New Lamborghini Aventador S unveiled – V12 supercar receives significant upgrades
More power, new management systems and all-wheel steer, the Aventador S is the most sophisticated Lamborghini yet
Lamborghini has comprehensively updated its flagship model, the Aventador. The new car, called the Aventador S, has been given an exterior makeover while underneath its chassis and drivetrain have been thoroughly re-engineered to include a rear-wheel steering system.
The Aventador S may sport a fresh look, but most of the new elements are functional rather than just decorative. The new bumper and front splitter increase airflow to the radiators, channel air down the side of the car to reduce aerodynamic interference and also increase front downforce by more than 130%. The rear diffuser, similar to the one on the Centenario concept with its vertical fins, helps reduce drag and increases downforce.
A new rear wing, which changes position depending on speed and the driving mode, also helps increase downforce. When it’s at its most effective height and angle the rear wing combined with the new diffuser helps the Aventador S create 50% more downforce over the rear axle than the standard car.
As is becoming de rigueur on a performance car, the Aventador S has rear-wheel steering. This is the first time four-wheel steering has been implemented on a production Lamborghini and, just like the Porsche 911 GT3 (991) that started this trend, at low speeds the rear wheels turn in the opposite direction to the front wheels to increase agility. Then at higher speeds the rear wheels turn in the same direction as the fronts to improve stability.
The Aventador’s drivetrain, control systems and suspension have had to be fully re-engineered to make the most of the new all-wheel steering system. The Aventador S is still four-wheel drive, but the rear-wheel steering has allowed more torque to be sent to the rear axle to reduce understeer. The basic suspension architecture of the car remains the same, however the geometry of the pushrod front suspension and double wishbone rear suspension been altered to accommodate and exploit the rear-wheel steering. The magnetorheological dampers have been revised too.
To complement the improved agility the ESC has been recalibrated and improved, and Lamborghini has tested the Aventador S on snow and ice to improve traction in any weather. The Aventador S still has the controversial dynamic steering that has made it sometimes difficult to engage with the car, however it too has had to be retuned to work with the rear-wheel steering which may have improved it. The whole car is now controlled by a new brain called the Lamboghini Dinamic Veicolo Attiva (LDVA), it monitors various sensors around the car and instantly adjusts the drivetrain, suspension, steering and aerodynamics to be in their optimal setting for whichever situation the car is in.
With the new computer systems comes a new driving mode. As well the existing Strada, Sport and Corsa the Aventador S has an Ego mode. The new mode allows you to select each of your favourite settings for drivetrain, steering and suspension from the other three modes to tailor the car to your own tastes. Each of the three standard modes have also received attention; Strada is the most comfortable and Corsa is designed to work best on track. However, it’s in Sport where most torque is sent to the rear axle; up to 90% of the available torque can be sent to the rear axle whereas in Corsa only 80% is sent to the rear wheels and only 60% in Strada.
As well as the new chassis and electronic systems the Aventador S also gets more power. The 6.5-litre naturally aspirated V12’s rev limit has been increased from 8350rpm to 8500rpm. The extra revs have helped increase the power from 690 to 730bhp, just 10bhp short of the Aventador SV’s output. Torque, however, remains the same at 506lb ft, as has the 0-62mph time of 2.9sec.
Inside, the Aventador S has a new TFT display which can now be customised to display the information the driver would like to see. The screen can be configured to change with each driving mode, too. The Aventador S can be equipped with a telemetry system to record lap times and performance data.
