Lamborghini Aventador SVJ, without question the toughest bull from Sant'Agata Bolognese! In the background Garda Lake.
t the top of the stunning Pass Giau above Cortina d'Ampezzo. The road here offers a lot of challenges and with Aventador SVJ it will be a real trial.
Lamborghini has always had a very angular and tough design. Aventador SVJ is no exception and you have not saved on the carbon fiber. A joy for the heart if you like it here.
The interior of Aventador SVJ is dominated by carbon fiber and Alcantara. Instead of door handles, there are straps to hold down the weight.
Some are of the opinion that Lamborghini has lost his soul and stopped building super sports cars in the spirit of the devilish bull they used to do. They are wrong.
In the past, these cars were extremely brutal. Allowing a mother-in-law sit behind the wheel of a Countach or Diablo was unthinkable. These older models required a firm handle and even an experienced driver had a hard time with cars of this generation. They are simply too difficult to drive.
Allowing a mother-in-law behind the wheel of a Countach or Diablo was unthinkable. They are simply too difficult to drive
When Audi took over the helm and started pumping money into the Italian company in 2003, a lot started happening. From standing on the verge of the ruin, the company began to show positive figures. The first model with Audi's technology was Gallardo. It sold a total of 14,000 cars during its lifetime and became a mega success. Even the successor Huracán became a success and has sold incredibly well. Together, these models belong to a completely new type of Lamborghini cars with modern German technology under the shell. Here you can easily let an inexperienced driver enjoy the driving experience, albeit with a bit of frightening delight.
Parallel to the Gallardo, the larger Murcielago was prepped for production. Unlike Gallardo with its German-made V10, Murcielago had Lamborghini's own V12 engine. An engine that has lived for decades and originated as far back in time as Miura which was launched in 1966.
Murcielago was largely developed before Audi came into the picture. Although it received some technology from the Germans, it was large, unwieldy, and, in comparison with Gallardo, difficult for the inexperienced driver. The brutal bull was still alive in Murcielago!
In 2011, Murcielago was replaced with Aventador. Since then, Aventador has come in a variety of designs. Like both Diablo and Murcielago, Aventador is also available in an SV variant. SV stands for “Super Veloce” which is Italian for Super Speed. The recipe for the SV models is about lower weight and more horsepower. Aventador SV has 50 extra horses compared to the original.
The Aventador SVJ is equipped with ALA (Aerodinamica Lamborghini Attiva), Lamborghini's intelligent aerodynamic system.
In addition to the race for most horsepower, there is also another record that is the holy grail.. We speak of course about the fastest time around Nürburgring in Germany. To accomplish this, a car that is at all needs a purely racing car. Porsche has been at the top of the throne many times. In addition, Porsche has the absolute fastest time ever with its custom-built model 919 EVO which is 5: 19.546.
But Lamborghini has also set a record number of times. To show the world that even a strong Italian bull can be the fastest around the ring, Aventador SV was built with the addition J which stands for "Jota". Aventador SVJ thus stands for “Super Veloce Jota”. In July 2018, a new record time was set with Aventador SVJ at 6: 44.97, thus taking the pallet location from Porsche and their 911 GT2 RS.
My relationship with Lamborghini goes far back in time
My relationship with Lamborghini goes far back in time. In the eighties and nineties I was with my father Bengt Holm at the factory several times. The reason then was a large car book project he worked on called the Cars Collection. When I later chose to follow in his footsteps, it was obviously a door opener to bring books from the time with my father to show off. This has meant a lot to me and the factory has always been very generous with lending cars for test drives. But when I was told by Sant'Agata Bolognese that an Aventador SVJ was at my disposal for a few days, I hardly thought it was true.
Aventador SVJ is even lighter, even stronger and even harder than Aventador SV. It is a street legal track-ready super sports car with an uncharged V12 engine of 770 horses. There is hardly any sound insulation at all between you and the engine behind your back. Add to that Lamborghini's intelligent aerodynamic system ALA (Aerodinamica Lamborghini Attiva) that SVJ is first with. The system means 40 percent more downforce than Aventador SV. In short, the Aventador SVJ is built to go crazy fast while staying glued to the road as it turns.
