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The Lamborghini Aventador LP700-4, Lamborghini's newest supercar will replace the Murcièlago as the brand's halo car. The Murcièlago was both praised and lambasted for using numerous parts from its new owner Audi: It took away the bespoke feel of the car, but for once things like air conditioning finally worked. Now that the company is in better financial shape they've been able to dedicate more resources to this project making the Aventador all Lambo.
The numbers:
6.5l V12
700 hp
509 ft-lbs. torque
3,472 lbs.
0-100 kph (0-62 mph) in 2.9 seconds
217 mph top speed
All wheel drive
There were rumors that the new car would reuse the Jota nameplate, but the company opted for their fighting bull naming system. The new name comes from a bull that won the Trofeo de la Peña La Madroñera, an award for extreme bravery.
The improvements are most obvious in the interior where Audi-sourced pieces have been replace by higher quality materials. LCD displays in the dash and console show pertinent speed and performance data while steering effort, throttle response, differential adjustments, and shift speed are all adjusted by pushing one of three buttons: Strada (street,) Sport or Corsa (race.) Exterior styling is somewhere between the Murcièlago and the Reventon, with the moving b-pillar vents replaced with more traditional side vents.
Lamborghini worked with Boeing to create a new resin transfer molded carbon fiber monocoque that weighs just 505 lbs. once the aluminum crash barriers are bolted on to form the full frame. The new process is limited to a single factory which will restrict production of the Aventador to 700-800 cars a year, only slightly higher than the Murcièlago's production.
How advanced is this new technique? Repairs to the shell can only be done by what Lamborghini calls "flying doctors." In North America damage can only be repaired by specialists at the University of Washington in Seattle.
Behind the passenger compartment is a new V12 that weighs forty pounds less than the Murcièlagos' while producing 700 hp. It doesn't have direct injection like the Gallardo's V10 which keeps the motor relatively compact. Power goes through a new 7-speed ISR transmission that shifts in just 50 milliseconds when in Corsa mode while weighing less than half as much as the outgoing Audi transmission. Combined with the lightweight chassis the Aventador has a power-to-weight ratio of less than 5lbs. per horsepower.
The Aventador will reach buyers by the end of this summer at a cost of around $380,000.