Lamborghini Aventador Ultimae marks end of an era

Supercar brand Lamborghini plans to have an entirely petrol-electric hybrid line-up by 2024, with its first fully electric model due after 2025. But it’s already bidding farewell to its top tier model, the Aventador, which has been the apex bull since 2011.

The new Aventador LP 780-4 Ultimae is a swansong of a 58-year old legacy of naturally aspirated V12 engines, and it’s a special thing indeed. It combines the best attributes of the standard Aventador S with those of the faster Aventador SVJ to create a neat-looking bull with a raucous heart.

It will be produced in limited numbers comprising 350 coupés and 250 roadsters, all using the uprated 6.5l 12-cylinder engine from the SVJ. It produces 574kW at a high-revving 8,500rpm plus 720Nm of torque, powering through a permanent four-wheel drive system. It uses a seven-speed transmission that swop cogs in 50 milliseconds for a 2.8 second sprint to 100km/h and a top speed of 355km/h in the coupé.

The Ultimae is crafted from lightweight carbon fibre. It weighs 1,550kg, 25kg less than a regular Aventador S and matches the power-to-weight ratio of the SVJ. It’s also capable of stopping from 100km/h to standstill in 30m.

Aesthetically the Ultimae gets 18 new paint colours including two-tone schemes but there are over 300 colours for more personalisation through the Lamborghini Ad Personam catalogue.

Door and dash trims can either be silver, bronze and white and a further five optional colours but the Ultimae Roadster launches in Blu Tawaret and Blu Nethuns with high-gloss carbon-fibre roof panels.

Inside the cabin is a customisable TFT digital dashboard, Apple CarPlay, and voice control, while a telemetry system for track action is available as an option.

Silver 20 and 21-inch forged alloys are standard fitment but there’s the option for bronze, black and titanium choices shod with Pirelli PZero Corsa rubber. Silver brake calipers are standard but you can choose other colours.  

The car has a specific front bumper design that increases frontal aero loading while an active rear wing moves into three positions — closed, maximum performance and maximum handling — all dependent on speed and the drive mode selected. All of this works in conjunction with Lamborghini Dinamica Veicolo Attiva (LDVA) which processes real-time information on body motion via sensors for sharpened responses of all active systems to make the car deliver the best vehicle dynamics in every condition.

The electronic stability control is also calibrated for faster reactions and to adapt to differences in surface grip. The four-wheel drive system with rear-wheel steering is calibrated to allow for more torque sent to the rear axle for that all-important sporty but safe oversteer behaviour.

The Aventador LP 780-4 Ultimae has Strada, Sport and Corsa (track) drive modes, including an EGO mode where a driver personalises the parameters for the suspension, traction control, engine, gearbox, all-wheel drive and steering.

“The Aventador LP 780-4 denotes the final, purest, timeless naturally-aspirated production V12 Lamborghini,” says Stephan Winkelmann, president and CEO of Automobili Lamborghini. “It delivers the essential 12-cylinder experience in terms of inimitable design, engineering solutions and the most emotive driving experience, and is the definitive Aventador concluding an extraordinary era. It is the last of its kind,” concludes Winkelmann.

Lamborghini SA awaits allocation and local pricing will be R9.6m for the Aventador Ultimae Coupé and R10.6m for the Roadster.