Lamborghini has launched the Aventador S in India at a price of Rs 5.01 crore (ex-showroom, India). The Aventador S is essentially the updated Aventador and features a whole host of improvements to make it quicker and more agile.
The Aventador S retains the outgoing car’s 6.5-litre V12 motor but tweaks to the intake and variable valve timing systems have helped increase max power to 740hp, up 41hp from before, while peak torque is 690Nm. Also, the engine now revs to 8,500rpm instead of 8,350rpm. Lamborghini claims, the Aventador S can accelerate from a standstill to 100kph in just 2.9 seconds, to 200kph in 8.8 seconds and 300kph in 24.2 seconds. Top speed is a claimed 350kph. The Aventador S comes with a seven-speed gearbox.
The Aventador S is visually distinguishable from the Aventador it replaces courtesy its restyled nose and tweaked tail. Improved aerodynamics and engine cooling were central to the redesign. Lamborghini claims, downforce at the front is up by 130 percent while the active rear wing that has three positions enhances downforce by as much as 400 percent vis-à-vis the old Aventador.
Crucially, the Aventador S sees the inclusion of four-wheel steering which helps improve agility and high-speed stability, along with better low-speed manoeuvrability. Lamborghini has also updated its ESC features, along with a retuned all-wheel-drive system which enables up to 90 percent of torque to be sent backwards.
Also new is the 'Ego' setting for the drive modes in addition to the existing three modes, namely Strada (Street), Sport and Corsa (race). This customisable mode enables drivers to personalise the car’s drivetrain and suspension settings. The cabin gains a new TFT touchscreen with Apple CarPlay included as standard.
Worth highlighting is that the Aventador S’ Rs 5.01 crore is only its base price, prior to options and accessories. Lamborghini India officials revealed that customers will have a full range of accessories to personalise their supercar. Interestingly, Indian Aventador customers typically add Rs 50 lakh worth of optional extras to their vehicles. These include exterior contrast paint, custom interior colour schemes, and sport exhaust to amp up the exhaust noise – an option that nearly 80 percent Indian buyers go for. Other options include magneto-rheological dampers. The final spec for the car sold in India is not yet known, but it is understood that the essential front suspension lift system will be standard.
India is home to around 25 Aventadors and Lamborghini has another three-four confirmed orders for the new Aventador S, with the first of these cars set to arrive in the coming months. Interestingly, the Aventador is Lamborghini’s best-selling V12-powered supercar yet. Six years since production started in 2011, the Aventador has sold more than 5,500 units worldwide.
Lamborghini India will follow up the launch of the Aventador S with that of the Huracán Performante in the months to come. The Performante will be unveiled at the Geneva motor show and is expected to be significantly lighter than the standard Huracán. The Performante recently smashed the Nürburgring lap record for production cars, beating the Porsche 918 Spyder's time by 5sec. Driven by Lamborghini test driver Marco Mapelli, the lightweight V10 coupé clocked a 6min 52.01sec lap around the track.
While the Huracán Performante would add choice to Lamborghini buyers, the model that will potentially add sales numbers will be the Urus. The Urus will mark Lamborghini’s entry into the burgeoning super sports SUV segment. Powering the Urus will be a twin-turbo 4.0-litre V8 engine and there will be a plug-in hybrid version too. The Urus is set to go on sale globally in 2018 and is expected to make its way to India soon after the global launch.