2012 Lamborghini Aventador Awd on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Lamborghini Aventador SVJ Roadster removes roof for added sound and fury

In his first drive review for Autoblog, contributing writer Jason Harper described the sound of the Lamborghini Aventador SVJ as a "GT3 race car married to a Learjet crossed with a Valkyrie warrior screaming at her husband. At full flog it's loud enough to make you wince and eradicate all conversation. It is the sound of a non-turbo V12 doing exactly what it's made for." Now, imagine hearing all that without a pesky roof in the way. That's what you'll get with the Lamborghini Aventador SVJ Roadster unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show. It is the convertible version of the SVJ, which replaces the coupe's fixed roof with a carbon fiber panel that must be physically removed and stored under the hood. There is a not-insignificant weight penalty of 110 pounds for going topless, which certainly stands in contrast to the SVJ's various weight-saving measures. Otherwise, the Roadster is business as usual for the SVJ. As a refresher, this Aventador would be the latest-and-greatest version with a track focus. Besides weighing less than the 730-horsepower Aventador S Roadster, it boasts 759 horsepower and 531 pound-feet of torque from its naturally aspirated V12. Lamborghini says the SVJ Roadster will accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in 2.9 seconds, which is 0.1 second slower than the coupe. It has a seven-speed automated manual transmission and all-wheel drive. The SVJ features the second-generation Aerodynamica Lamborghini Attiva system (ATA), which basically adds an abundance of active aero elements designed to reduce drag and dramatically increase downforce. Those elements manage to selectively channel air away from the prominent rear wing to reduce drag (and therefore increase speed) on a straightaway, while allowing the wing to do its job and increase downforce when braking. It also effectively "stalls" air away from one half of the wing during cornering to provide extra downforce on the inside wheels during cornering and therefore increase grip. For the roadster, airflow is uninterrupted regardless of whether the roof is in place or removed, and Lamborghini says the SVJ sees a 40 percent improvement in downforce compared to the old SV Roadster. Other SVJ elements include a special rear-wheel steering system, while the Haldex fourth-generation all-wheel-drive system and magnetically controlled adaptive suspension have been specially tuned. For the latter, anti-roll stiffness has been improved by 50 percent compared to the SV Roadster.

Lamborghini Huracan STO Road Test: If death metal was a car

MALIBU, Calif. — If heavy death metal music were a car, it would be the Lamborghini Huracan STO. This is not your run-of-the-mill Lamborghini. It doesnÂ’t have all-wheel drive. The floor and doors are essentially bare carbon. It has a complex clamshell front end/hood you manually open with a plastic prong — under it, thereÂ’s barely room for a racing helmet. There are only three drive modes, a pittance for a modern supercar. A super-low, zero-forgiveness full carbon fiber front bumper/splitter is fitted that will torment your mind on every grade change. Its dry weight (the only one Lamborghini quotes) is only 2,942 pounds. That last bit — its low-for-a-Lambo weight — is the secret ingredient in what makes this STO drive like a special machine. Forget any stereotypes you may have about todayÂ’s Lamborghinis being the porky, easier-to-drive Italian supercar. The STO is pure, old-school Lambo. It looks those preconceived notions in the face and slaps them aside as quick as the 5.2-liter V10 can rev to its 8,500 rpm redline. That is, very, very quickly. The death metal begins as soon as you drop into the carbon buckets. In proper race car fashion, there are no traditional grab handles on the bare carbon door. Instead, a flexible piece of fabric is fashioned as a pull, and it works quite well. Getting out could be confusing for those new to track-focused machines like the STO, as the red strap suspiciously poking out of the door is actually a handle that you pull to activate. Adjusting the seat is all manual work — every extra electric anything would just add weight.  YouÂ’ll quickly learn that thereÂ’s a reason carpeting is the floor material of choice for every car out there, as the optional $4,600 carbon fiber floor mats optioned on this STO make for a SlipÂ’N Slide-themed pedal box. It can be acclimated to (your shoe choice has never mattered more), but good old-fashioned carpeting canÂ’t be beat. Everyday functionality was the last thing on LamborghiniÂ’s mind when creating the STO, though. One quick look at the rearview mirror makes this abundantly clear. While youÂ’ll see flashes of trailing traffic in between the louvers of the STOÂ’s engine cover, this design largely limits rearward visibility to the side mirrors. And before you ask, no, it doesnÂ’t have blind-spot warning.

2025 Lamborghini Urus to drop gas-only model, go PHEV-only

After introducing the first hybrid to the brand this year in the Revuelto, Lamborghini's transformation takes two more big steps next year. Autocar reports that toward the end of 2024, the Urus will switch to a PHEV-only powertrain. We've known for a while there was an electrical cord headed to the Urus' flanks, but we didn't expect Lamborghini would give up the pure ICE variant. Brand honcho Stephan Winkelmann confirmed to Autocar the engine will be a twin-turbo 4.0-liter V8, but didn't give output figures. A 2021 report in Car magazine — back when the purported Urus PowerHybrid was due in 2022 — predicted the engine in question is coming from Porsche and would produce about 660 horsepower and 660 pound-feet of torque. The horse count would rise with help from a 168-hp electric motor in the transmission. However, the gearbox's internals wouldn't allow any more than 660 lb-ft. That's still a perfectly fine number; the 6.5-liter V12 and three electric motors in the new Revuelto "only" throw a combined 783 lb-ft. Today's Urus romps with a twin-turbo 4.0-liter V8 making 657 horsepower and 627 lb-ft. in both S and track-focused Performante trims. Theoretically, the Urus PHEV could crank that to about 830 hp and 660 lb-ft. The additional power would be partially offset by additional weight, as much as 551 pounds if Car is correct. This SUV would carry on until 2029, when an all-electric version ushers in a second generation. The Lamborghini Huracan successor is expected to debut before the PHEV Urus but go on sale about the same time as the Urus. Since that successor will use an adapted version of the engine headed to the Urus mated to the transmission in the Revuelto, we expect the release of vital details to begin as soon as the new baby coupe makes its introduction, thought to be around next spring.  To hear Winkelmann talk, we're ruminating now on the last hurrah of old-school, visceral, ICE-powered Lamborghinis. The brand has a high-riding battery-electric 2+2 GT penned in to debut in 2028 with about 300 miles of range. That will be the next big sign of things to come. He told Autocar, "You go with the most difficult legislation, which is the US, and is really California. Other states adopt CaliforniaÂ’s rules — typically big cities and thatÂ’s where we sell cars. ... Even if it [legislation] is not banning EVs, taxation will be a killing factor.