An early rise is well worth experiencing the sunrise at the top of Passo Giau. Especially for me as a photographer when without disturbing others I can park in the middle of a curve like this and take pictures.
To experience this unique Lamborghini, I chose a destination I had driven before: Cortina d'Ampezzo and over Passo Giau. The road is incredibly good and challenging. You can really feel about the car's performance and road holding. Aventador SVJ is not very comfortable. It shouldn't be either. You sit like a screwdriver in the Alcantara-clad shell chairs. Instead of floor mats, the bare metal floor with grip tape is the type you have on skateboards so as not to slip. For weight reasons, the carbon fiber-clad doors have no opening handles without thin straps. SVJ is 50 kilos lighter than the Aventador S which is very much in this context. Especially since SVJ has 30 more horsepower, a total of 770 horses.
When you fold up the red flap on the center console that looks something like a fighter aircraft, the red start button is exposed. One push and the V12 comes to life. And it's a life that makes you jump high if you're not used to it. An deafening hissing sound rattles out through the two large round exhaust pipes in the center of the rear. However, when we talk about the rear, Aventador SVJ is nothing else. At the bottom is a giant carbon fiber diffuser to best conduct air under the car. This is also where part of the ALA system is located. In the middle where the exhaust pipes are located, it is metal, not plastic covers.
At the top is the newly developed wing which ensures that the car holds the back end of the slope when it goes really fast. One of the few things you can notice is that the wing obscures all visibility backward. But on the other hand, it is the future you should look at if you have not done something stupid on the public road.
Speaking of stupidity on the public road, it is quite difficult to keep the speed of such a car. Almost impossible. Autostradan offers great opportunities to drive fast and it is up to you how you handle any dealings with the police authorities.
But the Italians are proud of their four-wheeled bulls and stallions. They love to drive fast and preferably on low gears so it sounds great. For my part, however, I am happy when I reach the mountains and the highway turns into winding mountain roads. Here you can drive fast in a completely different way without being an easy replacement for Polizia Stradale.
On the way up to Passo Giau, as a driver, I really need to prove my worthiness as a driver
Under the hood behind the jewel in the Aventador SVJ, the 6.5 liter large V12 engine on 770 horses. When you start it, every hair on the body rises!
Along the way down from Passo Giau, the hairpins become sharper and you have to hold tight in the steering wheel as Aventador SVJ needs a firm grip to know where you want to take it.
On the way up to Passo Giau I chose a small detour via Lake Garda and a road called SP38. This road offers spectacular scenes taken from a dream.
On the way up to Passo Giau, as a driver, I really need to prove my worthiness as a driver. This car can drive harder than Mike Tyson's right hook. You will not win over the car and feel that it does not measure up. If you do, you probably belong in a racing team.
As a driver you feel everything going on under the car and the power is totally inexhaustible. Personally, I like the Lamborghini models very well thanks to the four-wheel drive. Unlike Aventador S, SVJ does not have the new four-wheel steering. The regular Aventador S is considerably nicer and more easily driven in the curves but with a firm grip SVJ also takes you where you want. But it is definitely a fight between you and the car. Although you agree on the goal: To get through the curves in the fastest way.
At the top of the pass, I have to take a break. I'm all over. Not the car, on the other hand, it can happily handle this without the slightest sign of fatigue. The rest of the car gets done naturally when you have to stop and fill up the tank. Something that happens relatively regularly if you let the car go full attack. Then the V12 engine requires copious amounts of fuel. But that is it, a large and strong bull like this requires a lot of food to deliver the maximum. It makes me go back to what I was talking about at the beginning of this article. Namely, that bull with devils embracing which, according to some, no longer exists. Aventador SVJ is the proof that they are wrong!
Lamborghini Aventador SVJ
Price: About SEK 3,000,000.
Engine: 6.5-liter V12, 770 hp. Torque 720 Nm.
Power transmission: Center mounted engine, 7-speed robotic automatic, four-wheel drive.
Acceleration: 0-100 in 2.8 sec. Top speed: 350 km / h.
Petrol consumption mixed driving according to the manufacturer: 1.79 l / mil.
Weight: about 1,525 kg.
Warranties: New car for 2 years.
