Lamborghini is a car company known for its mind-bendingly great
supercars. In fact, the company invented what is today the recipe for a
supercar. In 1965, Lamborghini released the Miura. The world’s first mid-engine
supercar. And ever since its inception, every other supercar manufacturer in
the world-- save maybe Porsche-- have followed Lamborghini’s recipe for
success. Does that make Lamborghini the origin of the supercar, and even
hypercar, movement? I certainly think so. And despite being the biggest
Lamborghini fan you will ever meet, and as much as it pains me to say this, I
usually find myself disappointed at the launch of each new model.
When the Miura was released, it was unlike any car before
it. Sculpted by Bertone, the beautiful lines that rise and fall, mimicking, and
possibly exceeding, the subtle curves of a woman, immediately inspire awe. I’m
in no way saying that Bertone surpasses God in the understanding of aesthetic beauty.
But, am I saying they come as close as humanly possible? Yes,
yes I am. And before anyone starts busting my chops over this statement, go
look at Bertone’s track record and then tell me I’m wrong. There were many beautiful
cars before it, and there have been many beautiful cars since, but few as breathtaking
as the original Miura (or better yet, the Miura SV).
And while Lamborghini set a new benchmark in form and
functionality when the Miura was conceived, there have been few successes in
Lamborghini’s portfolio that have rivaled the initial success of the Miura. I’m
not saying that Lamborghinis aren’t some of the most beautiful cars in the
world. Quite the contrary actually. I’m not a Lambo fan just because of their performance,
their extensive use of composite materials, or the unearthly howl they emit
while showing a car with a prancing horse emblem on it their perfectly sculpted
LED taillights. In this case, I’m saying Lamborghinis are the most beautiful
supercars out there… eventually.
If you are a Lambo fan, like myself; think on your favorite
Lamborghini. It is most likely something along the lines of a Countach LP5000,
Diablo GTR, Murcielago LP670-4 SV or Gallardo Super Trofeo. What do all of
these models have in common? They weren’t the initial offering. Your favorite
Lamborghini is most likely a model that evolved into the pinnacle of that
offering after the course of six to eight years.
Sure, the initial Murcielago looked good. But I remember
being left disappointed at how unaggressive it appeared to be. Not to mention
the fact that it had retained the ageing power plant from yesteryear. Then I
thought back to the Diablo and Countach. Both of these models looked good at
first, but by the time their production run had ended, they were intimidating
works of art. The Diablo SV was the first model car I ever bought, and has been
one of my dream cars ever since. The moral of the story? Lamborghini does fine
at the initial rendering, and then tweaks and tinkers until that model could
not possibly look any better; and then they launch a new one. That is, until
the Aventador.
The Aventador is, in my opinion, the first offering from
Lamborghini that has been everything it should be from the get go. Match that
will the fact that they finally replace an engine that was originally developed
by Giampaolo Dallara for the 350GT in 1964, and you have a winning combination.
The aggressive, fighter plane-esque, design Lamborghini has become known for, has
carried over from the latest Murcielago model straight into the bold, brash,
unapologetic lines of the Aventador. Also, the fact that it sprints from naught
to 60 mph in a scant 2.9 seconds doesn’t hurt either. But even if this car were
as slow as a hybrid, I would still sell my kidney, and possibly other body
parts, to own one.
