8 minute read
Lamborghini Aventador S
With Lamborghini phasing out its iconic V12 engine, Darren Cassey bids a sad farewell to one of the most exciting supercars ever made.
THE KNOWLEDGE
Lamborghini Aventador S
Price (as tested): £304,555 Engine: 6.5-litre V12 petrol
Power: 730bhp Torque: 690Nm
Max speed:
217mph
O-60mph:
2.9 seconds
MPG (combined):
14.7
Emissions:
460g/km CO2
Power
The 12-cylinder engine pumps out 730bhp and can propel the Aventador to a 217mph top speed
WHAT IS IT?
Introduced a decade ago, the Aventador has seen updates that have increased power and produced increasingly extreme versions. Most importantly, it will be the last car to get this iconic V12 engine in its purest form and will be replaced soon.
WHAT’S NEW?
This model was introduced in 2016 as the entry level in the range, bringing a few updates to its predecessor, the LP700-4. It received various mechanical upgrades as well as styling tweaks for a fresher, more modern appearance. The engine was updated to provide more power, it was given four-wheel steering to improve handling and stability, plus uprated software for a sharper driving experience.
WHAT’S UNDER THE BONNET?
It’s no exaggeration to say that this is one of the greatest engines of all time. The performance is frankly ludicrous, and if you put your foot down in lower gears there’s a violent surge of acceleration. It feels quick of course, but it’s the sound that really gets under your skin. The wail of the engine fills the cabin and overwhelms your senses as 12 cylinders fire at an increasingly rapid pace. Boy, will we miss stuff like this when it’s gone!
WHAT’S IT LIKE TO DRIVE?
The Aventador is big, and it only feels lower and wider from behind the wheel. It’s surprisingly easy to drive at normal speeds, with well-judged steering weights, but once you pick up speed the car shrinks around you. There’s one downside and that’s the gearbox – the auto betrays the car’s age. Unless you’re in sport mode charging hard, it’s slow and sluggish to swap cogs. Incredibly annoying, but a small sacrifice for the overall experience.
TARGET BUYERS:
Wealthy people looking for one of the most extravagant cars that money can buy.
THE RIVALS:
Mercedes-AMG GT Ferrari 812 Superfast McLaren 765LT
The cabin
The build and materials are of the highest quality and are surprisingly practical, too.
big Lambo, which sits so low it’s seemingly being sucked into the tarmac. The lower front grille is wide and accentuates the width, while the high-rake windscreen and roofline give a Countach-esque ‘wedge’ shape. The rear is similarly theatrical, with a prominent diffuser and three-spoke tail-lights for a unique night-time signature.
WHAT’S IT LIKE INSIDE?
It feels surprisingly cramped considering the car’s footprint. But once you’ve acclimated to the fact your hair is brushing the roof, the claustrophobia dissipates. With the low shoulder line, it feels like you sit high, so forward visibility is decent.
The materials also feel of the highest quality, but there are a few signs that the Aventador is facing retirement. For example, the infotainment screen is pretty small and uses outdated Audi software. However, the old-school button-festooned centre console is welcome in an era where everything is stuck deep in touchscreen menus. It’s surprisingly practical, too. The front bonnet is big enough to carry a sleeping bag, tent and camera equipment, and there’s also storage behind the passenger compartment for smaller items.
WHAT’S THE SPEC LIKE?
The Aventador S isn’t a cheap car – but just how ‘not cheap’ might blow your mind. The ‘base’ car is £226,505, but our example was specced up to £304,555. Standard equipment includes all the mechanical upgrades, as well as an electronically controlled rear spoiler, four driving modes, digital instrument display and bi-xenon headlights.
Some of the option boxes ticked on ‘our’ car included the Blu Dedalo paint job (£9,270), 20-inch front alloy wheels and 21-inch rears (£2,710) plus a full carbon-fibre interior upgrade (£7,620). Incredibly, parking sensors and a rear-view camera cost £3,060, but given the size of the car and poor rear visibility, it should be the first option on your list.
WHAT DO THE PRESS THINK?
Autocar said it ‘finally has the handling to do justice to that magnificent powertrain’, while Evo said it had transformed from a ‘wild animal into a genuine track weapon’.
WHAT DO WE THINK?
