What happens when you send a
rocket into orbit at speeds the birds fly? What happens when you challenge
sprinter Usain Bolt with just your ordinary set of running skills? What happens
when light decides to travel at the speed of sound? What happens when time decides to take a nap
for a while? What happens when you get the keys to a Lamborghini car and you
say “No” to the drive? Preposterous situations no man can ever fathom!
So, when Italy’s manufacturer
of super sports cars of the finest kind, invited us for a drive at the Buddh
International Circuit in Greater Nodia, we almost had a revolt in our office.
Everybody wanted to drive the car but Lambroghini said only one could do that.
As the Editor I had the last word, and much to chagrin of my fellow journalists
I took to the wheels of the Huracan LP 610-4 and also the Aventador LP 700-4,
two splendid four-wheel drive vehicles from the Lamborghini stable.
It was as if the world of the
rich and famous had opened before me and I simply stepped in. I was sucked out
of my mundane middle class lifestyle and was in a world where speed thrills and
never ever kills, rather it simply sends you on a trip so high and insane that
even cocaine feels helpless! That is, speaking figuratively...
It was as though the race
track and the Lamborghini cars were made for each other. The moment I crouched
inside the aerodynamically perfect Aventador LP 700-4 donning my helmet, I was
on a high. Nothing could explain the feeling inside me. If the exterior shape
and the scissor doors were stunning to look at, so were interiors. Lamborghini
offers its customers the choice to customise the interior to fit one’s taste –
from the colour of the stitching on the seats to the leather. Once seated, you
are in full view of the multitude of controls. Instead of a conventional
instrument cluster, the Aventador features a TFT display that provides you with
all the information you need.
The drive had not even begun
and I felt as though I had achieved a strange kind of nirvana. The siren
sounded and off we went, leaving the pit lane in a line, following the
instructor in the safety car. The rules were simple. No overtaking, no driving
dangerously, never to overtake the safety car and always maintaining the
distance between the cars.
After pressing the start
button and setting the drive mode, I simply moved the shift paddle on the
steering. Via Drive Select Mode one can choose from three different shifting
characteristics: Strada, Sport and Corsa. You can either let the gearbox shift
automatically, or you can select gears manually by using the shift paddles on
the steering wheel.
Technical specifications of
the car sunk in as I stepped on the accelerator of the left hand drive vehicle.
The company had brought in a handful of left hand drive vehicles to the race
track for the journalists. It was a breeze and the breeze simply got better as
we drove on the straights. The digital speedometer showed speeds of 230kmph at
one point. The car was rock solid and planted strong and hard on the tarmac at
these insane speeds and within moments when we had to corner, it obeyed
perfectly to the braking. The driving dynamics of this super sports car is way
awesome.
The Lamborghini Aventador LP
700-4 has a 12-cylinder (V12) engine in its centre and it weighs only 235 kg. The
6498cc engine churns out a massive 700 hp and a maximum torque of 690 Nm. The
engine is mated to a 7 speed ISR gearbox and its shifting time is only 50
milliseconds. The permanent all-wheel drive makes sure your throttle input is
being transferred perfectly onto the tarmac. An electronically controlled
Haldex generation IV clutch is responsible for the power distribution.
Depending on the chosen drive mode, it transfers up to 60 percent of the
available torque to the front wheels.
Everything about the car is
perfectly fine-tuned and as Lamborghini says, “Our engineers make sure all
suspension and drivetrain components are perfectly matched to each other. A
special suspension system, inspired by motorsports, is used in the Aventador.
On the pushrod suspension with double wishbones a bellcrank is used to actuate
the internal, vertically integrated spring and damper unit. This layout reduces
the unsprung mass, improves the aerodynamics and leads to direct steering with
minimised perturbation.
The rear wing of the car has
been intelligently built because at high speeds the air hits the rear wing with
high velocity which pushes the rear part of the car onto the tarmac and creates
a downforce. As a result, the slip decreases, the tyres produce better grip and
the engine power can be used more efficiently. A special feature of the
Aventador is the integrated rear wing. It only extends when needed – at
mid-range and high speeds. The diffusor on the underside of the car's rear
further increases the grip. It produces a vacuum by decelerating the airflow. Acceleration
comes easy for this car as it moves from 0 to 100 kph in only 2.9 seconds.
In order to keep the weight of
the car low, a lot of carbon fibre has been used. The car’s monocoque is
completely made of carbon fibre. Aluminum frames, which are used to install
components like engine or axles, are attached to its front and rear. These
frames contribute to the overall weight reduction. Thanks to the use of carbon fibre
and aluminum, the Aventador is very light and torsion-resistant. We realised
this when driving at high speeds around corners, the car behaved so well.
Before I could blink a few
times, I had completed a few laps. I had reached heaven and back and I was not
complaining about this short journey.
I had to switch my car now and
drive the Huracan LP 610-4. No scissor door here, but a conventional one and
once again I crouched into it to feel what it means to be rich, spoilt and
carefree! Compared to the Aventador, the Huracan is simpler to look at. This
too is a light vehicle made on a hybrid aluminum/carbon fibre frame. The
Huracan LP 610-4 is a four wheel drive vehicle that is powered by a V10 90°
IDS, 40 valves engines with a displacement of 5,204 cc. It delivers a maximum
power of 610 hp @8250rpm and a maximum torque of 560 Nm @ 6,500 RPM. The
Huracan has an all-wheel drive with electrohydraulic multi-plate clutch 7-speed
LDF dual-clutch transmission. I felt that the Hurcan was a bit smoother on the
take and gear changes were not so pronounced as in the case of the Aventador.
The car can attain a top speed
of 325 kmph and can accelerate from 0-100 kmph in 3.2 seconds. Acceleration from
0-200 kmph comes in 9.9 seconds. We took a few laps around the Buddh circuit
before the Lamborghini Instructor called it a day. Just when I thought I had
seen and the driven the best of the Lamborghini cars, the company unveiled the
Huracan LP 580-2. This is a two wheel drive and promises a lot of fun for those
keen on a bit of adventure at high speeds. As I drove back to the real world of
clumsy vehicles and clumsy drivers, I saw the the words plastered on one of the
hoardings- “Speed thrills, but kills”. How stupid I thought, whoever wrote that
does not have a clue on how the Lamborghini drives!
Technical Specifications
|
|
Huracan LP 610-4
|
Aventador LP 700-4
|
|
Engine
|
V10 90° IDS, 40 valves
|
V12, 60°, MPI
|
|
Displacement
|
5,204cc
|
6498cc
|
|
Max Power
|
610 hp @ 8,250 RPM
|
700 hp @ 8,250 RPM
|
|
Max Torque
|
560 Nm @ 6,500 RPM
|
690 Nm @ 5,500 RPM
|
|
Transmission
|
7-speed LDF dual-clutch transmission, shift
characteristics variable via Drive Select Mode
|
7 speed ISR, shifting characteristic depending on drive
select mode
|
|
Tyres
|
Front: Pirelli 245/30 R20
Rear: Pirelli 305/30 R20
|
Front: Pirelli 255/35 ZR19
Rear :Pirelli 335/30 ZR20
|
|
Brakes
|
Hydraulic dual-circuit brake system with vacuum brake
servo unit, six-piston calipers at the front, four-piston calipers at the
rear
|
Dual hydraulic circuit brake system with vacuum brake
booster; front and rear CCB, 6-cylinder brake callipers, 4-cylinder brake
callipers Ø 400x 38 mm – Ø 380 x 38 mm
|
|
Acceleration
|
0-100 kmph: 3.2 s
|
0-100 kmph: 2.9 s
|