Ferruccio Lamborghini, Sant’Agata Bolognese, Lamborghini Aventador LP 700-4 Roadster, Beli Merdovic
Hats off, and tops down, to the House of the Raging Bull.
Fifty years ago next year, industrialist and car enthusiast Ferruccio Lamborghini, annoyed with his treatment at Ferrari, released the now legendary 350 GT. This year, on Nov. 12, 2012, the magicians from Sant’Agata Bolognese released, on line, the Lamborghini Aventador LP 700-4 Roadster — what the company is calling a new world standard for open-top luxury super sports cars.
Consistent with Lamborghini’s high-performance tradition, the car celebrates the great Aventador, a trophy-winning bull from Spanish bullfighting some two decades ago.
“The Avendator was shown privately to VIP customers worldwide,” says a spokesman for Automobili Lamborghini America LLC, noting that on Nov. 28 it was shown to media in Los Angeles at an offsite venue during the LA Auto Show.
The first showroom Lamborghini Aventador LP 700-4 Roadster is expected at Lamborghini North Scottsdale, 7171 E. Chauncey Lane, in May or June 2013, with first customer deliveries to Arizona in the fourth quarter 2013.
“This will be the fastest roadster on the road,” says Beli Merdovic, Lamborghini sales manager for the Penske Automotive Dealership. “With and especially without the top, it should be an absolute blast to drive.”
The dealership will join others worldwide with the arrival of the new car, whose appearance is not directly tied to the 50th anniversary but whose style and performance exemplifies the half-century tradition of cars such as the Miura, Espada, Countach, Diablo, Murciélago, Reventón Coupe and Roadster, Gallardo LP 560-4 Coupé and Spyder, Gallardo LP 570-4 Superleggera and the open LP 570-4 Spyder Performante.
The supercar is not for the faint-hearted or shallow-pocketed.
The Aventador LP700-4 Roadster accelerates from 0 to 62 mph in 3 seconds flat and attains a maximum speed of 217 mph, when the state police have to scramble helicopters after you. A quarter-mile time for the car has not as yet been determined, Automobili Lamborghini says.
The rear-mounted 6.5-liter naturally aspirated V-12 rips out 700 horses, and the ISR 7-speed gearbox and Formula 1-inspired push-rod suspension propel the car to stellar performance — with few rivals on Earth or anywhere this side of Taurus.
Standard on all cars is the gas-saving cylinder deactivation system when the engine is working at partial capacity. New, too, is the instant Stop & Start system, which includes high-performance capacitors, called “supercaps,” to awaken the engine — a first for luxury sports cars. Also new are aggressively styled, lightweight Dione 20-/21-inch forged-aluminum wheels.
The MSRP is approximately $450,000, without taxes or options.
The convertible’s appearance follows the sale of more than 1,300 versions of the Coupé, which Lamborghini released in the summer of 2011.
The jet-fighter design combines performance and style in a vehicle that optimizes the exhilarating experience of driving at speed, top down.
The two-piece removable roof comprises carbon fiber from RTM and Forged Composite® — technologies maximizing aesthetics, performance and stiffness. As a result of their light weight — each piece weighs fewer than 13.2 pounds — these components are easily removed, stowed in the front luggage compartment and then remounted. To ensure perfect fit with the seal of the hard top, the windows have chamfered edges.
The convertible’s rear pillar has been redesigned to support these panels as well as to accommodate an automatic protection system for passengers in case of a roll-over.
The engine hood further sets the Roadster and the Coupé apart: A “spinal column” features two pairs of hexagonal windows connected at the sides; this cools the engine, drains rainwater and, of course, showcases the superlative powerplant to the world.
The Aventador Roadster driver and passenger decide how to enjoy the thrill of the drive. This is accomplished, in part, by adjusting the powered rear windshield, which regulates wind buffeting and controls air flow and sound into the cabin.
Up front, the wind deflector, on the windshield frame, delivers almost complete calm even at high speed. At the same time, this can be stored in the luggage compartment when the storm-sounds of performance are preferred.
A two-tone finish distinguishes the car: The windshield pillar, the two roof sections and the rear window area to the “fins” are gloss black. This enhances the open-vehicle elegance and the vehicle’s sleek lines, Beli says.
An extensive palette of exterior colors is available, including the light-metallic blue, Azzuro Thetis, whose tone varies with the light angles and recalls the shade of the superb 1968 Miura Roadster.
Matching the Azzuro Thetis livery, the Sabbia Nefertem leather inside highlights the hand-made craftsmanship that has been a signature of Lamborghini for a half century.
At Lamborghini North Scottsdale, the new Avendator Roadster will receive the service a car of this pedigree requires, with four bays designated for Lamborghini plus an additional one, if necessary.
Beli notes that the dealership has one service specialist certified by Lamborghini in Italy and three technicians who work with him, as needed. “We are very proud of all of our technicians,” he says. “They have, together, 100 years of experience working on luxury cars.”
Boasts Automobili Lamborghini: “The Aventador Roadster is the most exciting series production Lamborghini ever built and the new benchmark in the world of open-top luxury super sports cars.”
No Bull.
To discuss the new Aventador, call Beli Merdovic at Lamborghini North Scottsdale, 800.464.0793, and see www.lamborghininorthscottsdale.com. For more on Automobili Lamborghini, please visit www.lamborghini.com or call the Customer Contact Center — North America, 1.866.681.6276, and for more information on the company’s 50th Anniversary, please visit www.lamborghini50.com.
