2017 Lamborghini Aventador S first drive review terrifying as a minotaur with a migraine
The narrow forward field of view offers a sort of tunnel vision as I look to the light emanating from the Lamborghini ahead - blue flames pouring from its exhaust as we streak along the track.
Far from being an occasional flicker, the light show oozing from the space shuttle-inspired tailpipes of the Aventador S is a steady glow that speaks to its other-worldliness.
Though impossible to see from the driver's seat, I can picture ceramic brakes turning bright orange as we scrub away speed for the hairpin, etching faint lines into the tarmac as four of Pirelli's best relinquish their hold.
No one can best Lamborghini for supercar theatre.
And it just got even better.
While it feels like a perfectly orchestrated moment, Lamborghini's launch of the new Aventador S didn't quite go to plan.
Having selected a corner of Spain in October for its consistently dry and sunny weather, its event team arrived to find Valencia in the midst of its heaviest rainfall period in decades. Journalists from Europe and the UK faced standing water and rivulets running across the Circuit Ricardo Tormo, making life a little too exciting for all concerned.
And that transmission is epic - set the car into the most aggressive of its four driving modes - Corsa - and each gearshift is accompanied by the sort of vindictive slap on the back usually reserved for sporting rivals. It's a needlessly harsh arrangement, one that lends a great deal of wow - or possibly "ow" - factor to the big bull.
Unlike the previous car, which used a network of control units to keep its hardware in check, the new car's systems are controlled by a single computer that improves its fluidity of response to allow the Aventador to feel more like a single organism that a network of components. It's so much more engaging than the previous model, a car that arguably had the punch, but perhaps not the agility, to justify its exotic looks.
Priced just shy of $790,000 (around $28,000 more than the previous model), the Aventador is an irrelevance to 99.9 per cent of population. But we're so glad it's here, representing a magnificent counterpoint to political correctness, soulless appliances, self-driving cars and the march of electric technology.
While green requirements have the wild supercar listed as an endangered species, Lamborghini insists the model will retain its core elements - the carbon chassis, naturally aspirated V12 and crazy paddle shift gearbox - well into its next generation. It's great to see supercar isn't ready to die.
Because nothing else makes you feel so alive.
But wait, there's more
The $789,425 Lamborghini asks for an Aventador buys a blank canvas of sorts - a starting point for customisation through the brand's "Ad Personam" program.
Owners can choose from dozens of options that shape the character of the car - you can go for race-ready carbon fibre seats accompanied by grippy suede controls, or swing the other way by plumping for plush quilted leather in rich terracotta tones.No two Aventadors in Australia are likely to be identical, contributing to the exclusivity of the car.
While the the possibilities for personalisation are tempting - and you can have a go at your own version on Lamborghini's online configurator - some of the prices are eye-watering.
Want a reversing camera? That'll be bundled with parking sensors for a thrifty $9600.
Carbon-fibre exterior details, including upper air intakes, side sills and the front and rear spoilers cost $34,400, while the full carbon fibre interior treatment is another $19,400.
Centre-lock rims with red wheel nuts? Just over $10,000, sir.
Lamborghini's classic pearlescent orange, yellow and green tones are $7800. One with the lot will add more than $160,000 to the bottom line, pushing the price to $950,000 or so plus on-road costs that help break through the $1 million mark.
2017 Lamborghini Aventador S pricing and specifications
Price: From $789,425 plus on-road costs
Engine: 6.5-litre V12 petrol
Power: 544kW at 8400rpm
Torque: 690Nm at 5500rpm
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic, all-wheel-drive
Fuel use: 16.9L/100km
https://youtu.be/8X_A2JH_0mE
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