The Ultimate Supercar: Lamborghini Aventador LP700-4

Today I can declare that this blog is definitely headed into the right direction as I was given a chance to drive the amazing Lamborghini Aventador LP700-4. 



It is difficult to even start describing this car as my vision is still blurred with emotions, excitement and amazement.  After all, I got to drive a car that has the same price tag as an average condo in central Tokyo.
 

Since, I am somewhat new to the supercar scene and the most expensive car that I have ever driven to this day was the SLS AMG (review coming soon), I was a bit nervous.

Wednesday evening traffic in central Tokyo didn't help either, as the narrow city streets were congested with chaotic drivers trying to get home.

The car itself is massive, and extremely striking.  The average Tokyo working class tend to keep emotions to themselves, but a lot of men in suits stopped and glazed at the Aventador, and that definitely puts this car into a whole different league.  The effect it has on the streets is phenomenal.  It doesn't matter whether people do or do not know what this is, it is as striking as a monster, or a road going stealth fighter.  Nothing can compare to this. 

As with any car Lamborghini went to the most extreme but yet undeniably elegant design when they created this vehicle. 

 

Every feature, every angle is as striking as it is just beautiful to look at.  I could spend hours just looking and taking pictures of this car, but since I only had 30 minutes, I needed to get going.



But first I needed to familiarize myself with the cockpit.  As you can see, there is no gear lever, but there are lots of buttons.  It almost needed a pre-flight check list.

The start engine start button is hidden under a red cover, like a master weapon fire on a fighter jet. That alone elevates the coolness level of this car into the stratosphere.  Once that button is pressed and the massive 6.5L V12 is fired up, it actually starts to feel as a car.

Steering wheel is very elegantly made out of light and soft leather with aluminum spokes, paddle shifters are large and excellently positioned behind the steering wheel.  Further behind is he beautiful high resolution LCD instrument panel, which is making its ways onto more and more cars these days.

Of course Lamborghini had to make it their own as they have added somewhat angular curves around the tachometer to make it look more aggressive. 

But the whole thing remains very functional, displaying very clear view of speed, RPM, current gear, with side displays providing more vital information. 

Overall, I found the cabin to be very comfortable.  The seats had very ergonomic feel, with dark orange accent matching the lightnings on central console. Air conditioner was strong and all materials in the cabin were absolutely top quality.

Once I got used to the cabin layout and feel, despite the width of the car, I developed a strange feeling of confidence that I can control this car even in hostile conditions of rush hour Tokyo

As we took off, it quickly became pretty obvious how different this car was from anything else that I have driven.  The engine in the back sounded like a real power plant.  It didn't have the usual grunt of high capacity engine, it had smooth and constant sound that can only be associated with one thing: POWER!

While I could squeeze the accelerator for a couple of seconds on these semi open straights, most of the drive was navigating  through traffic, and while I couldn't even get close to witnessing true potential of this vehicle, I could definitely appreciate how well it was put together, and how surprisingly easy it was to drive.

Perhaps more than power in this car, I can commemorate its handling and steering response, that made driving it on busy Tokyo streets very easy.  Steering input was not too heavy, but at the same time was direct and precise making it easy to identify where these fat tires were pointing to.  Whether it was an intersection or a curvy section of the road before the final hairpin in the 246 course in Gran Turismo, handling was a true joy as I couldn't stop wishing I was on a twisty mountain road.

Yes, that's where this car belongs, even though it would be utter madness to push it to its limit anywhere but a race track or better yet an empty airfield. 

Even though it's fairly easy in the city, it is important to keep in mind what is positioned right behind the driver's seat.

This state of the art 6500cc V12 engine sends whooping 700 horse power and 690 Nm of torque through single clutch automated manual gearbox with shift times of 50ms to all four wheels, which are wrapped in high performance Pirelli 255/35ZR19 front and 335/30ZR20 rear.  This propels the 1575kg carbon monocoque supercar from 0 to 100kph in 2.9 seconds and reach a top speed 349 km/h. 

So there we have it, this is the first supercar that got reviewed here on Tokyo Car Parade and I am very pleased to present this write-up to you, but on the flip side, I feel a bit sorry for the car itself. It did feel like a caged lion at times, but given the early stage of this blog I am confident that some time down the line the V12 beast will be featured here again, and next time in the wild, where it belongs.

Cost of ownership:
1/5
It's a Lamborghini, there are no shortcuts, and no cheap options. Owning one is a path to a closed circle of elite car fanatics, where costs are not even discussed. 
Practicality:
2/5
It's a supercar, not a family car, not even a GT cruiser, but Lamborghini put a lot of thought into it by making it easy to drive and provide some basic necessities like front storage and spacious cabin.  I would love to take it on a road trip
Appeal:
5/5
This is what owning a super car is all about. People around freeze in amazement and even the nonchalant Japanese can no longer control their emotions as the Aventador roars past and accelerates with pure sound of power. No other car has this effect.
Fun factor:
5/5
This car has only one thing on its mind: giving joy and pleasure to the driver, and it delivers it with such passion that it affects personality and outlook on life in a very good way.
Lamborghini Aventador is available from Cornes and Lamborghini Japan dealerships around Japan for a 48 million yen. It cannot be ordered with right hand drive and there is a 2 year waiting period.
Big thank you Cornes Aoyama for letting me drive this phenomenal car and one of the readers of this blog who helped with arrangements for this test drive.
Thanks all for following, commenting and sharing.