► New maximum Lamborghini Aventador
► Introducing the Superveloce SV Jota
► 759bhp, ALA v2.0 and 1525kg
Lamborghini knows how to make an entrance – and the rorty Lamborghini Aventador SVJ Roadster made quite a splash at the 2019 Geneva motor show where it made its dramatic world debut.
It’s a simple enough proposition: take the already-outrageous SVJ coupe, remove the roof and raise the excitement threshold substantially. For decapitation turns the al-fresco Lambo into quite the open-air racer, dispatching 0-62mph in a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it 2.9sec dash and topping out ‘in excess of 217mph’ – all accompanied by that raucous 6.5-litre V12 howl.
A lightweight removable carbonfibre roof panel lifts out and stows in the ‘frunk’ storage boot up front, letting you soak up the sun and the sounds more easily. The price of the Lamborghini Aventador SVJ Roadster? A cool, round £323,323 in the UK. But you’ll have to hurry: only 800 will be made worldwide.
Read on for everything you need to know about the hard-top Aventador SVJ coupe.
Lamborghini Aventador SVJ: everything you need to know
You’re looking at the Aventador SVJ, the ultimate V12 Lambo and currently the fastest production car around the mighty Nurburgring. Unveiled at the start of the Monterey car week, Lamborghini’s new flagship focuses on three things; aerodynamics, lightweight construction and increased power – and it features one of the biggest wings we’ve seen on a factory spec car.
‘The challenge to Lamborghini designers and engineers was to improve the purest essence of the Lamborghini super sports car, drawing on every inspiration from a space ship to a jet fighter: all the most exceptional examples of super-fast, super-athletic, aerodynamic superiority,’ said Lamborghini CEO, Stefano Domenicali. ‘The Aventador SVJ takes another step into the future, shaping the potential for super sports car development.’
If the standard SVJ isn’t rare enough, Lamborghini will also be releasing a special SVJ 63 version of its new flagship at Pebble Beach (pictured). With a moniker designed to echo 1963 – the year the company was founded – the SVJ 63 features a limited colour and trim, and only 63 examples will be built.
The engine and specs
We’ll move on to the SVJ’s ridiculous aerodynamic package later, but first it’s worth focusing on the V12 that beats within the ultimate Aventador. The engineers at Lamborghini have shoehorned-in a 12-cylinder 6.5-litre engine, good for 759bhp – and that’s all without forced induction, too; the SVJ is naturally-aspirated.
Lamborghini says the new powerplant gets peak brakehorsepower at 8,5000 rpm, and 531 ft lb of torque a little lower down at 6750rpm. When coupled with a dry weight of just 1525kg, the SVJ gets to 62mph from a standstill in just 2.8 seconds, and it’ll do double that speed in just 8.6 before topping out at over 217mph. All that is mated to a seven-speed ‘box, with power then shared between all four wheels.
Of course, the engine is only part of the package, and the SVJ includes other significant upgrades over the ‘standard’ Aventador.
Handling tweaks
The SVJ hits its 1525kg target weight thanks to prolific use of carbon-fibre, a shortened more efficiecnt exhaust system and super-light ‘Nireo’ aluminum rims, while handling is improved further still by a range of tweaks designed to increase mechanical grip.
The Superveloce Jota uses both Lamborghini’s four-wheel steer and four-wheel drive and the SVJ’s suspension is much more rigid than before, too. Anti-roll bar stiffness has is up by 50% over the Aventador SV, while the entire system has been calibrated for increase performance on the track. The SVJ’s steering rack has also been fiddled with to provide a more direct driving experience.
And now, about the wing…
However, the SVJ owes its striking looks to an ongoing quest for increased aerodynamic performance. From an all-new ‘floating’ front splitter, to that huge rear-wing, the SVJ generates an extra 40% of downforce on each axle compared to the Aventador SV. And while 70% of the increase is attributed to above upper-body modifications, the addition 30% comes from less ostentatious devices.
Improved underbody aero is able to work airflow beneath the car harder, with front diffusers, a new rear diffuser and other furniture contributing adding to the remaining gains.
We’ve got no price for it yet, but don’t expect a car that can get round the ‘Ring in 6:44.97 to be cheap.