Nothing stands still for long in the rarefied world of the super-sports car, and this latest version of the Lamborghini Aventador is the living, snarling, howling proof of that.
Known simply as the S, the “new improved” £277k Aventador is in fundamental terms quite a lot like the original. Except this time there is four-wheel steering, what Lamborghini describes as “significantly enhanced suspension and electronics” and a touch more power for the 6.5-litre V12 engine. All up, this “entry level” Aventador produces 730bhp and 690Nm, which makes it good for an eye-popping 217mph top speed with a 62mph time of just 2.9sec.
There are also styling and aerodynamic upgrades aplenty, above and death its restyled skin, with entirely new design elements front and rear, dramatic new Countach-style rear wheel arches and all sorts of extra ducts along the sides and underneath to help it move more cleanly through the air.
At the same time, though, Lamborghini claims downforce has been improved by as much as 50 per cent at high speed while in low drag configuration – which comes about thanks to a new active rear wing – it generates 400 per cent less drag.
Lamborghini has also introduced a new “Ego” setting for its dynamic drive programme, so where before you only had the option of switching between Strada, Sport and Corsa for the engine, gearbox, throttle map and so on, by selecting Ego you can tailor each aspect of the car’s dynamics individually. So if you want the softest damper settings with the fruitiest engine map and a sporty but not crazed response from the gearbox, no problemo. It’s a welcome development that broadens the car’s appeal, both as a track monster and as a car for the public road.
The big technical development, however, is the new electronic four-wheel steering system, which not only improves turn in response “dramatically” at all speeds, says Lamborghini, but also improves stability and drive-ability at high speed. The system turns the rear wheels in the opposite direction to the fronts at low speeds to improve agility, whereas at high speeds it turns them in the same direction. And in practice it’s the key aspect that separates old Aventador from new on the move.
Understeer has been all but eradicated, even on a soaking wet track at Valencia, where we tried the car. There’s also a corresponding sense of extra agility that ends to be experienced to be believed. Lamborghini’s engineers claim the 4WS has had the subjective effect of taking half a metre off the car’s wheelbase, and they’re not wrong.
This in itself means the S has taken a huge step forward dynamically over the previous car, but there are numerous other aspects that have been improved at the same time. Such as the drive-ability of the remapped V12 engine, the extra smoothness of the electronic damper and suspension response in any of its three modes, and better still the steering response, which was never very clean in the old car but which is now borderline delicious in its fluidity, weight and feel.
Take a (very big) brave pill and switch all the electronic safety systems off and, say Lambo’s engineers, the new 4WS system will even help a skilled driver to make the S oversteer if they so wish. This is because much more torque nows flows to the rear axle than before, and that’s purely because the chassis is that much better balanced.
Elsewhere the Cabin has been tweaked slightly, with bigger digitised instruments that alter depending on which drive mode you select. The software for the auto setting within the seven-speed paddle shift gearbox has also been softened to make smooth driving easier when you’re not wanting to go for it.
Overall, the Aventador S feels surprisingly superior to the car it replaces on the move, and in all sorts of different areas. And to our eyes it looks, sounds and goes better than ever.
- Price: £277,000 (approx)
- Engine: 6.5-litre V12, petrol
- Transmission: 7-speed auto, four wheel-drive
- Power/Torque: 730bhp/690Nm
- 0-60mph/Top speed: 2.9s/217mph
- Economy/CO2: 16.7mpg/394g/km