The Lamborghini Aventador was launched back in 2011 and has been in production ever since. Ferrari has gone through three generations of both their V8 and V12 flagship cars and McLaren has made two hypercars being the P1 and the Senna. In the last nine years, there has been so much change in terms of technology, people’s views, car brands, fashion, etc. Most cars that were launched ten years ago and are still in production today feel old fashioned and haven’t faired too well. Yet some which have been in production for almost or over a decade are still some of the most modern cars today. One of those is the Aventador. Or is it? Has Lamborghini managed to keep this car modern for nine years or is it a dinosaur now?
The Beginnings
picture via: motor1.com
In 2011 Lamborghini launched the Aventador which was a replacement for their Murcielago which was launched in 2001. The Aventador is part of the long-lasting line of Lamborghini’s V12 cruisers which has spanned for over 50 years. The Aventador is the first Lamborghini V12 in 50 years to feature an all-new V12 and it produces more power and speed than ever before. The Aventador really was decades ahead against any car when launched back in 2011. It was styled to look like a stealth fighter which was completely unlike its predecessors or any other supercar on the market.
The 2011 Aventador was originally a 690hp car in 2011 which is over 100hp more than the Ferrari 458. It was absolutely insane. Nowadays the latest Ferrari F8 has 720hp. Not to worry though because the latest Aventador S has 730hp and the SV J has over 760hp. The 2011 Aventador also had a top speed of 217 mph which even today is insane. One other Italian car that reached such speeds was the Pagani Huayra which was launched a year later in 2012. That cost over one million dollars new. The Aventador was only somewhat $300k to 350k new back in 2011 which is a bargain really.
The Aventador had a four-wheel-drive system, it had a futuristic interior, it was wider than a bus and it excited kids more than an Xbox would. It won Top Gear’s Supercar of The Year Award. The Aventador new also did a 0-60 in 2.9 seconds when new which is still stupidly fast.
Let’s face it. The Aventador smashed all its rivals when new. But the only issue is that it was a handful around the track. It was way too powerful, way too wide, and just too angry. It would tear through race tracks like a wild animal and in no way shape or form could you bring to tight twisty roads. Forget country lanes, this car won’t make it. However, in terms of appeal, this car really did push every other car to the side.
It truly is a bedroom wall poster car. The previous Murcielago looks like a Camry compared to the Aventador. The last car Lamborghini made though that was a brilliant bedroom wall poster car was the Countach, and that was horrible to drive. The Aventador on the other hand because it was partly designed by Audi is a very good car to drive. Or should I say a car that is actually driveable?
What is it Like Today?
picture via: cnet.com
Nine years on, one ex-Nurburgring lap record, over four models, and many celebrity owners the Aventador is still one fast car today. The current LP740 S model is far faster than its rivals in terms of top speed. But the 0-60 is where the room for the Aventador has decreased. Even cars like the far cheaper Nissan GTR are matching its 0-60. In fact, the dawn of electricity has really pushed the Aventador. The Tesla Model S Performance beats the Aventador to 60 and that is a larger, heavier, and cheaper 5 seater sedan car.
Is this an issue? Well, the Aventador still looks crazy and the interior has pretty much stayed the same since 2011. This is no issue because the interior is fine. It looks modern and it feels expensive unlike Lamborghini interiors of the past. Also, the dawn of the Huracan has made the Aventador feel so much more special. The reason why because the Huracan is really an Audi R8 in a fancy body whilst the Aventador is a complete one-off since no other car uses that same engine. Truly an exquisite car.
The Aventador still has some dinosaur components that make you wonder what on earth is going on. The fact it still has a single-clutch flappy paddle gearbox is one crazy thing. Every other car in its category or so has a double-clutch flappy paddle gearbox. Cars like the F8 Tributo, the McLaren 720s, the Porsche 911, and even cars like the Fiat Abarth 595. However, F1 cars still have a single-clutch flappy paddle gearbox. The Aventador gearbox is pretty brutal and it does give you that old-school feel which is what everyone craves nowadays. The V12 is also seen as old fashioned and not needed nowadays considering turbo V8 engines are pushing out so much more power.
It did however hit the Nurburgring in SV J form in 2018 at a time of 6:44:97 which was faster than the Porsche GT2 RS. It was however beaten this year by the Mercedes AMG GT Black Series. No worries though because this thing held that title for over two years. Insane for a car that in 2011 would never ever been taken around the Nurburgring.
You do get rear-wheel steering and custom driving modes in the latest S and SV J models. You also do get an awesome AWD system. You do not get this on its rivals at all such as the RWD 720s and the RWD F8 Tributo. This means this car will beat most things off the line.
Performance is still modern. Both the S and the SV J models do a 0-60 of under 3 seconds around 2.8 to 2.6 to be exact. The top speed is over 217 mph and the horsepower minimal on the S is 730. Torque at a minimum is also 509 lb-ft which is brilliant as it shows the car has grunt.
The Aventador is an angry car. It sounds crazy and with most of its rivals being turbocharged flat-pane V8’s or flat 6’s the Aventador really is the unicorn in the equation still using a 6.5 liter naturally aspirated V12. In terms of sound, this car dusts its rivals well away. But is the V12 really needed when all of these engines can match this car’s performance (or even beat it)? I think not but really it is nice to have a car that still uses dinosaur technology today.
The Aventador will turn more heads really than any other car. Its looks are so unique to it and so iconic that really does anything compare? The Aventador practically created a new generation of design for all future Lamborghinis and the best bit is the awesome starter button which is hidden below a cover. It feels like a fighter jet. This really is unique. However, king of the road? That title is getting harder and harder to maintain. For sheer excitement, power, and fun the Aventador really is the king of that. However, for refinement, comfort, maneuvrability, etc it really isn’t. This is a traditional supercar and it is a proper unicron. It will be a shame when this thing goes out of production even if the 2021 replacement is also a V12 supercar (which it is unlikely to be).
Featured image credits via: motoring.com.au