Aventador driven by C&D

http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/car/11...st_drive_review

 

 

If you happened to be in Rome at the end of April, you might have been planning to hear Pope Benedict XVI deliver his traditional Easter blessing. Finding yourself in a parade of Italian supercars guided by mayor Gianni Alemanno might have been unexpected for foreigners, but is little surprise in Italy. Here, the people are as proud of their sports-car tradition as they are to be home to the Pope. No wonder, then, that Lamborghini chose Rome, the Holy City, as the site of the first drives of its new Aventador LP700-4.

 

Ducking through a scissor door and beneath the low roof—the Aventador is only 44.7 inches tall—we wedge ourselves into the narrow racing seat. It feels like we’re sitting barely one inch off the pavement as we reach up to pull the door closed. The pedals and steering wheel are perfectly positioned, without any of the uncomfortable offset of the Murciélago’s, which skewed to the right to make room for that monstrous left-front tire. The rest of the interior is a radical break with Lamborghini tradition, a mix of fighter-jet cockpit and video-game fantasy. The instrument panel is a thin-film transistor (TFT) display packed with information and offering the choice of either a speedo or tach as the main dial. We won’t complain about the limited visibility to the sides and back; this is a Lamborghini, not a VW Golf.

 

Lambo’s Personal-Use Volcano

 

Safeguarded by a red cover, the starter button awaits. With a satanic rumble, the 6.5-liter V-12 behind us erupts, seemingly with the first crank of the starter. In all it does, the Aventador’s new V-12 is a remarkably responsive engine—with just the slightest tap of the throttle, revs rise and fall with F1 quickness. Switch it off, and the suddenness of the silence is disorienting. Even if the displacement is the same, this is not the Murciélago engine. Indeed, Lamborghini increased the bore by seven millimeters while shortening stroke by 12.6, which could allow this engine to rev even higher than the 8500-rpm redline of the Murci mill. (Read our in-depth look at the Aventador’s engine here.) Peak output is 691 hp at 8250 rpm and 509 lb-ft of torque at 5500, increases of 59 hp and 22 lb-ft over the Murciélago’s V-12. Smoother, but still with plenty of bark, it’s lighter and mounted lower in an aluminum frame connected to the carbon-fiber monocoque.

 

Surprisingly, Lambo’s new engine is not direct injected. The Italian excuse is that it already is 20 percent more efficient than its predecessor, although we’re expecting EPA ratings of 10 mpg in the city and 14 on the highway, only 1 mpg better than the Murciélago in the city and the same for long hauls. Of course, summoning all 691 hp will push that figure deep into single-digit range.

 

Pulling the paddle on the right shifts the car into first. The single-clutch, seven-speed automated Graziano gearbox is lighter and more compact than a dual-clutch unit, which helped Lamborghini meet its 3472-pound (dry) weight target for the Aventador. (Sadly, there will be no manual transmission offered.) With all fluids aboard, the Aventador should come in somewhere between 3700 and 3800 pounds, a few hundred pounds lighter than the Murciélago. Like many modern sports cars, the Aventador’s top gear exists to maximize fuel economy during high-speed cruising; the car actually reaches its 217-mph top speed in sixth.

 

3. . . 2. . . 1. . .

 

You’ll want to take a moment—and a few deep breaths—before flooring the throttle. The driver hardly has time to gasp before the Aventador hits 60 mph, which we estimate will take only 2.8 seconds. The 100-mph mark should pass in around 6.5 seconds and the quarter-mile will take less than 11. The rate of acceleration hardly seems to slow below 200 mph, and thanks to the hyperquick gear changes, there is zero perceptible lull during upshifts. The Aventador is equipped with a high-end audio system, but we prefer to listen to the conversation between our right foot and the engine. The V-12 makes a powerful low-frequency roar at lower engine speeds, which becomes a thunderstorm over 3500 rpm. Stay on the throttle and, beyond 5000 rpm, the Lambo V-12 sounds like the apocalypse.

 

The higher the speed, the more torque the car apportions to the Haldex clutch at the front wheels. This is said to help stabilize the front end at speed. It certainly contributes to incredible stability in hard cornering. Damping and steering response can be sharpened with the (Audi-esque) “Drive Select” button on the center console, which offers three choices: Strada, Sport, and Corsa—Road, Sport (surprise!), and Track. Even with stability control on, the sharp Corsa mode allows some oversteer before intervening.

 

The car delivers up to 60 percent of the engine’s torque to the front end, a transition the driver will note is accompanied by the sensation of the front end getting lighter and a loss of steering feel. Compared to the Murciélago, the steering requires a little less effort, but is more precise. The driver does notice some nervous feedback through the wheel, but that’s to be expected in a car with steering this quick and tight.

 

Whatchoo Doin’ Tonight, Baby?

 

It’s a razor-sharp jet-fighter on wheels, but more important, the Lamborghini Aventador is one of very few truly raunchy automobiles. With its aggressive engine note and aerospace styling, it is completely different from the more sophisticated—and equally new—Ferrari FF. Lamborghini will build 500 units a year, and 750 have already been sold worldwide. In the U.S., it’ll take at least $381,700 to put an Aventador in your stable. That’s a small price to pay for a genuine piece of Italian national identity—Vatican pomp, eccentric politicians, and all.

