Lamborghini Aventador: ‘One of the most awesome V12 hypercars ever’

Open the crazy 'scissor doors', find the right button to spark the engine up and get set for a spooky ride, says Martin Love

Lamborghini Aventador S Roadster
Price 301,934
Engine 6.5-litre V12
0-62mph 3 seconds
Top speed 217mph
MPG 16.7
CO2 394g/km

How long does it take to develop an overweening sense of self-importance and entitlement once you have eased your designer derriire into a Lamborghini? Answer: less than two minutes. Over the years I have been lucky enough to drive some quite astounding vehicles, but the one marque I'd never sampled was Lamborghini. I know! That all changed this week when I found myself at the wheel of the frankly terrifying Aventador S Roadster. Depending on your point of view it's either a sort of weaponised games console or one of the most awesome V12-powered hypercars ever built. For an hour or so I was driving it myself, but before that for about 20 minutes I was a passenger in the capable hands of Andri(C). He's a pleasant and quietly spoken professional driver (and also clearly a deranged auto sadist) who sent the fire-breathing monster round the track at Goodwood at speeds approaching 200mph. I would have yipped and yeehaaed, but I was genuinely too frightened. Afterwards I asked him whereabouts he'd place those laps in terms of "being on the limit". He shrugged and said: "Oh, about 5 out of 10."