Summary
Described by Evo as the “ultimate bedroom wall supercar”, the Lamborghini Aventador was a mid-engined V12 coupé and targa-top roadster.
Replacing the Lamborghini Murciélago in 2011, the Aventador ended up on sale for over a decade, and proved to be one of the most successful sports cars in the Italian brand’s history. As Carwow put it, “the Lamborghini Aventador is one of the most outrageous cars on sale, both in terms of how it looks and how it drives.”
The Aventador range evolved several times during its tenure to keep up with the ever-changing supercar market, all iterations being available as both a coupé and a convertible. The original Aventador LP700-4 evolved into the Aventador S and eventually the LP780-4 Ultimae, while there were even more extreme models like the SV and SVJ.
Along the way, there were also many limited editions and one-off specials, while Lamborghini has also used the Aventador platform as a starting point for several other exclusive models in recent years (the Veneno, Centenario, Sián, Essenza and Countach).
Despite its exterior design making an immediate impression, the original Aventador model had a mixed reception when it launched in 2011. “Most criticism focused on the chassis – the ride quality was poor, and it wasn’t as agile as it could have been”, Parkers explains. However, Lamborghini listened to its critics over the years, and many journalists remarked that the Aventador S in particular was a significant improvement – an improvement that gradually raised the supercar’s review scores.
Lamborghini also fine-tuned the Aventador’s V12 engine over the years – Auto Express called mid-life powertrain tweaks “hugely impressive modifications that add an extra layer of drama”. That said, many reviewers commented that the Aventador continued to be behind the curve when compared to the pace and technology of newer supercars, and that, after ten years of production, the gearbox still lacked refinement.
“You can gripe about the clunky gearbox and the fact that junior supercars are faster from the lights”, Car concluded, “but there’s not much in the car world with as much personality as the Aventador.” Top Gear wholeheartedly agreed – “It’s supercar 101: looks, noise, power, drama. Don’t overthink it, just do it. Pure pageantry.”
Production of the Aventador ended in 2023 to make way for its replacement, the Lamborghini Revuelto.
As of May 2024, the Lamborghini Aventador holds a Used Car Expert Rating of D with a score of 53%. Despite strong media reviews, the Aventador’s score is weighed down by a lack of safety rating, enormous CO2 emissions and high running costs – none of which are likely to bother prospective customers one little bit.
Aventador highlights
- Powerful V12 engine
- Durable carbonfibre construction
- Handling gets better with each new iteration
- Alluring exterior looks
Aventador lowlights
- Expensive to buy and run
- Clunky gearbox
- Heavy and hard to park
- Understeer often in the rain
Key specifications
Body style: Coupé and roadster
Engines: petrol
Price when new: From £342,000 on-road
Launched: Summer 2011
Last updated: Summer 2021
End of production: Spring 2023
Image gallery
Media reviews
Highlighted reviews and road tests from across the UK automotive media. Click any of the boxes to view.
Auto Express
Model reviewed: Ultimae Roadster
Score: 9 / 10
“Dramatic, loud and incredibly quick, the Aventador Ultimate Roadster is everything you could possibly hope for from a Lamborghini, and a fitting send-off for the company’s naturally aspirated V12 engine. Less expected, but equally impressive, is the sophistication in the car’s chassis. The final version of the Aventador is also the best.”
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Model reviewed:
Score: 8 / 10
“Bold, brash and brutally fast, the Aventador S is everything a flagship Lamborghini should be.”
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Model reviewed: Aventador SVJ Roadster
Score: 8 / 10
“The Aventador SVJ is the most advanced car Lamborghini has ever made.”
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Auto Trader
Model reviewed: Aventador SVJ Roadster
“The beauty and charm of the is Aventador SVJ Roadster that it’s not a passive experience. This is an absolute weapon.”
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Model reviewed: Aventador S
Score: 7.6 / 10
“You might think that the S version of the Aventador isn’t radically different to the original car, but all the small tweaks and upgrades make a big difference. It’s a genuine performance weapon, with monstrous power and much-improved handling, couple to dramatic styling and noise to match.”
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Car
Model reviewed: Ultimae (2022)
Score: 8 / 10
“It’s difficult not to lament the charismatic Aventador’s passing. It’s far from perfect, but there’s nothing quite like it.”
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Model reviewed: Aventador SVJ Coupé
Score: 8 / 10
“You can gripe about the clunky gearbox and the fact that junior supercars are faster from the lights, but there’s not much in the car world with as much personality as the SVJ. The SVJ looks sensational and that naturally aspirated V12 means it sounds and feels truly special.”
