Lamborghini Aventador LP 700-4

Aventador LP 700-4 Review

The 2012 Lamborghini Aventador ranks 2 out of 8 Exotic Sports Cars. This ranking is based on our analysis of 8 published reviews and test drives of the Lamborghini Aventador, and our analysis of reliability and safety data.
Reviewers are amazed by the 2012 Lamborghini Aventador’s raw power, nimble handling and high-tech interior. While the Aventador is significantly quicker from zero to 60 mph than competing exotic sports cars like the Ferrari FF, it’s also significantly more expensive.
The 2012 Lamborghini Aventador wows reviewers with its bold, aggressive styling. And while the car’s dramatic exterior looks the part of an exotic sports car, reviewers say that the Aventador exceeds their expectations with its shocking performance.
The Aventador’s body is a carbon-fiber monocoque, which keeps its weight down, but Lamborghini says that it also makes it impressively rigid. That strong, lightweight body shell, combined with all-wheel drive and a suspension system that’s modeled after Formula 1 race cars adds up to an extremely agile car. But in addition to being nimble and light for its size, the Aventador is also exceptionally powerful.
The Aventador houses a 6.5-liter V12 engine that produces 700 horsepower. Lamborghini mates this powerhouse to a seven-speed automated manual transmission, and reviewers say that the acceleration is intoxicating. The Aventador features selectable drive modes that allow you to tailor performance for strada (road), sport and corsa (track) use, and test drivers like all three. They say that while the sport and corsa modes rocket this Lamborghini around the track with wrath-of-God performance, the Aventador is still relatively comfortable to drive if you’re just puttering around in strada mode.
Inside, most reviewers praise the dash, which features an LCD screen rather than gauges. This allows drivers to select different gauge views, but most auto writers are pleased to say that the virtual gauges have an analog look. Other design cues mimic a fighter jet, such as the starter button, which is housed under a cover that you have to flip back to engage. Overall, they say the interior is comfortable and roomy, but one reviewer notes that taller drivers may need to be mindful of the Aventador’s low roofline when climbing inside.
So, what’s the downside? Well, while the Aventador impresses reviewers and outperforms most other exotic sports cars, it will cost you close to $380,000, which is a hefty sum compared to most of the competition.

Lamborghini Aventador: The Details

Starting at nearly $380,000, the 2012 Lamborghini Aventador LP 700-4 features a mid-mounted 700-horsepower, 6.5-liter V12 engine, which is paired to a seven-speed automated manual transmission. The Aventador puts its power to the ground through a Haldex all-wheel drive system. Standard interior features include a multimedia system with navigation, Bluetooth and iPod connectivity, push-button start and automatic climate control.
Available options include front and rear parking sensors with backup camera, heated seats, an upgraded stereo and a multifunction steering wheel with controls for the multimedia system.

• "It's named after a bull who was very mean and probably gored and trampled a whole village, thus making him a shoe-in to lend his name to a new Lamborghini. And, in the spirit of that irate bovine, the Aventador is a mite bit ornery. It's what you might call intentionally violent." -- Automobile Magazine 
• "From the instant you flip up the red ignition-button cover and punch the Aventador's 12 raucous cylinders to life, you know you're in the cockpit of a special machine." -- AutoWeek 
• "It’s a razor-sharp jet-fighter on wheels, but more important, the Lamborghini Aventador is one of very few truly raunchy automobiles. With its aggressive engine note and aerospace styling, it is completely different from the more sophisticated - and equally new - Ferrari FF." -- Car and Driver 
• "The Aventador, named after an award-winning bull from the Spanish Corrida, a Lamborghini tradition for many of its two-seaters, features a number of ground-breaking technologies that combine to make it the best overall sports-car from the company - ever." -- Road and Track 
• "It's difficult to sum up the feeling of driving the Aventador in a family publication - it is an experience best described with expletives. Everything about this vehicle screams at you, from its recession-blind price tag to the outrageous angular sharpness of its design to the revved-up engine howl it gives when you push the start button." -- Popular Mechanics 

Aventador Performance - 9.3 (Excellent)

The 2012 Lamborghini Aventador amazes reviewers with its blistering performance, race car-inspired handling and tenacious all-wheel drive grip. AutoWeek reports, "The car's performance is stunning yet surprisingly sane -- even at warp speed on a track." 

Aventador Exterior - 9.5 (Excellent)

Lamborghini is known for producing sports cars with radical exterior designs, and the 2012 Aventador impresses reviewers with its new look. Popular Mechanics writes, "Perhaps surprising for a vehicle with this much outward braggadocio, it actually delivers on the promise of its looks." 

Aventador Interior - 8.0 (Very Good)

The 2012 Lamborghini Aventador impresses reviewers with its high-tech cockpit and comfortable seating. Inside Line says, "Its cabin looks contemporary and is usefully roomy, sporting an impossibly deep cowl and minimal brightwork."