Lamborghini Aventador S: Review
Understeering posing pouch or serious supercar? PH drives the new Aventador S to see if it's a Lambo reborn
So to the new Aventador S, arguably the first Lamborghini launched under the stewardship of new boss and ex-Ferrari man Stefano Domenicali. Can he - and this updated V12 flagship - maintain Lamborghini's recent commercial success while restoring its swagger? Less preening in sharp suits and more F1-honed discipline might be just the gift Domenicali brings.
Needs to be good given the competition...
Fight!
The timing is good too; we're expecting an updated Ferrari F12 M at Geneva and that will likely also feature four-wheel steering from the TdF. While the two cars remain very different in mechanical layout, ethos and appearance they both honour the respective traditions of their brands in suitably spectacular style. And stake claims on that ground between 'regular' supercars and the more rarefied seven-figure hypercar specials. Many of us will have geeked out over those historic Countach versus Testarossa magazine tests; if F12 M and Aventador S becomes the definitive supercar rivalry of 2017 then all's good with the world.
That'll be the new front bumper then
Trouble is things aren't looking too promising on the launch event. Valencia has been hit by the worst storms in over four decades according to rumours circulating in the pit lane and the colourful line-up of Aventadors tantalisingly ticking over as the rain hammers down aren't going anywhere. Yeah, a whole orchestra of tiny violins is striking up in sympathy ... but it is somewhat frustrating.
S'alright though because we have done a 200-yard low-speed slalom course to demonstrate the effectiveness of the new dynamic/four-wheel steering combination. Which proves, above all else, you'll require slightly less arm-twirling to dodge all those cameraphone wielding supercar spotters leaping out into the road. In all seriousness the new system is a significant addition, effectively shortening the wheelbase by 500mm for improved agility at speeds below 70mph or so and then stretching it by a virtual 700mm at higher speeds for greater stability. On the front axle the dynamic steering can go from a fast 10:1 to a lazy 18:1, equating to 2.1 turns to 2.4 turns lock to lock. Unlike the previous hydraulic set-up it's an EPAS system too.
Say again?
The above doesn't sound like a recipe for predictable, honest feedback and there's not a huge amount of feel or weight to the wheel. But, driven back to back with an LP700-4, the Aventador S feels instantly more agile. At 30mph. Through some cones.
740hp at 8,400rpm. Proper V12
Now I've had a few laps of Silverstone in an Aventador LP700-4 with Lamborghini's test driver Giorgio Sanna in similar conditions. And even he couldn't persuade it to turn in. Hopes are not especially high, it's got to be said. And the usually no messin' Lamborghini instructors are taking it very steadily indeed in their SVs. Still, having come all this way and everything...
Now you may have heard about the new Ego mode on the Aventador S. Although delivered with utmost seriousness I like to think this shows a degree of self-awareness at Lamborghini. Humour even. In reality it's just a fun name for a fourth, configurable setting over and above the existing Strada, Sport and Corsa progression. I opt for Dynamic steering in the hope it's at the faster end of the scale, Sport powertrain because it sends 90 per cent of the drive torque to the rear wheels (well, if they will invite us to Dare Your Ego...) and Strada for the revised magneto-rheological dampers for the wet conditions.
Much better out here than it ever was
At the speeds we're going there's little danger of pushing the limits too hard but there's an immediate sense this is an Aventador you can drive with fingertip precision, not manhandle like the original. The steering does feel a little artificial but it's better than the equivalent set-up in the Huracan and you do at least sense any scrub from the front tyres through the wheel.
What the Aventador S gives you that the Aventador didn't in similar situations are options. With the more rear-biased Sport powertrain option you can nudge up to the understeer and, if you're patient, power through it into mild oversteer, even with the ESC fully engaged. This is promising.
The speeds are increasing a little so, daring my ego, I switch to Corsa. Instantly the shifts from the ISR single-clutch gearbox start punching through with ferocity that's borderline uncomfortable. And probably not sensible, given the conditions. I persevere but Corsa's stated aim of delivering a more neutral torque bias (it'll go as far as 20:80 front to rear) for 'serious' lapping means you lose the ability to rotate the car out of its understeer phase. It wants to pull you out of the corner from the front rather than push you in from the rear and, in these conditions at least, feels more like the old car. Sport is all-round the most fun, the ESC lenient enough to make the Aventador S properly edgy and lively. Not qualities you'd have associated with it previously.
The Aventador comes good!
And what a relief to find a car finally keen to exploit the mighty reach of that magnificent engine. Turbos and electric assistance are all very well. But the sensory overload this engine delivers inside and out - not to mention the Bunsen burner flame when the exhaust is suitably warmed through - are exactly the kind of thrill a car like the Aventador should deliver. Is the gearbox the weak link? Personally I quite like its brutal nature - it suits the car's character and, like the engine, is defiantly old school. Around town the nodding dog automatic mode is a little less appealing and it can't match a dual-clutch for response time. But if we accept driving an Aventador is all about the experience it feels appropriate.
It would be great to get a feel for all this in the dry to really see if the S brings the best of the SV spirit to the 'regular' Aventador and unleashes the more driver-focused side the Winkelmann era cars never really did. Certainly there's a sense the upgrades make good on the promise of the Aventador's construction, dramatic looks and raw pace. It'll remain a blunt tool. But one you can now wield with a good deal more accuracy. As such the hope is there for a hero car we can properly look up to, without the need for excuses about the way it goes. It'll never be to all tastes. But at least it now seems to have the go to match the show.
Watch the walkaround clip here
LAMBORGHINI AVENTADOR S LP740-4
Engine: 6,498cc V12
Transmission: 7-speed ISR (Independent Shifting Rods) automated manual, four-wheel drive
Power (hp): 740@8,400rpm
Torque (lb ft): 509@5,500rpm
0-62mph: 2.9sec
0-125mph: 8.8sec
Top speed: 219mph
Weight: 1,575kg (dry)
MPG: 16.7 (NEDC combined)
CO2: 394g/km
Price: £225,955+VAT
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Best wait till Geneva before making that call.
How on earth they find enough gullible fools to buy these is beyond me.
I do live in London, and Lambos are still very much driven by our friends from the Gulf, so the cliché is pretty accurate still, notwithstanding the northern drug dealer stereotype. Not sure I would really want to emulate either, though I rather like the wheels!
I agree, fantastic car; mad, silly, old-school perhaps but we should all be glad it exists. I'll have mine in that blue colour please.
I do live in London, and Lambos are still very much driven by our friends from the Gulf, so the cliché is pretty accurate still, notwithstanding the northern drug dealer stereotype. Not sure I would really want to emulate either, though I rather like the wheels!
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