Mercedes commits to hydrogen fuel with GLC F-Cell hybrid Powertrain: 6.5-liter, V-12 gasoline engineĮPA fuel economy rating: 11 miles per gallon city / 18 highway / 13 Latigo Canyon in a Shelby Daytona Coupe ![]() Vehicle type: Two-door, two-passenger sports car Highs: Expectation-smashing race track thrills Times’ take: Visceral, old-fashioned, modern technology Last week Lamborghini unveiled the Aventador S Roadster at the Frankfurt auto show. They’re getting ready to entertain a few more who insist on driving 217 miles per hour with the top down. Those numbers will no doubt go up when Lambo begins selling its Urus SUV, some time next year.įor now, the company is looking for a few good drivers ready to pony up a base price of $424,845, including the $3,700 gas guzzler tax, to acquire one. Though the Aventador is reportedly the best-selling V-12 car in history, last year the company sold only 3,457 vehicles globally. I never did find out why the air bag icon was illuminated. Down the straightaway I caught 145 mph, and was still accelerating, before chopping the throttle and swooshing through the big turn. The other drivers weren’t racing away from me, but on the second lap we were all faster. As we left the small course and headed onto the NASCAR straightaway used by the stock cars, sports cars and sprint cars, I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to keep up with my more seasoned fellow drivers.ĭown the first stretch, approaching the big left hand bank turn, I saw the speedometer climb from 125 mph to 135 mph before I put my eyes back on the track. My concern on the track was getting a citation for going too slow. It would also mean exercising restraint, or risk filling that small glove compartment with speeding citations. And overnighting, in addition to frequent gas stops, would require savvy packing, since the front end “trunk” will hardly hold more than your toothbrush.ĭaily driving would also mean growing comfortable with the tight steering, the stiff suspension, and the neighbor-waking roar of the V-12 engine. If you’re driving the car hard, and having fun, fuel economy will be below 11 miles to the gallon. ![]() Provided you’re limber enough to swing through the dihedral doors, then angle down and into the snug, low-slung race seats, and also limber enough to get back out, this could be your daily driver. The interior can be dressed in carbon fiber or Alcantara leather, and the seats and steering wheel can be customized with bespoke upholstery and contrast stitching. Standard and optional amenities include Apple CarPlay, heated seats and a very good HVAC system. The airplane-like cockpit, tucked inside an all-carbon-fiber monocoque shell, brings everything within easy reach of the pilot. The designers have given the car some user-friendly qualities. Lamborghini is advertising the Aventador S as a daily driver that can perform on the track. ![]() I couldn’t force the car to lose traction, it seemed, even under the heaviest acceleration, downshifting or braking. The Aventador S shot violently from corner to corner, eating up asphalt and holding tight lines through the turns. Its visceral feel became more evident to me when, following the driving coach, I put on a racing helmet, belted myself in, and began running the short part of the sports car course. Having opted not to use the dual clutch transmission, which has gotten high marks as part of the Huracan power train, the company has taken some criticism for using such old-fashioned technology in its flagship sports car. Lamborghini may be making a virtue of a necessity with the gear box. The car hurtles forward under hard acceleration and leaps through the gears with neck-snapping force. That gear box, with so much horsepower and torque, creates an extremely engaged driver experience. Instead, this Aventador has a single clutch transmission. There’s no turbo here, and there’s no dual clutch transmission - standard on most performance cars. (Like the Miura, Huracan and other Lambos, the Aventador is named for a famed four-legged hero of the bullfighting ring.)įor feel, Lamborghini’s engineers went a little bit old school. ![]() The “Ego” mode allows the driver to make specific individual selection in power, steering, suspension and other details.įor looks, Lamborghini designers were reaching back to the company’s Countach and Diablo cars of the past, giving the new Aventador’s body a bit of shark and its nose a bit of snake. Sport engages more engine and more engine sound, and sharpens the steering and suspension.Ĭorsa (or “Course”) unleashes everything, for the track, and requires manual gear selection through the paddle shifters. Strada (or “Street”) is for that supermarket run. The naturally aspirated Aventador S manages its power through a seven-speed automatic gear box and four drive modes.
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