Tag Archives: Roadster

2020 Lamborghini Aventador SVJ Roadster Review: Listen to this V12 vocals

"Track-focused roadsters are often a contradiction, but the SVJ makes it easy to ignore mismatches."

• Breathtaking looks

• Incredible handling

• The dashboard display looks good

• The V12 engine is a technical masterpiece

• Unrefined transmission

• Infotainment is out of date

When Lamborghini took me to Libson, Portugal, to put the new Aventador SVJ coupe through its paces on a former F1 race track, I went into great detail about the technology required to put the Aventador into a world-class super sports car to transform. The SVJ coupe had recently claimed the coveted place as the fastest production car around the famous Nürburgring, and the Lamborghini people were proud of their performance.

Of course, the standard Aventador S with 730 hp is not a gap on the route. A lot has changed in the field of super sports cars since the debut of the Aventador in 2011. With competent submissions from McLaren and Porsche, Lamborghini knew that it would take more than an increase in performance to top the list of the most challenging street circuit in the world. Therefore, the engineers developed a multi-layered strategy to improve all key elements of the Aventador's performance. This led to a track-oriented iteration, which became the Super Veloce Jota Coupé.

Nowadays, the debut of a drop-top variant of a car manufacturer's super sports car is a matter of course not long after the coupé has hit the road. But given the SVJ coupe's hardcore focus, it's still a bit surprising. Dynamic compromises can arise if the roof is chopped. Will the SVJ's full appeal in pursuing open-air thrills be dampened?

Inside and outside

The Aventador SVJ Roadster is limited to just 800 units worldwide and costs from $ 573,966. It is a showcase of the latest and greatest Lamborghini street technology.

Like its hardtop counterpart, the SVJ Roadster is moved by a modified version of the 6.5-liter V12 of the Aventador, which now features reworked cylinder heads, new titanium valves and torque of 759 hp and 531 pound-feet of torque, and revised intake ports. Power is delivered to all four bends through a fourth-generation Haldex all-wheel drive system, and gears continue to be replaced through Lamborghini's automated seven-speed single clutch manual transmission. It is said to be good for a sprint from 0 to 60 mph in 2.9 seconds on the way to the roadster's top speed of 217 mph.

If a model in Lamborghini's range currently embodies the heart and soul of the brand, it is this.

That's just a tenth slower than the Coupé's straight-line sprint while matching at the top. Most of this additional mass is due to the additional structural stiffening required to keep the chassis rigid without a roof. The removable top is a two-piece carbon fiber design that weighs 26 pounds and fits in the frunk.

The SVJ Roadster was developed to cope with curves as well as to devour asphalt. As with the coupé, it benefits from the second generation of the Aerodinamica Lamborghini Attiva, Lamborghini's patented active aerodynamic system.

ALA 2.0 takes active aerodynamics to a higher level than its rivals and not only increases downforce and drag, but can also direct airflow to the inner wheels while cornering at high speeds for more downforce on the unladen side of the Vehicle and the steering angle required to keep the car through a bend where you want.

As with all Aventador models, the SVJ Roadster benefits from a rear axle steering system that was first introduced on the Aventador S. It rotates the rear wheels in the opposite direction of the front wheels at lower speeds to improve agility and responsiveness. At higher speeds, both the front and rear wheels move in the same direction to improve stability at high speeds.

When it comes to setting the pace, you can fall back on the standard carbon-ceramic brake system, which consists of six-piston brake calipers and 15.7-inch discs at the front, as well as four-piston units and 15-inch rotors behind there.

Inside, the roadster is not far from the SVJ coupe. As with the rest of the Aventador range, the cockpit-like design is divided by a large, raised center console, which houses the standard HVAC and infotainment controls, the Jet Fighter-like ignition button and the driving mode selector switch and consist of four options – Strada, Sport, Corsa and user configurable ego mode.

The digital instrument cluster offers beautiful graphics and nice model-specific details such as ALA system information in real time, which help to give the procedure a reason. The infotainment system in the middle stack looks outdated. The utility is greatly improved by a recent update that bought Apple CarPlay. However, using it is a bit more cumbersome than it should be because it doesn't offer touch support.

Steering

The Aventador SVJ Roadster is a car that demands the attention of everyone nearby – from eye-catching colors to wild aero elements. And if the look doesn't make people turn their heads, the motor will certainly do it.

While all competitors from Ferrari, McLaren and Porsche switched to turbocharging and hybridization, Lamborghini held on to its weapons with the large twelve-cylinder power plant of the Aventador. Although this makes a significant contribution to the Lambo's miserable 11 mpg fuel consumption, the SVJ delivers more linearity – and sounds much better – than boosted power plants.

It sounds absolutely incredible, a property that is becoming increasingly rare in the age of forced induction.

Like the SVJ Coupé, the Roadster is also equipped with a light exhaust system with a central exit. With the top down and the rear window down, it's easy to understand why Lamborghini resisted the trend. The mill howls to its redline at 8,500 rpm, echoes its song from the canyon's walls, and announces every off-throttle maneuver with a lively crack, crackle and pop from these fiery pipes. It sounds absolutely incredible, a property that is becoming increasingly rare in the age of forced induction.

It should come as no surprise that the Roadster, since it is basically the SVJ Coupé with a removable roof, behaves similarly to its hardtop counterpart that is tailored to the racetrack. As such, the car feels most at home when driven hard, and only comes into play when you have ventured into three-digit speeds.

In the city, the single clutch transmission is not in its element at the typical commuter pace, with slow gear changes that occur early and often. There are pronounced gaps in power output when the drive mode is set to Strada, the Aventador's quietest option.

On a positive note, the suspension is surprisingly compliant given the SVJ's mission. I found that setting the dampers to Strada, the drivetrain to Corsa (including manually controlled paddle shifting) and steering to sport resulted in the most comfortable behavior in daily driving.

The SVJ Roadster was a pleasure on the winding asphalt around the San Bernardino National Forest, where I was able to repeat my experience on the route with the coupe more precisely. Even the gearbox makes sense out there and provides almost instant upshift at full throttle with the kick of a repeating rifle.

All the effort that Lamborghini puts into the chassis is noticeable. Although the active Aero is only used at speeds that go far beyond the legally permissible limit, the Aventador SVJ Roadster is a pleasure to drive meaty Pirelli PZero Corsa tires thanks to its fast rack, the well-coordinated all-wheel steering system and the speed who wears it.

In the right circumstances, it's an exciting, visceral thing for the pilot, and digging the roof adds to the intensity.

How DT would configure this car

I take mine please with Verde scandal paint, sports seats, black calipers and bronze wheels.

Should you get one?

For better and for worse, the Lamborghini has refused to follow many industry trends with Aventador. With its successor expected to be announced next year and electrification almost certainly part of its platform, the SVJ Roadster could prove to be not just swan song for this era of the brand, but also for this untamed approach to modern supercar design.

You won't find such an experience for sale anywhere else at the moment. If you appreciate the bliss of a high-revving V12 with full chat and have the opportunity to participate, you should definitely get one.

Do you want more options? Check out our favorite cars from 2020.

Editor's recommendations