AIR May 2019

AIR
The Nürburgring Nordschleife
in Germany is regarded as
the ultimate proving ground
for a car’s performance. Known
as ‘the Green Hell’, the 20.5km
former grand prix circuit is fast,
narrow and scorched with the skid
marks of the many drivers who have
failed to cross the finishing line.
There are speed records for racing
cars, motorbikes and non-road-legal
motors, but the most coveted is for
production cars that you and I can drive
on the road — and that’s the title the
new Lamborghini Aventador SVJ seized
last year. It went round in just under 6
minutes and 45 seconds, a lap record.
For now, the Aventador SVJ has
bragging rights over every other car
out there. But how on earth do you test
something this fast on a public road?
Capable of achieving 0-100km/h in 2.8
seconds and a top speed of 349km/h,
the SVJ looks as menacing as a great
white shark on its lunch break.
Certainly, the SVJ is the most powerful
Lamborghini to leave the company’s
Sant’Agata production facility near
Bologna. It is likely to be a swan song
for the company’s old-school V12 engine
too. That’s because a technologically
advanced, greener hybrid is set to
be unveiled as supercar makers turn
their attention to battery power.
To mark what could be a defining
moment, then, Lamborghini tuned
and modified the outgoing V12 to
extract every last ounce of power.
The changes included titanium valves,
a redesigned cylinder head and a lighter
flywheel — the sort of stuff that makes
motoring geeks salivate. These help to
boost power and reduce the weight of
the low-slung SVJ by more than 50kg to
a trim 1,525kg – not that much heavier
than a bog-standard Ford Focus.
Consequently, the SVJ revs noisily
to beyond 8,500rpm and offers a
wider band of torque, transferred
to the road through a permanent
four-wheel-drive system that has
been modified for more rear-axle
bias, thus improving the handling.
I doubt many Lambo owners
lift the rear-mounted, carbonfibre
cover to peep at the engine.
If they did, they would discover
some exquisite architecture.
Perching above that lot is the latest
version of Lamborghini’s active
aerodynamic spoiler system, which
For sheer spectacle and sonic boom,
‘ the Aventador SVJ rivals Concorde
’
attracts attention like a radar beacon.
The huge rear wing isn’t there just
for show. It increases downforce
by more than 40 percent compared
with the previous Aventador SV.
This is ingenious stuff that really
requires a PowerPoint presentation
to explain properly. On a fast corner,
the forces created by the rear
wing can be deflected left or right,
increasing grip over the inside rear
wheel, where it is most needed to
keep the SVJ glued to the road.
It works brilliantly, but also attracts
a trail of nerdy car-spotters in your
wake, smartphone cameras pressed to
their windscreens. Expect to go viral
on social media if you crash — it’s that
sort of machine. But at least you won’t
be able to see most of your pursuers
— the central pillar that supports the
spoiler is so bizarrely placed, it blocks
visibility. You might as well throw
away the rear-view mirror and shave
a few extra ounces off the weight.
Stabbing the throttle unleashes a
guttural snort like Brian Blessed
having an asthma attack. There’s
no neighbour-friendly setting for
those awkward, early-morning
starts either, so don’t expect another
barbecue invitation from No 17.
However, for sheer spectacle and
sonic boom, the SVJ rivals Concorde.
It’s tight for space inside, once the
wing doors have been swung up
to reveal a gaudy mix of imitation
suede and leather in the cabin.
The bucket seats are painful on a
long journey, while visibility and
headroom were an afterthought.
There’s nowhere to stash a phone,
let alone my spotted handkerchief,
and the eccentric dashboard layout
appears to contain switchgear stolen
from the original Tardis. A flip-up
cover protecting the starter button
is borrowed from a Top Gun fighter.
The wow factor for new passengers
is undeniable, but the flap, when
left open, can catch a shirt cuff at
the most awkward moments.
At least Lamborghini has dispensed
with those silly indicator buttons fixed
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