Monday 19th December 2016

Lamborghini Aventador S revealed

More power, more downforce, four-wheel steering and a whole lot more for the latest Lambo

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With the standard Aventador having been around since 2011 now, the Lambo flagship was due an update. V12 Lamborghinis tend to have a 10-year lifecycle after all (Diablo 1991-2001, Murcielago 2001-2011), so five years in sounds about right.

"Enhanced Lamborghini sound" from back here

This is the Aventador S, a car that "defines a new benchmark for the V12 Lamborghini." Naturally it has more power - now up to an F12-eqaulling 740hp - but also new technology and design to keep it competitive in the sub-hypercar class.

See the more aggressive front end with a splitter that better directs airflow, new ducts to reduce aero disturbance around the front wheels, a redesigned diffuser and an active rear wing with three settings. Lamborghini says that high downforce efficiency is improved by over 50 per cent compared to the old Aventador with the wing "in its optimum position", and then by over 400 per cent in the low drag setting. Front downforce is up by more than 130 per cent. The fact that no kilograms are mentioned suggests there wasn't all that much to begin with!

The Aventador S sees the debut in a series production Lambo of the four-wheel steering system seen in the Centenario, known as LRS (Lamborghini Rear-wheel Steering) and working in conjunction with LDS (Lamborghini Dynamic Steering) to get you into and out of a corner PDQ. The LDS has been tuned - thank goodness - for "a more natural and responsive feel with a sharper turn-in", so let's see how that materialises in the real world; certainly the Aventador SV showed a tangible improvement in the system.

The suspension has been reworked too, with new rear springs, uprated magneto-rheological dampers and revised kinematics for the rear-wheel steer. Interestingly too Lamborghini has tweaked the ESC threshold to "allow oversteer behaviour and a sporty, but safe drive"; this is combined with a greater rearward balance for the torque split thanks to the stabilising effect of the four-wheel steer.

And CarPlay is standard too!

Managing all this are Lamborghini's normal driving modes - Strada, Sport and Corsa - with a new addition in the form of a configurable 'Ego'. Well why just have boring old Individual? It permits the driver's chosen selection of suspension mode, steering, four-wheel drive balance, engine and gearbox. Is the Ego mode switch a driver selfie perhaps?

Other changes for the Aventador S include cylinder deactivation, a new Pirelli P Zero tyre, a lighter exhaust and an optional Lamborghini telemetry system too. To any PHers who have taken an Aventador on track, we salute you!

The S is available to order now, with prices starting at £271,146 and all manner of personalisation available through Lamborghini's Ad Personum programme. Is this finally the Aventador to have over a Ferrari F12?

[PetrolAholic]

The Aventador, or its predecessor the Murcielago have always been my "first purchase" after my numbers come up. I saw an Aventador in London once, and my partner had to peel me away from it. This, just makes me want to spend more on a lottery ticket.