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Autoblog's exclusive Lamborghini Aventador SV Roadster photo shoot

Sometimes it just takes a few little tweaks to transform something from good to great, and that's definitely what Lamborghini's stylists manage to do with the Aventador LP750-4 SuperVeloce Roadster. While there's no question that the Aventador SV coupe is an amazing machine, slicking off the roof for the newest version is the perfect bit of tailoring to create something truly bonkers. Why are we talking about it again? Following the roadster's debut in Monterey, we arranged a date with the car and our photographer extraordinaire, Drew Phillips. The result is the absolutely magnificent gallery of photos you see above, that you're definitely going to want to view in high resolution. The engineers at Lamborghini HQ in Sant'Agata Bolognese, Italy, had a pretty easy job when the time came to the Aventador SV droptop because it carries over all the special parts from the coupe. Still, buyers have no reason to be disappointed with the 6.5-liter V12 making 740 horsepower (750 in metric ponies) and offering a screaming, 8,500 rpm redline. The seven-speed gearbox and all-wheel-drive system zaps the convertible to 60 miles per hour in less than three seconds and to a top speed of over 217 mph. Weight also falls by 110 pounds compared to the standard roadster to tip the scales at 3,472 pounds – some 110 pounds more than the SV coupe. It's the razor-sharp styling that really makes the SV Roadster a showstopper, through. The droptop still wears the coupe's carbon-fiber body panels but somehow makes them look even better. The key is removing the two top sections to create a small break in the roofline, and that little change is enough to accentuate the rear's curvy hips. The side-mounted intakes look big enough to carry extra passengers in a pinch. Removing the roof and reshaping the rear emphasizes the nacelles running behind the seats even more. These elements are somewhat visible on the SV coupe, but the engine cover largely hides them. Here, the angular shapes are brashly obvious and look directly inspired by an F-117 stealth jet. To make things even better for the driver, the rear window can be lowered to fully open the cabin to nature. The first deliveries to customers don't start until early next year, and the $530,075 starting price makes it about $37,000 more expensive than the SV coupe. Lamborghini likely doesn't have to worry about finding buyers for this beautiful machine, and production is limited to 500 units, 100 fewer than the hardtop.

The Huracan Performante is still a supercar steal, regardless of 'Ring time validity

When Lamborghini released video of its new Huracan Performante lapping the Nurburgring in a stunning 6:52, not everyone was convinced the record was honest. As a result, Lamborghini's director of research and development provided some data to Roadshow to shore up the lap time claim. He addressed the tire issue by telling Roadshow that the car used the optional Pirelli Trofeo Rs. And he noted that it was quicker than its more powerful brother, the Aventador SV, because it cornered and accelerated faster. He even provided VBox data of the lap. The thing is, none of this really matters in the end, particularly for the Huracan. Let us explain. For one thing, if you're going to question the Performante's time, you should question all of the times. All of these records are presented by the manufacturers, so there isn't a truly impartial party measuring the results and inspecting cars. Even with a company presenting plenty of data and explanations, it's hard to be 100 percent sure everything is on the level without an unbiased third party inspecting the cars before and after the lap, and keeping timing. But besides the issue of impartiality, the times themselves aren't really important. As interesting and fun as it is to compare lap times at the Nurburgring, they're really only relevant for rich owners and car companies to brag, and for less-rich fans to bench race. That's not a bad thing, but to look at the lap time of one single track doesn't really give a full picture of a car's performance. A car that's fast at the Nurburgring could be really slow on a tight course like Streets of Willow Springs. There's also the issue of who's driving the car. The manufacturers put their top drivers out on the 'Ring to set times. If you're not a factory test driver, you'll probably never go that fast even if you did get your car to the track. It's all a bit like the silly "blind" or two-wheeled car records. They don't actually provide much info on what the car is really like, or how you could drive it. Even if you're not on board with this explanation, and trust all the 'Ring records except this Lamborghini, we still have a reason why it doesn't matter. You see, even if you're convinced that there's no way the Huracan could best the Porsche 918 Spyder and the Aventador around the Nordschleife, it's still a screaming supercar bargain. The Porsche is a million-dollar car, and the Aventador, just the base model, is $125,000 more than the Huracan Performante.

Watch an Aventador, Viper and LFA play the songs of their people

Our friends at Road & Track recently stopped by Cars and Coffee in Irvine, California, with the 2013 SRT Viper and found themselves a place to park between a Lamborghini Aventador and a Lexus LFA. Those machines might as well be the three musketeers of ludicrous exhaust notes, and rather than keep those 24 raging cylinders muffled, R&T set about conducting an orchestra of internal combustion. On seeing these three lined up, we were more than prepared to call the Viper victorious when it came to tickling our ear drums, but the latest domestic V10 sounds down right civilized in this company.
If we're picking favorites, we have to say the LFA takes the cake. There's something about the noise of a street-legal V10 that can wrap it's tachometer all the way to 9,000 rpm that turns our knees to quivering dollops of jelly. Check out the clip below for a listen. We shouldn't need to tell you to get frisky with the volume.