First off, we're glad they didn't call it 'Jota' as some were peas-and-carroting about because it's just a silly and unpronounceable name. It probably belonged to some wimpy minor league bull, too. Only one true Jota was ever built in 1970, and it was a just an amped-up and flared Miura (we prefer not to think about the mid-90s Diablo anniversary upgrade kits).
"Aventador" was, according to the best detective work we can muster, a bull whose career peaked in 1993 in the town of Saragozza, Spain, when he and the torero had a particularly spirited encounter prior to ol' Aventador's inevitable skewering. This particular beastie belonged to the breeding stables of the sons of Don Celestino Cuadri Vides and, for unknown reasons surely banal, he bore the number 32 singed on his hide. And now he gets the strongest Lamborghini ever built named after him. And about damned time! The British were getting tired of mispronouncing "Murcièlago" over the past ten years and now they have a new proper name to mutilate.
This name-guessing game is one of the best things Lamborghini has going for its mystique value. Another thing that comes close is what the new colors of the car's paint palette will be labeled. The model we've shot here is the actual Geneva showstand Aventador, and its all-new scene-stealing hue is Arancio Argos – Argos Orange – named after the deep-colored oranges grown around the ancient southern Greek town of Argos, a chief rival of the mighty killing machines over in Sparta.
Today, Lamborghini is just hoping to go Ferrari-, Pagani-, and Bugatti-hunting, so no killing of all the male inhabitants or anything is foreseen.
Every Lamborghini is an avantgarde work of art, a fast-moving technical sculpture. Every line, every detail of a super sports car from Sant'Agata is derived from its function - namely speed, dynamics, performance. Every Lamborghini is a purist's dream, reduced to its very essence.
With the new Aventador LP700-4, the designers at the Centro Stile Lamborghini in Sant'Agata Bolognese have taken this committed philosophy to a whole new level - its extreme, razor-sharp lines portray a precision that is without parallel in automotive design. And its clean, taut and expertly executed surfaces demonstrate the exceptional competence and depth of experience possessed by Lamborghini in carbon-fiber body shell design.
The surface of the roof has a new geometry that provides greater spaciousness for the passengers while at the same time giving relief to the lines of the front section. This also addresses the aim of obtaining a better aerodynamic coefficient, continuing Lamborghini's design philosophy of 'form follows function'.
The engine cover utilizes the same styling giving continuity to the concept.
Now the next milestone in this glorious history appears - engineers in the Lamborghini R&D Department have developed a completely new high-performance power unit. That it would be another twelve-cylinder was never in doubt - and not only because of the special magic conjured up by the number twelve. The only real choice for Lamborghini is a high-revving naturally aspirated engine - the deeply reflexive and exceptionally powerful reaction of the automobile to the tiniest movement of the driver's right foot is, of course, a key part of the whole fascination inspired by a super sports car. Ten cylinders are ideal in the displacement class around the five liter mark, as evidenced by the highly acclaimed Gallardo engine. For the 6.5 liter displacement targeted in this case, the perfect number is twelve. A lower number of cylinders would result in larger and heavier pistons and con-rods, which would have a negative impact on the engine's high-revving characteristics.
All these technical highlights come together to create a high-performance power unit like no other. The maximum output of 515 kW (700 hp) at 8,250 rpm is an impressive statement in itself. The maximum torque is 690 Newton meters and is available at 5,500 r/min. The extremely generous torque curve, meaty pulling power in every situation, extremely reflexive responses and, not least, the finely modulated but always highly emotional acoustics make the L539 a stunning power unit for a super sports car of the highest order. And not only was the L539 developed entirely in-house at Lamborghini, it is also built from start to finish at company headquarters in Sant'Agata Bolognese. Highly qualified specialists assemble the engines by hand, with every single unit undergoing an extensive final testing and detailed calibration program on an engine test bed.
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If you are one of the lucky few to have sat in a Reventon than you would know how Lamborghini was attempting to create a cockpit out of a dashboard. The revolutionary gauges that acted like the instruments of a jet plane were the first in a line of new technologies that would evolve into the Aventador. Instrumentation for the Aventador is displayed on a large LCD screen while a completely independent system and LCD screen controls stereo and navigation functions. The press release makes the center console of the car sound like your car is a robot by calling it the, “Human-Machine Interface.”
The full leather single-color interior is available in either Nero Alde (black) or in Marrone Elpis, with the contrasting stitching offered in a range of colors. The two-tone leather interiors are offered in two style lines. For Bicolor Sportivo, the base color is black, with the contrast in orange, white, yellow or green, while Bicolor Elegante presents a harmonious blend of brown tones. A virtually inexhaustible array of variants is also offered by the Ad Personam individualization program.
The Aventador will be offered with ABS, electronic brake distribution, anti-slip control, speed-dependent servo-tronic steering, hill start assist and, of course, ESP stability control. The rear spoiler and the side air intakes are electronically controlled. The Drive Select System enables vehicle characteristics (engine, transmission, differential, stability control, steering) to be set in accordance with individual driver preferences in one of three modes – Strada (road), Sport and Corsa (track).
It's difficult to sum up the feeling of driving the Aventador in a family publication—it is an experience best described with expletives. Everything about this vehicle screams at you, from its recession-blind price tag to the outrageous angular sharpness of its design to the revved-up engine howl it gives when you push the start button (which is hidden, ICBM-style, beneath a red, flip-up protective cover). Yet, perhaps surprising for a vehicle with this much outward braggadocio, it actually delivers on the promise of its looks. And, unlike the Murciélago before it, the Aventador is not just a pure acceleration machine. It is a far more disciplined sports car, allowing the driver to push to the limits of his ability (and, frankly, a bit beyond) while still maintaining control when the road gets difficult. To be sure, with all of the dialed-in electromechanical precision of a car like the Aventador, there is a bit of fun lost from the days when too much acceleration brought with it a fishtailing experiment in steering correction. But complaining about that shares all the pointlessness of a fighter pilot yearning for the days of propellers. The technology has moved on, and so has the car.
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