MNM Issue 3 vol 3 | Page 38

GLOBAL SPINS

LAMBORGHINI AVENTADOR LP 700-4 ROADSTER

400ms of other V12s . These technical improvements will find its way into 2013 Aventador coupes as well .
This Roadster is really outspoken as the V12 wolfs and snarls even as one is negotiating city streets .
There is a “ Strada ” mode which keeps things a little more civilised , but one does not buy this RM3.9 million ( based on Singapore ’ s S $ 1.6 million price tag ) car to shy away from attention . Lamborghini has deliberately become the more overt and extreme of the two Italian supercar competitors to ensure their clients are in no doubt of the product and lifestyle they are buying into .
There are just three settings to consider once you start the Roadster : “ Strada ” is a general purpose program that is good for sedate city and inter-city journeys ; “ Sport ” mode makes the Roadster feel more like a rear driven supercar with a constant 90 per cent of the engines torque sent to the rears and the electronic stability is relaxed to allow some oversteer ( not to mention the louder exhaust bark ); and “ Corsa ” which is meant for track or fast mountain road driving .
On the track , the Sport mode is the most entertaining of the three , as the Aventador behaves like a rear driven supercar , often moving into oversteer and providing more “ action ” for the driver . The car becomes highly dependent on the smoothness of the driver ’ s inputs . It is also the last of the settings that allow automatic gear selection , which
SpECifiCaTiOnS Lamborghini Aventador LP 700-4 Roadster
Engine V12 , 48-valves , doHC , VVt naturally aspirated
Capacity 6498cc
Max Power 700 bhp at 8250rpm
Max Torque 690 nm at 5500rpm
Gearbox 7-speed isr automated manual
Driven Wheels 0-100KM / H 3.0 seconds
Top Speed 350km / h
Consumption 16 l / 100 km / L ( combined ) 370 gm CO2 / km
SUSpEnSiOn
Front double wishbones , with in-board springs and dampers , anti-roll bar
Rear double wishbones , with in-board springs and dampers , anti-roll bar
Brakes FRONT / REARVentilated CCm discs all round
TYRES
Type pirelli p-Zero Corsa
Size front : 255 / 35 ZR 19 rear : 335 / 30 ZR 20
Features six airbags , aBs with esC
Price in 2013 rm3.9 million ( approx .)
is often better in choosing the gear ratios than the driver .
The big change when the Corsa mode is selected , apart from the thumping gear shifts , is the continuously variable torque split and vectoring between front and rear wheels , where up to more than a third of the torque can be applied to the front wheels to suit the situation . There is no automatic gear selection in Corsa but the car is far more composed on the track with the computer constantly shuffling torque between the wheels for the best traction and balance .
Indeed , this is the setting for the most stability and consequently the fastest lap times if one is up to the task . Surprisingly , the suspension setting , while firmer than Strada , is not that punishing on the open roads making this a setting one could select for the open roads or mountain passes without the need for a kidney brace .
Being an open top car its entry easy as one can step into the cockpit and then just sit down . It might not be as easy to stand up after sitting down , but with some accurate shifting you ’ ll be able to slide yourself out . Fast and agile as this supercar may be , it is still a very wide vehicle that needs a little more circumspect in tight confines . While the Roadster is claimed to be a quarter less thirsty in the NEDC cycle – with the clever cylinder deactivation and stop-start systems – we have doubts about anyone wanting to buy it for its efficiency .
The new Aventador Roadster may not be the easiest car to
drive around , and it certainly isn ’ t the easiest to get in or out of , but it wasn ’ t made for the bashful or faint of heart . It is for those special few extroverts with deep pockets ( very deep pockets , because it costs 20 per cent more than the coupe ).
With its sexy looks , eye-popping styling , and the way it belows , snarls and grunts as it threads through city streets , the Aventador Roadster isn ’ t a car that you fall in love with ... no , this is pure unabated lust !
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