Read review
Model reviewed: Aventador SVJ Roadster
Score: 10 / 10
“The changes to the Aventador in its maturation to S specification don’t rewrite the rulebook, but do a great job of making a wild child just that little bit easier to live with.”
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Carbuyer
Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 6.4 / 10
“”The Lamborghini Aventador supercar is faster and easier to live with than the Murcielago, which it replaced.”
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Carwow
Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 9 / 10
“The Lamborghini Aventador is one of the most outrageous cars on sale, both in terms of how it looks and how it drives, but newer supercars have surpassed it in terms of technology.”
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Evo
Model reviewed: Aventador S
Score: 10 / 10
“The Lamborghini Aventador S has improved feel over standard car and a far more engaging chassis.”
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Model reviewed: LP700-4
Score: 9 / 10
“Howling V12, true supercar acceleration and towering performance, it looks and feels as a Lamborghini should.”
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Honest John
Model reviewed: Range overview
“The long awaited replacement for the Murcielago, with stunning looks, and a 700bhp from V12 engine.”
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Motoring Research
Model reviewed: Aventador SVJ Roadster
“The Lamborghini Aventador SVJ Roadster is a drop-top supercar turned up to 11. Or possibly 12.”
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Parkers
Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 8 / 10
“The Aventador is one of the purest supercar experiences available.”
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The Sun
Model reviewed: Aventador Superveloce
“It also costs a whopping £350,723. But you’ll be buying something exclusive (one of only 600), extreme and exciting. The fastest Lamborghini road car ever.”
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The Sunday Times
Model reviewed: Ultimae
Score: 8 / 10
“The Lamborghini Aventador is a rock star on the edge of extinction — but still makes a thrilling racket.”
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Model reviewed: Aventador SVJ Roadster
Score: 8 / 10
“The Lamborghini Aventador SVJ is a stupendous swansong for old school supercars.”
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Model reviewed: Aventador SVJ Coupe
Score: 8 / 10
“A stupendous swansong for old school supercars.”
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The Telegraph
Model reviewed: Aventador S Coupé
“Wonderful, intoxicating and reassuringly expensive old-school mid-engined supercar. Not easy to drive, though in the dry, the new rear steering and variable ratio steering rack makes it slightly more docile and friendly near the limit. The gearbox is brutal, however, this car needs a twin-clutch.”
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Model reviewed:
Score: 10 / 10
“What a motor car, and while we’ve said it too many times to be credible, we really wonder whether the Lamborghini Aventador is the last of the breed.”
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Top Gear
Model reviewed: Ultimae
Score: 9 / 10
“The V12 Lamborghini Aventador is retiring at the top.”
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Model reviewed: Aventador S
Score: 8 / 10
“Aventador gets a new lease of life, one that’s done nothing to unstitch the essence of Lamborghini, but a lot to smooth it out.”
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Safety rating
Independent crash test and safety ratings from Euro NCAP
No safety rating
The Lamborghini Aventador was not tested by Euro NCAP during its production life.
Independent economy and emissions ratings from Green NCAP
No eco rating
The Lamborghini Aventador was never lab tested by Green NCAP, so you’ll just have to guess at how eco-friendly a 6.5-litre petrol V12 supercar really is.
Reliability rating
Reliability data provided exclusively for The Car Expert by MotorEasy
No reliability rating
As of May 2024, we don’t have enough reliability data on the Lamborghini Aventador to generate a rating.
The Car Expert’s reliability information is provided exclusively to us using extended warranty data from our partner, MotorEasy. As soon as MotorEasy has sufficient data on the Aventador, we’ll publish the score here.
Monthly cost of ownership data provided exclusively for The Car Expert by Clear Vehicle Data
CO₂ output | Average | Score | Variation | Score |
Petrol models | 394 g/km | E | 394 – 394 g/km | E – E |
Insurance group | Average | Score | Variation | Score |
All models | 50 | F | 50 – 50 | F – F |
We currently have little running cost data to display for the Lamborghini Aventador at the moment. However, we do know that its insurance premiums are in the most expensive bracket.
You can safely assume that the Aventador will be an expensive car to own and run…
Awards
Trophies, prizes and awards that the Lamborghini Aventador has received
2017
- Top Gear Awards – Supercar of the Year (Aventador S)
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More information
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