2013 Lamborghini Aventador Lp 700-4 on 2040-cars

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2018 Lamborghini Huracan Performante First Drive | The Banshee of Sant'Agata

Lamborghini didn't need to build the Huracan Performante. The folks in Sant'Agata could have just rolled out another special-edition Huracan - Superleggera, Tricolore, probably even Mostaccholi - and sold every one. Instead, they gave the junior Lamborghini a trick active aerodynamics system and updated everything enabled by new levels of downforce and more grip from the latest-generation of tires. And then just to prove it's not messing around, Lamborghini went out and set at new production-car Nurburgring Lap Record. The Huracan Performante is a statement. This is Lamborghini's way of saying that its future will not just be high-tech, but the kind that brings world-class performance. And it will be loud. Very loud. Sound is the most defining characteristic of this car. In the era of turbocharging, everything else is too quiet. Quiet is not a problem in the Performante. In track-ready Corsa mode (one of three settings), the exhaust drowns out everything, even your internal monologue. And it's not just loud, it sounds like an honest-to-god racecar. Making a V10 sound not just decent, but back-of-the-neck-hair thrilling, would have been enough. But as we've hinted, there's more to the Huracan Performante. So how did we get here? Lamborghini rolled out the Performante title to define all-encompassing performance. So the all-wheel-drive system stays, the engine gets tweaked, some weight goes out, and Aerodinamica Lamborghini Attiva (ALA, or Lamborghini Active Aerodynamics) comes in. Fun fact: Ala means "wing" in Italian. We've covered most of the details in earlier posts, but to quickly review: ALA uses internal flaps at the front splitter and on the rear wing to alter airflow, either running for maximum downforce or creating a stall effect that lowers drag. At the rear, the system channels air through the wing struts, and using each side independently aids the handling. The increased downforce, plus sticky new Pirelli P Zero Corsa tires, necessitated a retuning of the suspension. Through new springs and anti-roll bars, vertical stiffness is up 10 percent, and roll stiffness increases 15 points. The engine gets a new intake and exhaust, plus titanium intake valves that allow more lift. The improved breathing is good for 630 horsepower, 28 more than before, with 443 pound-feet of torque. And to tie it all together, the integrated chassis control system (Lamborghini calls it ANIMA) was recalibrated.

Range-topping 800-hp Lamborghini Aventador SV hits the 'Ring

A couple of years ago, rumors were circulating about a possible high(er)-performance version of the Lamborghini Aventador, and our spy photographers have just captured what appears to be a prototype of this new supercar testing at the Nürburgring. Supposedly called the Aventador SV (for Super Veloce), this even-more-hardcore version of Lamborghini's range-topper could boast as much as 800 horsepower. Yowza.
As for the car you see here, our spies point out new center-lock wheels wrapped in ultra-thin high-performance tires that hide revised brake calipers mounted in a different position than on the normal Aventador. Up front, there's a new aerodynamic piece that makes for an even lower air splitter, and around back, an extra piece of trim (often referred to as a Gurney flap) has been added to the spoiler to provide enhanced downforce.
We don't imagine there's much in the way of weight to shed from the Aventador's carbon fiber monocoque chassis, so this SV version will likely focus more on better suspension tuning, improved aero and a 80-100 more horsepower to set it apart from the rest of the range. Expect more details to arrive around the time of the Frankfurt Motor Show this fall.

Lamborghini Centenario blows our minds with 760 horsepower

Every time we think Lamborghini couldn't go more extreme, it goes and outdoes itself again. Take this latest supercar for example. Called the Centenario, it celebrates what would have been Ferruccio Lamborghini's hundredth birthday (were he still alive today). It's essentially an Aventador underneath, but with more visually arresting bodywork and even more impressive specs. Like the Aventador, the Centenario is built around a carbon monocoque with a V12 engine bolted to the back. Only instead of the Aventador's 700 metric horsepower or the Aventador SV's 750, the Centenario packs 770 – equivalent to 760 hp by US standards. That's enough to propel it to 62 miles per hour in 2.8 seconds and on to a top speed in excess of 217 mph. To keep all that power and pace in check, Lamborghini fitted the Centenario with carbon-ceramic brakes and magnetorheological dampers. It also packs a four-wheel steering system like the one you'd find on the Porsche 911 GT3 or Ferrari F12 TdF to help keep it stable at speed and nimble under cornering. The unique Independent Shifting Rod transmission carries over from the Aventador, but as you can see, the Centenario strikes an even more aggressive profile than its (relatively) more commonplace stablemate. View 19 Photos The bodywork is all fresh, with more vents and ducts than an air conditioner factory and – dare we say – more visual aggression than anything Sant'Agata has made to date... save for maybe the Veneno. Just check out those enormous intakes aft of the doors, for crying out loud. Also, check out the DTM-size rear diffuser, or the old-school air extractors in the bonnet that somehow still leave room for a pair of helmets in the luggage compartment. The whole thing is longer than the Aventador, and sits lower to the ground. Think of its relationship to the Aventador as the Reventon was to the Murcielago and you'll be on the right track. This particular example is rendered in exposed carbon fiber, but each will be made to the customer's specifications. Now before you go picturing yourself as one of those customers, we should point out that Lamborghini will only make 40 examples – 20 coupes and 20 more roadsters – and all of them have already been sold at a price of 1.75 million euros (before taxes), which works out to about $1.9 million at current exchange rates.