Already being hailed as a "super car worthy of the name but more super car than sports car," Lamborghini's Aventador LP 700-4 Roadster is tearing up the asphalt with the same graceful speed as the laudatory reviews hot on its trail.
A near steal at $500,000 (less than a fourth of the price tag of its one-off predecessor, the Aventador-J), Lamborghini's latest pride and joy features:
- An ultra-light (13 lbs.) two-piece carbon-fiber roof
- An "occupant protection system" stemming from its reinforced roadster setup
- Redesigned rear pillar
- Power rear windscreen
- Wind deflector
- Hexagon-shaped windows inlaid in its rear cover (allowing for an engine view and better ventilation)
- 6.5-liter normally aspirated V12; 690 hp at 8,250 rpm, 509 lb ft at 5,500 rpm; seven-speed automatic
- Aluminum wheels (20-in. front, 21-in. rear) that are reportedly 22 pounds lighter than standard
- 14.7 mpg combined (European cycle EC/1999/100)
Aventador also enjoys the first time since Lamborghini's 1968 Mirua that a shade like "light blue" will be available for a Lambo's palette.
"My god man, just look at it: It is the sharp-edged, air-slicing scimitar of speed, slicing its way through the atmosphere with efficiencies only dreamed of in the era of the Countach, Diablo and Murcielago," cheers Autoweek's Mark Vaughn.
Though admitting the car is "not really light or nimble," the Autoweek reviewer continues his praise with such exclamations as, "This is one of the world's most extraordinary cars in which to mash the throttle" and the less technical, "iAy Chihuahua!"
With a maximum speed of "some 350 km/h," according to Lamborghini, and its ability to clock in at 100 km/h in "3 seconds flat," the Aventador is certainly a contender for "boast[ing] record performance... with no direct competition."
As for comfort and style, the design of the car is a "completely open vehicle with sleek lines combining perfectly balanced sportiness and elegance," says Lamborghini, which goes on to report that the vehicle's itself has been wholly redesigned. The Aventador employs a leather material called "Sabbia Nefertem" highlights, forged by "superb handmade craftsmanship."
"The Aventador Roadster is our most exciting production car ever," said Lamborghini CEO Stephan Winkelmann at the car's unveiling in Miami on Monday, January 28th.
There is currently a 15-month waiting period for purchasing an Aventador.
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