 

Specifications

 

VEHICLE TYPE: mid-engine, 4-wheel-drive, 2-passenger, 2-door coupe

 

BASE PRICE: $381,700

ENGINE TYPE: 48-valve V-12, aluminum block and heads, port fuel injection

 

Displacement: 397 cu in, 6498 cc

Power (SAE net): 691 hp @ 8250 rpm

Torque (SAE net): 509 lb-ft @ 5500 rpm

 

TRANSMISSION: 7-speed single-clutch automatic

 

DIMENSIONS:

Wheelbase: 106.3 in Length: 188.2 in

Width: 79.9 in Height: 44.7 in

Curb weight (C/D est): 3750 lb

 

PERFORMANCE (C/D EST):

Zero to 60 mph: 2.8 sec

Zero to 100 mph: 6.5 sec

Standing ¼-mile: 10.8 sec

Top speed: 217 mph

 

PROJECTED FUEL ECONOMY (C/D EST):

EPA city/highway driving: 10/14 mpg

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

10.8 seems like a reasonable estimate.

I LOVE that color on that car!!!!!! So gorgeous!

 

 

Some great detail shots in that set of photos. I've liked the car since the beginning, but some of the up close detailing is really spectacular.

 

Being able to see the inner workings when the wing is up is particularly cool. Kind of like walking past an escalator under repair. You have to stop and look at all the goodies that make it work that you normally don't see.

 

Maybe I'm just wierd that way

 

 

kinda disappointing that the 7th gear is for fuel economy.

so freakin hot!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

kinda disappointing that the 7th gear is for fuel economy.

 

Well now at least we know when turbos get involved, we won't need to change gear ratios

kinda disappointing that the 7th gear is for fuel economy.

 

Isnt it geared like that also for top speed?

Some great detail shots in that set of photos. I've liked the car since the beginning, but some of the up close detailing is really spectacular.

 

Being able to see the inner workings when the wing is up is particularly cool. Kind of like walking past an escalator under repair. You have to stop and look at all the goodies that make it work that you normally don't see.

 

Maybe I'm just wierd that way

 

Haha, I thought I was the only weirdo that likes to look at all the gears and moving parts of an escalator.

Isnt it geared like that also for top speed?

what do you mean? In the article is says gears 1-6 are for performance and 7 is essentially overdrive. top speed is at the top of 6th, not 7th.

what do you mean? In the article is says gears 1-6 are for performance and 7 is essentially overdrive. top speed is at the top of 6th, not 7th.

 

Doh, missed that part, thanks.

Nice pics. 3rd one down is funny --- how the guy's overalls matches the colour of the car.

kinda disappointing that the 7th gear is for fuel economy.

 

At a certain point, if the gear is too tall it won't be able to get the car to go any faster. On a dyno yes, but on the road with wind resistance no.

 

You could rework the ratios so that the current 6th gear becomes 7th....but honestly with so much power, it becomes redundant. This is a street car, not an F1 car at Monaco.

 

Diablos have a very tall final drive (and only 5 gears), but no one complains that that car ever loses steam.

 

 

Looks ugly underneath the raised wing...should be nice smooth red metal like on the Merc SLS.

Looks ugly underneath the raised wing...should be nice smooth red metal like on the Merc SLS.

 

Good thought, the SLS definitely got that right.

At a certain point, if the gear is too tall it won't be able to get the car to go any faster. On a dyno yes, but on the road with wind resistance no.

 

You could rework the ratios so that the current 6th gear becomes 7th....but honestly with so much power, it becomes redundant. This is a street car, not an F1 car at Monaco.

 

Diablos have a very tall final drive (and only 5 gears), but no one complains that that car ever loses steam.

 

I didn't even bother to respond to that comment. Porsche RACE cars used to have just 4-gears in the 80s...

 

There's a MUCH more damning comment about the car that everyone in this thread seems to have missed in that piece, one that actual buyers would care about far more than a needless 7th gear.

 

And I'm certainly not going to point it out, lol.

I didn't even bother to respond to that comment. Porsche RACE cars used to have just 4-gears in the 80s...

 

There's a MUCH more damning comment about the car that everyone in this thread seems to have missed in that piece, one that actual buyers would care about far more than a needless 7th gear.

 

And I'm certainly not going to point it out, lol.

 

Ferrai FF is more sophisticated but just as new.....

At a certain point, if the gear is too tall it won't be able to get the car to go any faster. On a dyno yes, but on the road with wind resistance no.

 

You could rework the ratios so that the current 6th gear becomes 7th....but honestly with so much power, it becomes redundant. This is a street car, not an F1 car at Monaco.

 

Diablos have a very tall final drive (and only 5 gears), but no one complains that that car ever loses steam.

Well once gear changes are taking almost 0 seconds then whats the hurt in having the car top out at 217 mph in 7th and being able to stay closer to max power throughout the gears?

Ferrai FF is more sophisticated but just as new.....

at the idea of comparing the FF to this thing.

Well once gear changes are taking almost 0 seconds then whats the hurt in having the car top out at 217 mph in 7th and being able to stay closer to max power throughout the gears?

 

 

What would be just as important is if 50 millisecond shifts can be made smoothly if the tranny was altered somehow.....

Ferrai FF is more sophisticated but just as new.....

 

I hear the new Toyotas have Pandora in-dash too... gonna give the Aventador a run for its money.

I was answering mako's question about the damning comment but touche! :lol2:

Looks shitty under the wing..

I didn't even bother to respond to that comment. Porsche RACE cars used to have just 4-gears in the 80s...

 

There's a MUCH more damning comment about the car that everyone in this thread seems to have missed in that piece, one that actual buyers would care about far more than a needless 7th gear.

 

And I'm certainly not going to point it out, lol.

 

"The car delivers up to 60 percent of the engine’s torque to the front end, a transition the driver will note is accompanied by the sensation of the front end getting lighter and a loss of steering feel."

"The car delivers up to 60 percent of the engine’s torque to the front end, a transition the driver will note is accompanied by the sensation of the front end getting lighter and a loss of steering feel."

 

You sonofabitch, that was it.