MNM Issue 3 vol 3 | Page 36

GLOBAL SPINS

LAMBORGHINI AVENTADOR LP 700-4 ROADSTER

Chief executive officer Stephan Winklemann ’ s product brief to his director of styling Filippo Perini said that the Roadster needs to look as good if not better than the coupe .
First they awed the world with the Aventador J in 2012 , an outrageous
Speedster-like concept with barely any windscreen . The effect on the audience was calculated , to whet our collective appetite for the Roadster ’ s appearance . While the Aventador J could be driven , it would be impossible for it to pass today ’ s stringent regulations .
The aim then became : maintain the performance of the Aventador ; provide extreme open top motoring ; and make it look sexier .
The new Aventador is unlike the other CF designs , in that it is a CF monocoque rather than a tub design – providing extremely high strength to the closed coupe shell as the roof is a structural component . The Roadster without the roof may lose a third of its rigidity but at 22,000Nm per degree , it is still extremely rigid and surpasses many current closed coupe offerings .
To aid matters , the unique CF roof , when locked in place , is so strong that it behaves like a structural component , adding another 10 per cent to rigidity .
It is not a motorised roof , it takes over a minute to remove and store away in the front of the Roadster , reducing the already meagre luggage space to a a compartment that can fit pair of modest sized backpacks . Otherwise , it would easily fit a pair of overnighters .
The decision not to motorise the roof was one driven purely by a focus on aesthetics . The folding roof and its mechanisms would require a compromise to the shape of the
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