Lamborghini Aventador 2015 Review

You might look at our Expert Rating and think WTF? How does the most expensive supercar available in Australia manage just 63 out of 100?

Well, there's good reason. Our criteria include efficiency, ride comfort, practicality, value for money, industry-standard warranty provisions and low noise, vibration and harshness levels. Most new-car buyers also expect a five-star safety rating, the latest driver assistance technologies and decent ergonomics.

But these are things the Aventador doesn't do well, even compared to other supercars in its competitive set.

In fact, it's a bugger of a thing to live with. It's virtually impossible to park, it's cumbersome to get in and out of (I certainly wouldn't want to try it in a mini-skirt), it's stiff, hard to see out of, and the gearbox is about as empathetic as Tony Abbott's boat-people policy.

It's also difficult to pull-up anywhere without becoming the next YouTube sensation; and on the road it's a target for Muppets with camera phones attempting to get a 'selfie' while simultaneously steering towards your $800K worth of precious metal.

First-world problems? Perhaps. But, for some, it can make you think supercar ownership isn't all it's cracked up to be. Until, that is, you get a winding stretch of tarmac to yourself...

Suddenly I'm there and the taps are open, the V12 is howling toward its 8500rpm redline and I'm being shoved back into the seat so hard that the blood rushing from my skull creates a moment of fizzy whiteness in my peripheral vision.

A pull of the right shift paddle snaps the next cog into place and there's an instinctive feel that I'm well over the speed limit, long before I can glance down at the fighter jet-inspired instrument panel.

This is everything a supercar should be. It should be fast. It should be aggressive. And it should certainly have a bit of mongrel about it. You should respect its abilities, and understand your own. You should want to drive it – and drive it hard.

It's when driving in this manner, and perhaps only in this manner, that the Aventador makes sense. It comes alive, rewards its driver like few other cars and feels so sharp and communicative that the ergonomic foibles and day-to-day frailties seem to melt away in a frenzied concerto of valves, cams and carbon emissions.

Yes, it's a car that Greenpeace would love to hate. It's impossibly loud and it drinks more than Karl Stefanovic at a Logies party (we averaged 24.3L/100km).

But it's entirely intoxicating and involving when you're sat behind the wheel at speed. It grabs you by the scruff, lets you know who's boss and demands to be driven. Fast. It's more aggressive as you progress through its modes (naturally), and has a way of seducing you into thinking it's an easy car to drive.

There's so much communication on offer, especially from the steering, that you very quickly find yourself 'dialled in' to that carbon-composite chassis and masterful push-rod suspension. It holds tight to corners, the all-wheel drive system allowing just enough oversteer to keep you on your toes.

Like we said, overstep your abilities and it's going to bite you pretty hard – the provocation it takes to make the Aventador break loose is substantial, and it should not to be treated with contempt.

But let's face it. If contumacy wasn't likely to result in a severe case of death, the Aventador would have no more appeal than a Volkswagen Polo; which brings me to the interior, and its Audi-influenced interface.

Traditionally Italian supercars have been hopelessly complicated and needlessly intricate in their relationship with the driver. Operating any element of the infotainment system was akin to learning Mandarin. Not any more. The Audi MMI set-up is as logical as it is in any other Volkswagen Group model [Ed: Lamborghini has been owned by the German giant since 1998], almost defying the theatre of the angularly-sculpted cockpit.

Mimicking the polygon-heavy exterior, the Aventador's innards comprise a sharply-styled array of hard lines and dramatic edges. Right down to the paddle shifts there's a sense that geometric contours are the new black. In fact, the only curves we could find were those of the steering wheel and the rear-view mirror.

While the angular theme might work well in tying the inside to the out, it doesn't gel as seamlessly in a functional sense. The outboard air-vent on the driver's side does a great job of cooling the instrument binnacle, but not a thing for your face or body. It's also pretty obvious that the passenger seat is strictly for sitting in; the Aventador takes the term 'driver-focussed' quite literally: "This is my side, that is yours. And these toys are all mine".

There's also a less-than-seamless transition from the Lamborghini's cylinder deactivation system. As the revs drop below 2500 in top gear the V12 becomes a 'six', sending a small pulse through the driveline in the process. It reactivates more cleanly; though we're unconvinced the technology (or the idle-stop system for that matter) significantly influences fuel economy. We're even less convinced Lambo owners would care.

What they do care about are the elements of the Aventador that make it so desirable: The ostentatious, passionate design; the thrilling speed and handling; and the words-can't-describe V12 soundtrack.

They're the kinds of assets so very few cars can deliver with quite the same impact – brutally inflicted impressions that stay with you long after our Expert Ratings are forgotten.

And coming in 2017 there's an even more powerful version, the Lamborghini Aventador S.

2015 Lamborghini Aventador LP 700-4 Coupe pricing and specifications:
Price: $761,500 (plus on-road costs)
Engine: 6.5-litre twelve-cylinder petrol
Output: 515kW/690Nm
Transmission: Seven-speed single-clutch
Fuel: 16.0L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 370g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety Rating: N/A

More photos of Lamborghini Aventador at motoring.com.au