is indeed much more expensive than any comparable car. Even the Ferrari 812 Superfast. It is also not the most practical or the best performer. It is, however, the best send off to the magnificent but endangered V12 engine. It is also a piece of rolling sculpture that will bring joy to pedestrians, other drivers and its owner by its very existence. If you can buy this and want to buy this, this review probably will not change your mind. As it shouldn’t.