The Aventador has been a hugely successful car for Lamborghini but is starting to show its age now, and that gearbox is almost unforgivable these days. Almost, because the styling and engine more than make up for it. It feels so unnecessary, but that’s what makes it great. It’s a head-follows-heart kinda car, and it should be celebrated as such. Lamborghini Aventador: you and your fabulous engine will be missed.
KEY SELLING POINTS:
1. Wild styling. 2.Exhilarating performance. 3.Iconic engine.
DEAL CLINCHER:
Little else on the road looks and sounds as good as an Aventador.
BY APPOINTMENT TO HER MAJESTY THE QUEEN SUPPLIER OF CAR CARE PRODUCTS AUTOGLYM, LETCHWORTH, ENGLAND BY APPOINTMENT TO H.R.H.THE PRINCE OF WALES SUPPLIER OF CAR CARE PRODUCTS AUTOGLYM, LETCHWORTH, ENGLAND
REFL OW
IMAGINE REMOVING BIRD DEPOSIT ETCHING WITH
NO WET SANDING NO BUFFING MACHINE NO HOLOGRAMS NO SWIRL MARKS NO PIGTAILS NO RISK
Reflow is a breakthrough treatment that permanently removes etching marks and dull spots, caused by bird deposits, from car paintwork*.
Developed by Autoglym, Reflow is an innovative solution to one of the most common problems in car care – paintwork damage caused by bird deposits. Reflow is safe, easy to use and requires no specialist tools and takes just 30 minutes to effectively heal vehicle paintwork, leaving a perfect finish once again.
WATER ACTIVATION
Cold water is added to pack to activate, pack is placed on affected area and left for 30 minutes. THERMAL TRANSFER
Pack heats surface to optimum temperature allowing paintwork to reflow and fill imperfections. PAINT HEALING
As pack cools, paintwork sets effectively healing affected area, pack is removed − etching disappears.
*Important note: Reflow works best on new or nearly new vehicles, with clear coat, that are up to three years old. If paintwork is aged, Reflow will significantly improve the appearance of the etching but might not remove it completely.
Autoglym autoglym.com
Save your hide
Pale-coloured leather can be the downfall of a sales car thanks to its ability to show up dirt – but with its Interior Cleaner and Magic Sponge, Autoglym Professional has the answer.
Light-coloured interiors can look great, but after a few years of use those with a cream or light-grey finish can find themselves looking a bit off-colour.
And from a resale perspective, we all know that can be a bit of a nightmare.
That’s where Autoglym Professional comes in, and improving the look of grubby leather is actually a less arduous process than it looks – requiring a gentle touch rather than a thorough scrub.
To prove the point, we took an old Jaguar X-Type to the Autoglym Academy in Letchworth, Hertfordshire. The car had seen 20 years of sweaty bottoms on its cream cushions, and while it didn’t look too grim at first, it wasn’t until Autoglym technician Ryan Bowden masked off one side of the seat and set to work on the other that it became apparent how dirty the cabin actually was.
‘You don’t want to get too enthusiastic when scrubbing,’ said Ryan. ‘Especially not with seats like these that have some kind of ageing wear.’
Instead, the key is to go gently and let the best solutions in the business do the job. One of these is Autoglym Interior Cleaner, which is specially formulated to do the hard work for you using a selected blend of surface-active ingredients.
The second trick of the trade is Autoglym’s Magic Sponge, which uses a super-light abrasive to gently but effectively dislodge dirt from hard interior surfaces. Indeed, the Magic Sponge is one of the best parts of any valeter’s armoury.
‘You only have to run the sponge lightly across the surface for it to be cleaned,’ said Ryan. ‘It’s not an intensive process. One of the big mistakes people make when cleaning car interiors is to be hard and vigorous, which may only damage the seats. Instead, the trick is to use the best products, such as Autoglym Interior Cleaner or Fabric Stain Remover, and use them gently. Let the product do the work.’
In only two hours, our Jaguar was transformed from being off-colour to looking shiny and new – just look at the before and after photo to see the difference.
Autoglym Interior Cleaner is available to professional customers in five-litre containers and is suitable for use on all interior materials including leather, fabric and plastic surfaces.
AFTER
BEFORE
Ryan Bowden Autoglym technician
