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New Models
AUTOS: The Coolest Sports Car Of 2011
Lamborghini Aventador LP700-4 jumps ahead with increased power, less weight, greater technology and more design refinement.
Despite its resemblance to the outgoing Murcielago, Lamborghini's Aventador is completely new from the ground up. (Photo: Wouter Mellisen)
Defying the current economic conditions and the urge to move to ever more environmentally friendlier methods of transportation, 2011 has been a fantastic year for sports cars.
For example: Pagani raised the bar with the Huayra, Alfa Romeo announced a new rear wheel drive coupe, Porsche launched a all-new generation of the 911 and Chevrolet broadened the path to affordable performance with the tarmac-shredding Camaro ZL1.
But none of the new sports cars were more impressive than the Lamborghini Aventador LP700-4. At first glance it may look like a freshened Murcielago, but don't be fooled by the familiar design. Underneath the angular carbon-fiber panels, a brand-new chassis and drivetrain can be found.
It all starts with Lamborghini's first carbon-fiber monocoque, which has been designed and will be built in-house. Lamborghini engineers also turned to Formula 1 for inspiration when they developed the sophisticated push-rod suspension.
The power, all 700 horses, comes from an all-new V12, which is both lighter and more powerful than the one in Aventador's predecessor. The engine is mated to a seven-speed gearbox developed together with Graziano that is quicker than a dual-clutch box but at a considerably lower weight. Many subtle tweaks to the exterior design have given the familiar lines a fresh and even sharper look.
The end result is a package that is more than a match for its rivals both aesthetically and technologically. We expect the range to be expanded with a Roadster model in 2012.
During 2011, we captured the Aventador several times as it made its various debuts around the world. This can be seen in our highly detailed 30-shot gallery of various examples at the Geneva Motor Show world debut, the Goodwood Festival of Speed and the American debut during the McCall Motorworks Revival.
The Murciélago was relieved in 2011 by the new Aventador LP700-4 after serving as Lamborghini's flagship for nearly a decade. Launched in Frankfurt in September of 2001, the Murciélago was the first model developed under Volkswagen AG ownership. It nevertheless was very much an evolution of the earlier Diablo and even the Countach, with the exception of the fresh design. Quite in contrast, the Aventador features a completely new mechanical package clothed in a familiar body.
In good Lamborghini tradition, the Aventador name was derived from a fighting bull, in this case a particularly courageous specimen from the stables of one of Don Celestino Cuadri Vides' sons. For an October 1993 fight in Saragozza, Spain, this fighting bull earned the "Trofeo de la Pena La Madronera."
The second part of the name, LP700-4, is Lamborghini nomenclature for the location and output of the engine, and the number of driven wheels: Longitudinale Postiore (longitudinally rear) 700 horsepower and four-wheel drive.
What really sets Aventador apart from its V12 predecessors is the carbon-fiber monocoque. Used for the for the first time on a Lamborghini road car, it was developed with the help of Boeing Aerospace. While most major manufacturers use third-party specialists, the Aventador's tub is constructed in-house at Lamborghini's Sant'Agata factory. Bolted on both ends of the carbon-fiber center section are aluminum subframes that support the front and rear suspension. The bare tub weighs just 147.5 kg (324.5 pounds), while the complete chassis tips the scales at a touch over 229 kg (508 pounds).
Also new is the V12 engine known internally as the L539. Despite having a virtually identical displacement as the 6.5-liter V12 used in the Murciélago, the new engine is around 20 kg lighter, weighing just 235 kg (520 pounds). The all-alloy unit has a considerably shorter stroke with an eye on improving low-end torque. Fitted with a conventional fuel-injection system and dry-sump lubrication, the L539 produces 700 horsepower at 8,250 rpm, while the extremely flat torque curve peaks at 509 pound-feet at 5,500 rpm.
For example: Pagani raised the bar with the Huayra, Alfa Romeo announced a new rear wheel drive coupe, Porsche launched a all-new generation of the 911 and Chevrolet broadened the path to affordable performance with the tarmac-shredding Camaro ZL1.
But none of the new sports cars were more impressive than the Lamborghini Aventador LP700-4. At first glance it may look like a freshened Murcielago, but don't be fooled by the familiar design. Underneath the angular carbon-fiber panels, a brand-new chassis and drivetrain can be found.
It all starts with Lamborghini's first carbon-fiber monocoque, which has been designed and will be built in-house. Lamborghini engineers also turned to Formula 1 for inspiration when they developed the sophisticated push-rod suspension.
The power, all 700 horses, comes from an all-new V12, which is both lighter and more powerful than the one in Aventador's predecessor. The engine is mated to a seven-speed gearbox developed together with Graziano that is quicker than a dual-clutch box but at a considerably lower weight. Many subtle tweaks to the exterior design have given the familiar lines a fresh and even sharper look.
The end result is a package that is more than a match for its rivals both aesthetically and technologically. We expect the range to be expanded with a Roadster model in 2012.
During 2011, we captured the Aventador several times as it made its various debuts around the world. This can be seen in our highly detailed 30-shot gallery of various examples at the Geneva Motor Show world debut, the Goodwood Festival of Speed and the American debut during the McCall Motorworks Revival.
The Murciélago was relieved in 2011 by the new Aventador LP700-4 after serving as Lamborghini's flagship for nearly a decade. Launched in Frankfurt in September of 2001, the Murciélago was the first model developed under Volkswagen AG ownership. It nevertheless was very much an evolution of the earlier Diablo and even the Countach, with the exception of the fresh design. Quite in contrast, the Aventador features a completely new mechanical package clothed in a familiar body.
In good Lamborghini tradition, the Aventador name was derived from a fighting bull, in this case a particularly courageous specimen from the stables of one of Don Celestino Cuadri Vides' sons. For an October 1993 fight in Saragozza, Spain, this fighting bull earned the "Trofeo de la Pena La Madronera."
The second part of the name, LP700-4, is Lamborghini nomenclature for the location and output of the engine, and the number of driven wheels: Longitudinale Postiore (longitudinally rear) 700 horsepower and four-wheel drive.
What really sets Aventador apart from its V12 predecessors is the carbon-fiber monocoque. Used for the for the first time on a Lamborghini road car, it was developed with the help of Boeing Aerospace. While most major manufacturers use third-party specialists, the Aventador's tub is constructed in-house at Lamborghini's Sant'Agata factory. Bolted on both ends of the carbon-fiber center section are aluminum subframes that support the front and rear suspension. The bare tub weighs just 147.5 kg (324.5 pounds), while the complete chassis tips the scales at a touch over 229 kg (508 pounds).
Also new is the V12 engine known internally as the L539. Despite having a virtually identical displacement as the 6.5-liter V12 used in the Murciélago, the new engine is around 20 kg lighter, weighing just 235 kg (520 pounds). The all-alloy unit has a considerably shorter stroke with an eye on improving low-end torque. Fitted with a conventional fuel-injection system and dry-sump lubrication, the L539 produces 700 horsepower at 8,250 rpm, while the extremely flat torque curve peaks at 509 pound-feet at 5,500 rpm.
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