The return to a childhood home can be anticlimactic, as
one’s place in the community’s collective consciousness may often subside with
time and tide. Then again, it also depends on the wheels you roll up in.
I
found that out on a recent test-drive around the stomping grounds of my youth,
when the rearview revealed a swarm of schoolchildren—armed with camera
phones—chasing me with a persistence and pace usually reserved for ice cream
trucks. But it wasn’t my photo they wanted to capture; it was the new Lamborghini
Aventador S Roadster I was wearing. Italy’s high-performance marque, based in
Sant’Agata Bolognese, has generated this level of fervor for generations. It
began when founder Ferruccio Lamborghini unleashed his first raging bull for
production, the 350 GT coupe, in 1964. Its convertible counterpart—the 350 GTS
designed by Carrozzeria Touring—debuted the following year and boasted 320 hp,
276 ft lbs of torque, and a top speed of 155 mph. More than a half-century of
advancements later, the Aventador S Roadster (starting at Euro 394.000 - $460,247) enters the
ring. But while its DNA is undeniable, this Lambo seems light-years ahead in
design, power, and performance.
“The Aventador carries the Lamborghini heritage forward and
was heavily influenced by the Countach, sharing distinctive design cues with
the iconic supercar, including its aerodynamic monoline, low profile, and
characteristic wheel arches,” says Mitja Borkert, Lamborghini’s head of design.
According to Borkert, the latest variant elevates the line even further:
“Aircraft inspired, the Aventador S Roadster drives like a fierce fighter jet
for the road and is marked by a velocity like no other.”
Fancying some flight time for myself, I waited anxiously as
a flatbed lowered the example on loan—the adult equivalent of having Disneyland
delivered to the door. Fittingly, the car—dressed in a shade of yellow dubbed
Giallo Orion—looks like it belongs inside the ride Space Mountain. Even in
Southern California’s supercar-saturated town of Malibu, the launch point for
my two-day getaway, I drew attention like a tractor beam once behind the wheel.
The open-top torpedo is of carbon-fiber monocoque construction—with
aluminum front and rear frames—wrapped in a body made from the same combination
of materials. Measuring 15.7 feet in length but only 3.7 feet in height, the
angular automobile has a mako-shark profile complemented by a menacing nose,
distinctly defined air ducts, and a piercing front splitter. The razor-like
centerline leads past recessed flanks to enlarged air intakes, and then on to
the redesigned back and its active rear wing. These accents add up to a 130
percent increase in downforce at the front compared to the standard Aventador
coupe, and a 400 percent improvement in efficiency (when the wing is ideally
configured) during low-drag conditions.
To take advantage of such aerodynamic acumen, the vehicle
comes with equally impressive engineering. Veering away from Zuma Beach, I let
the mid-rear-engined roadster run free through the Santa Monica Mountains, its
naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V-12—with 509 ft lbs of torque—roaring approval.
Reining in the 740 horses is a seven-speed Independent Shifting Rod (ISR)
transmission that’s able to transition between gears in 50 milliseconds. The
power-train configuration catapults the 3,582-pound (dry weight) convertible
from zero to 100 kmh (62 mph) in three seconds flat before it reaches a top speed of 350 Kmh (217
mph). Nothing near that last number appeared on the digital dash, however, on
account of the heavy highway-patrol presence and my aversion to incarceration.
But the car doesn’t only stand out on the straightaways; its
state-of-the-art steering technology and active suspension help charm snaky
passes with grace. In addition, the open-air Aventador S offers four drive
modes: Strada (street), Sport (performance), Corsa (track), and the aptly named
Ego. The latter allows the pilot to fine-tune settings for personalized handling
dynamics.
Before uncoiling the coastal Latigo Canyon Road, I removed
the roadster’s two roof panels (safely storing them in the forward luggage
compartment), selected Sport mode, and switched to manual so I could play with
the paddles. The car traced the twisting, unforgiving descent with startling
ease—all while predominantly in third gear. Confidence in the curves is
bolstered by four-wheel steering, which premiered on the marque’s production
models with the Aventador S coupe. The system improves lateral control and
works in conjunction with the Lamborghini Magneto-rheological Suspension (LMS)
and new variable damping capabilities. The result is a constantly
self-adjusting translation of torque, traction, and turning response based on
ever-changing conditions and driver input—no small task for the development
team to take on.
“One of the primary engineering challenges with the
convertible was continuing to guarantee the stiffness in the chassis despite
the increase in handling behavior due to the four-wheel-steering system,” says
Maurizio Reggiani, Lamborghini’s chief technical officer, “and all without
compromising comfort.”
As mandated by Murphy’s Law, it drizzled on my last day with
the roadster, but at least I was able to witness firsthand how successful
Reggiani and his retinue had been. The convertible—sporting carbon-ceramic
brakes, Dione 20-inch forged alloy wheels (21 inches at the back), and Pirelli
P Zero tires—displayed precision on par with a slot car, both on slickened
climbs and while cruising the 101 freeway north to Santa Barbara.
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