Latest, greatest Lambo brims with modern tech, still channels Countach spirit
It means public sensation, apparently Three name-changes removed from its ancestor, the legendary Lamborghini Countach, Aventador continues the tradition of astonishment. Its ultimate version generates 740 horsepower, and in new Roadster guise it asks more than half a million dollars. Driving it, or merely being seen in it, is a public sensation. ▲
Now you can have a topless S What’s new this year is the combo of Roadster body and all the advanced chassis hardware first seen on the S coupe – notably permanent all-wheel drive, a variable-ratio steering rack, rear-wheel steering, active suspension and EGO driving mode. The Aventador dates back to 2011, but the updated chassis is cutting-edge. One part of the powertrain, however, is still an anachronism … ▲
A roadster, but not a ragtop You don’t have to worry whether a “roadster” ragtop can withstand the aerodynamic assault of the claimed 350-km/h top speed. The toplessness comes in the form of detachable rigid roof panels (so it’s really a Targa). From side-on, the silhouette is very similar to the coupe’s but the Roadster has its own unique engine-lid design that dips lower so you can see back through the power rear window. ▲
Scene-stealing doors still cut it The Aventador still channels its inner Countach with the crowd-pleasing scissor doors. The idea was first seen on an Alfa Romeo concept car penned by Marcello Gandini, then made its production-car debut on his design for the Countach. The upward-opening doors were used in part to make it easier to get in and out of these super-wide cars in confined spaces. ▲
What you get is more than what you see Considering that Lamborghini went to the trouble of showcasing the engine under clear panels, the under-hood view of the hardware itself isn’t that special. Get it on the road, however, floor the loud pedal, and the sound and the feel are every bit as shattering as you’d expect from a 6.5-litre V-12 producing 740 horsepower at 8,400 rpm. ▲
Ceramic rotors standard, gold calipers optional The gold-painted brake calipers on this Aventador are merely a cosmetic choice: they don’t indicate a carbon-ceramic brake upgrade because CC brakes — usually an extra-cost option on other supercars — are standard here. They get the job done without any unwanted side effects in brake effort or pedal feel. The front rotors are a massive 400-mm diameter and the rears barely smaller. ▲
Ultra-wide rubber for tireless grip Tires simply don’t come any wider or lower-profile than the 355/25R21 Pirellis on the rear of the Aventador S, and they come wrapped around rims that are 13 inches wide. The front tires seem skinny in comparison – just 255/40R20s. The grip all this rubber affords to this wide, low car is far more than we dared to explore on public roads (especially in the Ontario nanny-state). ▲
8,300 rpm red line sells it short Even in Strada or Sport drive modes the digital gauge cluster is dominated by the tachometer (curiously, the red line starts at 8,300 rpm, even though power peaks at 8,400 and the claimed rev limit is 8,500). ▲
Instrumentation on need-to-know basis … Select Corsa (Italian for “race”) drive mode and the tachometer becomes even more dominant, while a g-meter appears in the lower left corner and the centre graphic shows which way the wheels are pointing. ▲
Getaway car for a naturist weekend If you’re rich enough to own one of these, you’d probably like to take along a change of clothing when you treat yourself to a weekend get-away. But when the roof panels are removed they store in the front trunk, thereby reducing cargo volume from very little (just 140 litres) to effectively none. ▲
A violent shifter There’s no shifter on the centre console, just small buttons for R and M. To put it in Drive, you tug on the paddle shifter. But the transmission is the car’s biggest single (only?) flaw: it’s a robotically-shifted 7-speed manual, but not a seamless dual-clutch like on most rivals. The resulting shifts are never very smooth even driving gently, and borderline violent when pedal is fully to the metal. ▲
Cockpit built for humans Lamborghini driving positions used to be comfortable only for contortionists, but that’s no longer an issue in the Aventador. The Roadster adds more user-friendliness with better visibility and (with the roof off) easier ingress and egress, plus of course sky’s-the-limit headroom. ▲
Steers at both ends At low speeds the 4-wheel steering pivots the rear wheels out of phase with the fronts, for greater manoeuvrability and a tighter turning radius. At higher speeds the rears pivot in phase, which enhances stability. ▲
Quick, slow, quick-quick slow The “front” steering not only is variable-ratio, but the actual range of the ratios varies according to which Drive Mode you select – from 18:1 in its most relaxed mode to a super-direct 10:1 at its most intense, the latter requiring only 2.1 turns from lock to lock. Yet it all feels completely natural, and meaty steering effort ensures it isn’t darty. ▲
Infotainment display not state-of-the-art Screen-ology isn’t quite state-of-the-art, but if you care about that, should you really be buying a car like this? Both hands on the wheel please, and both eyes on the road! ▲
Plumbing masterpiece We can only imagine the type of plumbing that was involved to route the 12 exhaust pipes into three tailpipes … ▲
Everywhere you look, carbon-fibre The roadster is uniquely available with multiple color and trim options, including new materials and extensive use of carbon fibre as well as virtually limitless potential through Lamborghini’s Ad Personam personalization program. ▲
Outrageous Countach ancestry Back in the 1970s, Lamborghini launched a car called the, um, “expletive deleted.” OK, not exactly, but the name Countach was derived from an Italian exclamation of astonishment. It perfectly fit the sensationally shaped and savagely fast car that wore it. ▲
Keyword: FIRST DRIVE: 18 things of note with the Lamborghini Aventador