If supercars are a fashion accessory, then the Lamborghini Aventador’s decade-long existence is nothing short of a miracle. However, no supercar can outrun its obsolescence, and the Lamborghini Aventador Ultimae will be the storied supercar’s final act.
For a model line that spawned some of the wildest looking cars, the Lamborghini Aventador Ultimae wears a subdued suit. No elongated venturi vanes that span the ground or wings that stretch to the sky here. Instead, it looks as unspoilt from such flourishes as the day it was born.
Its shape might be a hark back to the past, but the Ultimae is not a stylised tribute act. According to Lamborghini, the Ultimae is the Aventador’s greatest hits compilation, its final incarnation.
What’s new in the Lamborghini Aventador Ultimae?
The Aventador Ultimae combines the Aventador S’ chassis tuning, with an uprated version of the Aventador SVJ’s drivetrain. Power from the SVJ’s 6.5-litre naturally-aspirated V12 engine is bumped from 566kW to 574kW.
Weighing at 1550kg dry, the Ultimae sits between the S and SVJ with a 25kg margin on either side. As a result, the Ultimae delivers a similar 0 to 100km/h time of 2.8sec as the SVJ, with the latter reaching 200km/h a tenth of a second quicker – if that matters.
In terms of aerodynamic and chassis technology, the Aventador Ultimae represents a culmination of the Aventador breed. Up in front, its aero-generating bumper lifts its inspiration from the SVJ. Underneath, it features the four-wheel steering introduced in the S, whereas its electronic driver aids sport a bespoke calibration.
The future of Lamborghini
Lamborghini plans to build 600 examples of the Ultimae, 350 coupes and 250 roadsters. Not only will it be the end of the Aventador range, but it will also be the end of Lamborghini’s pure-V12 model. If Lamborghini’s musings come to fruition, the successor will be a hybrid.
Traditionalists will no doubt be aghast at the thought of a hybrid Lamborghini. However, as electric propulsion is delivering unbelievable performance numbers, maybe the time has come to admit change. After all, Bugatti seems to have come to terms with the future.
If anything, Lamborghini’s experiment with hybrid technology in the limited-edition Aventador-based Sian has proven to be a success. With their toes dipped, adopting the technology on a series-production model wouldn’t be too difficult.
Lamborghini Aventador – The icon maker
As for the Aventador, it became more than Lamborghini’s flagship. It became the goose that laid the golden egg. Initially thought to be limited to 4000 examples, Lamborghini kept growing its appeal with rebodied limited-edition specials.
Taking after the Murcielago-based Reventon business model, Lamborghini would create the jaw-dropping Veneno, Centenario, Essenza SCV12, and a myriad of one-offs from the Aventador. It pushed the supercar genre far beyond what its contemporaries could do.
Despite its wild offshoots, it only seems fitting for the Aventador to head out to pasture in its original form. A form that seems oddly muted in light of its achievements, but still timeless in its appearance.