My Launch With Lamborghini

Emails. Some can make, others can break your day. They can arrive to announce your long-lost relative in a distant land and, occasionally, there’s even some truth to it. Others offer you the best copier toner/printer ink/everlasting love that you’ve ever had. Most are mundane but, occasionally, they excite the senses. Even scanning the words in the subject line can trigger the countdown – “Lamborghini”, “invited”, “you”, “Miami”, “Aventador”, “launch”. The mind races to put them in the right order and then it hits – the newest supercar, the Lamborghini Aventador Roadster, a 700-hoursepower amalgam of angles, ducts and fury, will be “mine” on Homestead-Miami Speedway and the streets of Miami on a clear February day!

Lamborghini does things right. Check-in at the beautiful W South Beach is quick and then there’s the scary part – signing the waivers. There’s the four-page Terms of Vehicle Delivery followed by the two-page Terms of Participation. The lawyer in me scans them quickly – hmm, all standard stuff here – and then comes the part where “governed by Italian law” and jurisdiction “exclusively in the courts of Bologna, Italy” registers. I know nothing of Italian law aside from “Divorce Italian Style” and I don’t want to be shot for denting a car.

The next morning found us at the Speedway, where we’re greeted by a gaggle of Aventadors, in various hues (some straight out Ken Kesey’s last road “trip”), lined up just so, all facing outward in veeformation. We hit the track in groups of four, each group led by a professional driver. Navigating the Speedway’s highly-banked corners at about 125 mph may not sound like much to a professional racer but to a weekend-warrior journalist who – you will remember – recently signed a waiver or two based on Italian law which may result in some serious financial impact for a Lambo-meets-wall encounter, that speed could bring up a mental calculation – Do I want to accelerate or keep my house? Fortunately, none of us had to make good on that formula, thanks in no small part to the wonderful surefootedness of the all-wheel-drive 700-horsepower bull.

That afternoon, I spent many hours exploring some of the most scenic locations around the Miami area. The Aventador showed its good breeding well, never hesitating in traffic and running well within normal temperatures despite long periods of idling while we set up photo shots. Utilizing both the cylinder deactivation system and the start-stop technology greatly reduces the CO 2 production while the fuel consumption is about twenty percent less than last year’s Aventador coupe. Can you imagine – discussing MPG with a 700HP car that rushes 0-60 in three seconds!

While we’re on the subject of performance, a few highpoints to note: computer-controlled flaps in the exhaust system give the Aventador a nice throaty sound during normal driving and an amazing howl at full blast; the paddle shifters actuate gear changes of the seven-speed transmission instantly; and rather than using the standard suspension-mounted shocks, the Aventador utilizes racecar push-rod technology. What does all of this mean to the pilot? It’s extremely easy to drive, very forgiving when pushed, docile when simply motoring and very comfortable on the track and the road.

What an experience driving this technologically amazing car was! Whether at the track or on the open road, the feel and sound of the Aventador are nothing short of wonderful. When coupled with Lamborghini’s unparalleled hospitality, the launch event was spectacular. I am thrilled to be a new member of the Brotherhood of the Bull.

Want to read the whole story? Space here was limited but the full article is at http://www.hauteauto.com/my-launch-with-lamborghinithe- 2013-lamborghini-aventador-roadster/5862/