Lamborghini Aventador LP 700-4
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Concerns about weight - and most other rational thoughts - are extinguished once one experiences the Aventador's operatic and absurdly potent V12. Displacing 6.5 liters and boasting a lofty 8500 redline, this beast of a motor makes 691 horsepower and 509 lb-ft of torque at 5,500 rpm.
When you couple that much power with the car's Haldex all-wheel-drive system, what you get is a zero-to-62 mph time of just 2.9 seconds and a top speed of 217 mph. These figures put the Aventador proudly atop the Lamborghini range and easily in the company of the most impressive supercars in the world.
Fuel economy is likely the last thing on the mind of anyone considering a Lamborghini, but the automaker added two new technologies for the latest model year in the interests of efficiency and the environment.
The first, a start-stop system that shuts down the engine to save fuel at traffic lights or in stop-and-go traffic, is a supercapacitor-based system that's both lighter and faster to restart the motor than a traditional battery-based system. The second is a cylinder deactivation system that shuts down half of the V12's cylinders during light-throttle situations, temporarily turning the motor into a straight-six. When the driver lays into the throttle, the other six cylinders fire back up for full power.
Despite those technologies, there's only so much they can do to enhance the mileage of the inherently thirsty V12 - fuel economy is rated at 11 mpg in the city and 18 mpg on the highway.
Shifting duties are handled by a seven-speed single-clutch automated manual gearbox that Lamborghini refers to as a robotized Independent Shifting Rods (ISR) transmission. Capable of blasting from gear to gear in just 50 milliseconds, it can be a bit herky-jerky at low speeds and isn't as refined overall as the dual-clutch boxes used by some competitors. Lamborghini said it opted to use the ISR to save weight over a dual-clutch unit.
Helping transfer all 691 horsepower to the ground at all four corners are two different tires and wheel sizes - 255/35/R19 for front wheels and tires, with massive 335/30R20 wheels and tires for the rear. Stopping the big Lambo are 400x38m six-piston carbon ceramic brakes in the front, and 380x38mm carbon ceramic brakes in the rear.
Get the Aventador out to an empty, winding road, and the supercar will impress with its superb engine, accurate steering and excellent overall balance, though its girth prevents it from feeling truly nimble.
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