What is it?
As the replacement for the Murciélago supercar, the Lamborghini Aventador carries a lot of weight on its chiseled shoulders. To excel at this extreme level, the Aventador piles on an extra 49 hp from an all-new 6.5-liter V12 engine while reducing weight by 166 pounds. The net effect is a jet aircraft for the earthbound, running from 0 to 60 mph in less than 2.9 seconds. The price of entry is $387,000, but the car is already sold out for 18 months (1,100 cars) from when deliveries start late this summer. Get in line quick if you want one--Lamborghini hasn't officially set a limit, but media reports say only 4,000 cars will be built (99 fewer than the predecessor Murciélago).
What is it like to drive?
From the instant you flip up the red ignition-button cover and punch the Aventador's 12 raucous cylinders to life, you know you're in the cockpit of a special machine The car's performance is stunning yet surprisingly sane--even at warp speed on a track. On laps around the 2.8-mile, 12-turn Vallelunga track near Rome, we ran the car through each operating mode: strada, sport and corsa, with the middling sport mode providing the best mix of handling and driveability. Corsa cranks up shift actuation to a severe slam, which can seem unsettling compared with the more refined action in sport mode.
It takes just a few turns in the Aventador to quickly become comfortable with the power and control available at your fingertips. Pushing hard into corners can induce initial understeer, but the all-wheel-drive differential reacts quickly to shift power away from the front and allows the back wheels to break their grip long enough to straighten the line. The net effect is a driveability that seems natural and competent, despite having 690 hp on tap.
Do I want it?
If your bank account is up to it, this is the new state of the art in supercars, at least until Ferrari raises the stakes. Of course you want it.
As the replacement for the Murciélago supercar, the Lamborghini Aventador carries a lot of weight on its chiseled shoulders. To excel at this extreme level, the Aventador piles on an extra 49 hp from an all-new 6.5-liter V12 engine while reducing weight by 166 pounds. The net effect is a jet aircraft for the earthbound, running from 0 to 60 mph in less than 2.9 seconds. The price of entry is $387,000, but the car is already sold out for 18 months (1,100 cars) from when deliveries start late this summer. Get in line quick if you want one--Lamborghini hasn't officially set a limit, but media reports say only 4,000 cars will be built (99 fewer than the predecessor Murciélago).
What is it like to drive?
From the instant you flip up the red ignition-button cover and punch the Aventador's 12 raucous cylinders to life, you know you're in the cockpit of a special machine The car's performance is stunning yet surprisingly sane--even at warp speed on a track. On laps around the 2.8-mile, 12-turn Vallelunga track near Rome, we ran the car through each operating mode: strada, sport and corsa, with the middling sport mode providing the best mix of handling and driveability. Corsa cranks up shift actuation to a severe slam, which can seem unsettling compared with the more refined action in sport mode.
It takes just a few turns in the Aventador to quickly become comfortable with the power and control available at your fingertips. Pushing hard into corners can induce initial understeer, but the all-wheel-drive differential reacts quickly to shift power away from the front and allows the back wheels to break their grip long enough to straighten the line. The net effect is a driveability that seems natural and competent, despite having 690 hp on tap.
Do I want it?
If your bank account is up to it, this is the new state of the art in supercars, at least until Ferrari raises the stakes. Of course you want it.
autoweek
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