MOTOR

The Lambo’s 515kW
are produced right
at the very tip of the
tacho and getting
there takes real
commitment

incredible 6.5 litres and 493kW. Nothing

is able to last forever, though, and the

arrival of the Aventador in 2011 called

for an all new heart.

Dubbed L539, Lamborghini’s new

V12 retains a 6.5-litre capacity, but

is smaller, lighter, yet more powerful

than the final Bizzarrini engine with

515kW/690Nm. And remember, this

engine will have plenty of headroom

built in for future models – 600kW

Lambo anyone? Its open-deck crankcase

is built from aluminium-silicon alloy

while the incredibly undersquare bore/

stroke ratio (95mm vs 76.4mm) means

it revs to the heavens, peak power being

produced at an incredible 8250rpm.

With so much power, and weighing

only 1575kg (dry weight), the

Aventador’s acceleration is shocking

in its violence. And then you discover

you’ve been short-shifting at 7000rpm

and only using 70 per cent of the

throttle. The way the tacho lunges

through the last 1500rpm firmly

establishes the big Lambo as one of the

very fastest cars in the world.

All this is accompanied by a V12

WITH SO MUCH POWER,

THE AVENTADOR ’ S

AAAACCCCCCCCEEEELLLLEEEERRRRAAAATTTTIIIIOOOONNNN IIIISSSS

SSSHHHOOOCCCKKKIIINNNGGGLLLYYY VVVIIIOOOLLLEEENNNTTT