After multiple leaked images and camouflage shots, we can finally see the Aventador in all its glory and from every angle. After initially being disappointed that it looked too similar to the Reventon, I have to say I'm very impressed overall and I think they got the look just right, especially the interior.
What was never up for debate was the performance with the all new 6.5 liter V12 putting out 690hp @8250rpm and 509 lb-ft. of torque @5500rpm. 0-62mph comes at a blazing 2.9 seconds and top speed is 217mph. Besides the power increase, these numbers are a result of advanced lightweight technology, most noticeably the full monocoque cell. The entire occupant cell, with tub and roof, is one single physical component. This ensures extreme rigidity and thus outstanding driving precision, as well as an extremely high level of passive safety for the driver and his passenger. The engine is also 40 lbs. lighter than the Murcielagos. All in all, the Aventador comes in at 200 pounds less than the Murcielago at 3,472 lbs.
"Engineers at Lamborghini have created the perfect mate for the new twelve-cylinder engine with the highly innovative ISR (Independent Shifting Rods) transmission. The development objective was clearly formulated - to build not only the fastest robotized gearbox, but also to create the world's most emotional gear shift. Compared with a dual-clutch transmission, not only is the ISR gearbox much lighter, it also has smaller dimensions than a conventional manual unit - both key elements in the field of lightweight engineering for super sports cars. "
"This kind of extreme power must be delivered reliably to the road. The driver of the Aventador LP 700-4 can depend fully on its permanent all-wheel drive - indicated by the 4 in the model designation. In the driveline, an electronically controlled Haldex coupling distributes the forces between front and rear. In a matter of milliseconds, this coupling adapts the force distribution to match the dynamic situation. A self-blocking rear differential together with a front differential electronically controlled by ESP make for even more dynamic handling. The Drive Select Mode System enables the driver to choose vehicle characteristics (engine, transmission, differential, steering and dynamic control) from three settings - Strada (road), Sport and Corsa (track) - to suit individual preferences."
Base price is expected to be around $370,000
The wait is over ladies and gentlemen: Lamborghini’s next hypercar has made its world debut at the Geneva Motor Show, and dare we say what a hypercar it is! The new Bull God will feature an earth shattering 700hp V12 and the highest power to weight ratio of any car in its class. Yes, this is the new, long waited Lamborghini Aventador LP700-4.
Lamborghini is really good at creating sinister super sports cars, but it is equally as talented at naming them. According to the company, "Aventador" was the name of a bull that entered into battle on October 1993 at the Saragossa Arena, earning the "Trofeo de la Peña La Madroñera" for its outstanding courage. Having the courage to go up against a new world of super sports cars will be the name of the game for the new Lamborghini flagship. Today’s world is extremely high-tech and many new players have entered the arena. Lamborghini has been promoting its carbon-fiber monocoque technology and the Aventador’s 2.9 second 0-62mph, but will that be enough?
According to Stephan Winkelmann, President and CEO of Automobili Lamborghini. "The Aventador is a jump of two generations in terms of design and technology, it’s the result of an entirely new project, but at the same time it’s a direct and consistent continuation of Lamborghini’s brand values. It is extreme in its design and its performance, uncompromising in its standards and technology, and unmistakably Italian in its style and perfection. Overall, the dynamics and technical excellence of the Aventador LP 700-4 makes it unrivaled in the worldwide super sports car arena".
Exterior
It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see that the new Aventador LP700-4 follows the same design language as with the latest Reventon and Sesto Elemento concept. The model has been designed at the Centro Stile Lamborghini in Sant’Agata Bolognese and takes its inspiration from modern aeronautics and from the world’s fastest and most agile aircraft.
The supercar is 4.78 meters long, 2.26 meters wide, and only 1.136 meters high. The proportions and body parts have been calculated to improve the car’s aerodynamics as much as possible. All of the aerodynamic elements are integrated into the body shell form, from the front spoiler to the rear diffuser, while the rear spoiler is deployable and controlled electronically. The 4 degree approach angle is optimized for high speed and assists directional stability at the very top end of the spectrum. The 11 degree tilt, on the other hand, delivers considerably greater downforce at mid-range speeds, helping to optimize handling and stability.
Up front the Aventador gets an air guide further emphasized by glossy, black frames, and bi-xenon headlamps. These headlights are more than just a simple bulb behind a casing, they are an exercise in further design. The Y shaped lights spread out from the middle and a different set of LED lights within creates the turn signal. The side of the car have two sweeping strokes – the first emphasizes the front wheel arch; the second is a very sharply drawn line beginning at the front wheel arch. Lamborghini describes it as a tensed muscle running along the entire side of the car and over the rear wheel. Also, two large air intakes behind the upward-opening doors are used for a better cooling engine. Finally the rear gets a lower diffuser and rear LED lights that create the same shape as the ones out front.
2.
In what has become one of the most distinctive features for any Lamborghini, the passenger doors will open upwards towards the sky. This feature has been used on every major Lamborghini supercar since the Countach. Few companies have been able to create a specific design element that they are able to carry through various decades with such poise. The nearest competitor may be Mercedes Benz and the 300SL Gullwing of the past and SLS AMG of today.
Customers will have the ability to choose from 13 exterior colors in pastel metallic, pearlescent, or matte. These include the newest shades of Grigio Estoque, Arancio Argos, AD Personam, Nero Nemesis, Bianco Canopus, and Marrone Apus. Automobili Lamborghini has really taken notice of the aftermarket world with their new paint options. Matte paint has become all the rage in high-end cars and can look especially striking on something as svelte as a Lamborghini. Three specific Matte tones will be available from the factory and should increase the curb appeal of these machines even further.
Interior
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).
Engine
Lamborghini has made it clear that a V12 engine will be the only thing to ever power their supercar, but it was time to develop a new and modern version of the legendary V12 of yesteryear. The Aventador will come with a new 6.5-liter V12 engine with an AWD layout that produces 700 HP 8,250 rpm and 509 lb-ft at 5,500 rpm. It is the first all-new Lamborghini developed engine since the Countach. This engine will be able to get from 0-60 mph in just 2.9 seconds while blasting off a top speed of 217 mph. With a total weight of 1,575 kilograms (3,472 lb) it will deliver a power to weight ratio of 2.25 Kg/hp. These figures are astounding, but not out of this world. Lamborghini has surely created a super car, but until we can get it on a track with its competition we will not know if the Bull can reign King.
Design of the engine was simple in theory. The car needed a powerplant that was lighter than the old one and more powerful. That tends to be the problem with just about every iteration of a new sports car, but Lamborghini was able to develop several new ways of solving it. They made the engine lighter by using an aluminum-silicon alloy to lower the overall weight to just 235kg. Parts that are more readily exposed to high heat were still forged from steel, but the overall engine weight is equal to 3.0hp per kilogram.
The Aventador’s engine is mated to an all-new “Lamborghini ISR” – the ISR stands for Independent Shifting Rod - seven-speed single clutch automated manual gearbox that combines quick shift time with manual shifting, which proves to be quite useful when a car has a low weight and compact dimensions.
The ISR gearbox allows the Aventador to shift gears almost simultaneously. It comes with two modes and 50 millisecond shifts that works in such fashion that when one of the shifting rods is moving out of one gear, the second rod is already shifting on to the next. Another important aspect of the new Lamborghini transmission fits perfectly with the company’s new goal of making its supercars more lightweight: the ISR transmission weighs in at only 79 kilos – about 174 pounds – significantly lighter than any other DSG transmission out on the market.
