Lamborghini has always positioned itself as a manufacturer of vehicles for playboys (and playgirls), but this is taking it to the next level.
As a member of the exclusive V12 club, it brings the ultimate performance car fight to rivals like the Aston Martin DBS Superleggera and Ferrari 812 Superfast. It has four-wheel drive and ceramic brakes, as well as active aerodynamics. Although the bold looks are unmistakable and the cabin is upmarket, the performance is astounding.
So what is an Aventador S? It’s very much an upgrade to the original 2011 Aventador, but it's not meant to compete with the Aventador SV. There are two Aventador models currently for sale – the standard S and the track-focused SVJ, with each available in coupe or Roadster bodystyles. The Aventador S is powered by a 6.5-litre V12 with 730bhp an 690Nm of torque. The SVJ gets a power hike to 759bhp and 720Nm, while improved, active aerodynamics and lighter bodywork also feature.
Exterior:
The design has been around for a while yet it still stops traffic. The Aventador is one of the fastest, most dramatic cars money can buy. It’s a supercar that’s dominated by its intoxicating engine, a naturally aspirated V12 that has managed to survive against the odds in a climate of downsizing and turbocharging.
Not many cars can match the sense of occasion offered by Lamborghini’s flagship – and while the Aventador’s sheer size, firm ride, imperfect gearbox and poor visibility are annoyances, you’ll happily accept these compromises to enjoy its spectacular performance.
Attention-seeking owners must love it but it becomes tiresome pretty quickly if you’re not so inclined. Reactions from passers-by range from those of pure adoration (accompanied with all manner of hand gestures) to looks of outright scorn, as if you’re some greedy property speculator.
For the facelift, both ends have been re-styled and better aero appendages added; a deeper splitter on the front adding downforce at speed, while breather ducts in the bumper provide a better path for the air down the flanks and into the intakes, which also help power production and cooling.
There’s a larger rear diffuser underneath and a new active wing. Fortunately, the front end lift system, which adds some ride height at the touch of a button, is one of the few standard features on the Kiwi-spec cars which will help keep the front end looking good.
Interior:
Open the stunning scissor doors and the Lamborghini Aventador S cabin is plush and upmarket. No effort has been made to disguise the fact that the Lamborghini Aventador S interior draws a lot of inspiration from jet aircraft – so merely climbing inside is an exciting experience, especially when you notice a start/stop button with a bright red protective cover that’s reminiscent of a missile-launch trigger.
All the major controls are placed on the thick transmission tunnel to your left, and the low-slung driving position is very comfortable. Although the cabin remains unchanged from the first generation Aventador, but it still is beautifully trimmed and features a host of high-end Audi-derived switchgear, while the central instrument dials are formed of an ultra modern digitised screen.
The offset pedals take a little time to get used to, as does the sheer size of the Aventador. Away from super smooth race circuits there’s a lot of road noise and the ride is very firm. At night, headlights from cars behind dazzle you as they reflect through the glass engine cover and tiny rear window. There is some luggage room behind the seats and there’s a small but deep boot at the front.
Engine and Performance:
The V12, touting yet more power thanks to revised valve timing, a variable intake, software fettling and a new exhaust, is never quiet. With 740 HP and 690 Nm of torque, It erupts into life, the start-up akin to a fanfare, and the V12 is always audible. From just 2000rpm it starts rumbling, the pitch changing as revs rise, wailing from 5000rpm right up to a bellowing 8500rpm. And then there are the crackles on the overrun, like someone has let off a string of double happys in the muffler. It’s all real life drama this.
As you’d expect, the Aventador S delivers mind-boggling performance. Use the launch control – rather appropriately called Thrust Mode – and it will reach 0-100kmh in just 2.9 seconds, and in the right environment keep accelerating all the way to 350kmh. If this is not quite hardcore or edgy enough for you then you could always opt for the Aventador SVJ which is Lamborghini's most potent and technological car to date.
If you happen to floor it on a public road, it will scare the life out of you. It’s ferocious, it’s rapid and it doesn’t feel like the type of car you should push hard into a tight corners at speed without first having your life insurance sorted. It’s perfect then, it demands a level of respect that modern supercars simply don’t ask for. It’s hard to drive, but the end result is so rewarding that you only want to do it some more.
Keep in mind though, this is a low flying machine and there will be plenty of driveways and ramps you’ll fear to point the Aventador toward. It’s big and wide, filling much of the lane, and other road users come perilously close to you at times, usually because the driver is trying to take a photo of the Lambo. It’s not just the visuals that get ’em though, there’s that exhaust note.
Reliability and Safety:
Thanks to inputs from Audi, the flimsy switchgear and temperamental electrics of old are long gone. When it comes to safety, the Lamborghini Aventador has stability control, ceramic brakes and an active rear wing. And if the worst should happen, the carbon chassis forms an incredibly strong safety cell, while side, thorax and knee airbags are standard.
There’s also a handy colour-reversing camera, which makes it easier to manoeuvre the car's huge bulk in tight spaces. Plus, a hydraulic nose lifter raises the front suspension to allow access to driveways without damaging the low front splitter.
VERDICT:
The Aventador wins the award for ‘most-improved’ supercar hands down. The original car was outrageously attractive, but always felt like a series of thrashing and colliding systems you could only hope would stick together. The ‘S’ is something very different – it’s a more ‘together’ car; it’s still a brute – but one that’s on your side.
Yes, It’s uncomfortable and it’s too wide. This is the most impractical car you can get. But all that doesn’t matter. I don’t care about fuel economy or how bad this is everyday, this is a Lamborghini and it’s suppose to be impractical and harsh and crazy. Lamborghini invented the supercar and that’s what Lamborghini’s are all about. They are suppose to be intolerable to drive and that’s actually their selling point. They don’t care about anything at all. They just want the driver to feel ridiculous cause every time you get into one of these, you just can’t stop grinning and make you look like an idiot. That’s why most owners get heavy tinted windows.
If you see someone in an Aventador S, salute them. They are doing the world a service by providing the visual and audible excitement of such a beast while putting up with heart palpitations. It’s a sacrifice any car lover would happily make, for this is the best Lamborghini V12 to have ever graced the roads.
If you’re curious about the price, well the Aventador S starts at Php 45M and thats without options. You’re looking at a mere Php 50M when you opt for optional extras with Lamborghini’s Ad Personam division.
Photos by: JM Delos Reyes
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