106 Drive
Lamborghini Aventador S Roadster
A test drive of the Lamborghini Aventador S Roadster around Malibu has proven it to not only be a head-turner, but a true embodiment of state-of-the-art technology.
With the look of an alien landing craft, the 740hp open-top proved out of this world during a brief orbit around Malibu and beyond.
The return to a childhood home can be anticlimactic, as one’s place in the community’s collective consciousness may often subside with time and tide. Then again, it also depends on the wheels you roll up in. I found that out on a recent test-drive around the stomping grounds of my youth, when the rearview revealed a swarm of children chasing me with a persistence and pace usually reserved for ice cream trucks. But it wasn’t my photo they wanted to capture; it was the new Lamborghini Aventador S Roadster I was wearing. Italy’s high-performance marque has generated this level of fervour for generations. It began when founder Ferruccio Lamborghini unleashed the 350 GT coupe in 1964. More than a half-century of advancements later, the Aventador S Roadster enters the ring. But while its DNA is undeniable, this Lambo seems light-years ahead in design, power and performance. “The Aventador carries the Lamborghini heritage forward and was heavily influenced by the Countach, sharing
distinctive design cues with the iconic supercar, including its aerodynamic monoline, low profile and characteristic wheel arches,” says Mitja Borkert, Lamborghini’s head of design. According to Borkert, the latest variant elevates the line even further: “Aircraft inspired, the Aventador S Roadster drives like a fierce fighter jet for the road and is marked by a velocity like no other.”
Fancying some flight time for myself, I waited anxiously as a flatbed lowered the example on loan — the adult equivalent of having Disneyland delivered to the door. Fittingly, the car — dressed in a shade of yellow dubbed Giallo Orion — looks like it belongs inside the ride Space Mountain. Even in Southern California’s supercar-saturated town of Malibu, the launch point for my two-day getaway, I drew attention like a tractor beam once behind the wheel.
The open-top torpedo is of carbon-fibre monocoque construction — with aluminium front and rear frames — wrapped in a body made from the same combination of materials. Measuring 4.8m in length but only 1.1m in height, the angular automobile has a mako-shark profile complemented by a menacing nose, distinctly defined air ducts and a piercing front splitter. The razor-like centreline leads past recessed flanks to enlarged air intakes, and then on to the redesigned back and its active rear wing. These accents add up to a 130 per cent increase in downforce at the front compared to the standard Aventador coupe, and a 400 per cent improvement in efficiency (when the wing is ideally configured) during low-drag conditions.
To take advantage of such aerodynamic acumen, the vehicle comes with equally impressive engineering. Veering away from Zuma Beach, I let the mid-rearengined
“The Aventador carries the Lamborghini heritage forward and was heavily influenced by the Countach, sharing distinctive design cues
with the iconic supercar.”
roadster run free through the Santa Monica Mountains, its naturally aspirated 6.5-litre V12 roaring approval. Reining in the 740 horses is a sevenspeed Independent Shifting Rod (ISR) transmission that’s able to transition between gears in 50 milliseconds. The power-train configuration catapults the 1.6kg (dry weight) convertible from zero to 100km/hr in three seconds flat before it reaches a top speed of 350km/ hr. But the car doesn’t only stand out on the straightaways; its state-of-theart steering technology and active suspension help charm snaky passes with grace. In addition, the open-air Aventador S offers four drive modes: Strada (street), Sport (performance), Corsa (track) and the aptly named Ego. The latter allows the pilot to fine-tune settings for personalised handling dynamics.
Before uncoiling the coastal Latigo Canyon Road, I removed the two roof panels (safely storing them in the forward luggage compartment), selected Sport mode and switched to manual so I could play with the paddles. The car traced the twisting, unforgiving descent with startling ease — all while predominantly in third gear. Confidence in the curves is bolstered by four-wheel steering, which premiered on the marque’s
production models with the Aventador S coupe. The system improves lateral control and works in conjunction with the Lamborghini Magnetorheological Suspension (LMS) and new variable damping capabilities. The result is a constantly self-adjusting translation of torque, traction and turning response based on ever-changing conditions and driver input. “One of the primary engineering challenges with the convertible was continuing to guarantee the stiffness in the chassis despite the increase in handling behaviour due to the four-wheel-steering system,” says Maurizio Reggiani, Lamborghini’s chief technical officer, “and all without compromising comfort.”
It drizzled on my last day with the roadster, but at least I was able to witness firsthand how successful Reggiani and his retinue had been. The convertible — sporting carbon-ceramic brakes, Dione 20-inch forged alloy wheels (21 inches at the back) and Pirelli P Zero tires — displayed precision on par with a slot car, both on slickened climbs and while cruising the 101 freeway north to Santa Barbara.
It was there, at the apartment complex of my parents, that the pint-sized paparazzi caught up with me. “Oh my god, it’s a Lamborghini! I haven’t seen one of these in my entire life!” exclaimed a small boy, both hands slapped to his forehead in delight and dismay. Kid, after experiencing the Aventador S Roadster, I feel the same way. www.lamborghini.com
The car doesn’t only stand out
on the straightaways; its steering technology and
active suspension help charm snaky passes with grace.
“One of the primary engineering challenges with the convertible was continuing to guarantee the stiffness in the chassis despite the increase in handling behaviour due to the four-wheel-steering system.”
says Maurizio Reggiani,
Lamborghini’s chief technical officer