Lamborghini Aventador J: fun facts
The newest bijou in Lamborghini`s glorious history – the Aventador J, has been developed in only six weeks, reveals the designer of the exclusive supercar Filippo Perini. In January 2012 the CEO Stephan Winkelmann decided that the brand will come up with something special for the Geneva motor show.
The J is different - with no roof or windscreen. Almost every other panel is new. It gets from the Aventador front bonnet, front fender and rear fender, and headlights.
The J shown in Geneva had already been sold to a Lamborghini fen. He had sent the money - $2.76million (£1.75m), immediately after the presentation, reveals Perini.
There are speculations about the J suffix in the name of the car. Some people claim that it refers to the FIA's ‘Appendix J' regulations. Others are convinced that it is short for Jota, the racer based on the iconic Miura. The Jota is the true heritage of Lamborghini.
Official Press Release
Lamborghini Aventador J:
Worldwide premiere at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show Radically open, extremely powerful
At
the 2012 Geneva Motor Show, Automobili Lamborghini is presenting the
most uncompromising open super sports car of its entire history. The
Lamborghini Aventador J is a force of nature on wheels – supremely
powerful and supremely open. The Aventador J offers its pilot and
co-pilot an utterly indescribable experience of power and dynamics. At
the same
time, the 515 kW / 700 hp two-seater is a first class
technology showcase, combining innovative solutions and brand new
materials. Demonstrating Automobili Lamborghini's enormous expertise in
carbon fiber technology.
The Lamborghini Aventador J is a
radically open automobile – exterior and interior meld into each other.
The designers and engineers in Sant'Agata Bolognese have not only
dispensed entirely with the roof, but also with the front windshield.
This requires that drivers of the Aventador J must have the right
equipment for driving at top speeds higher than 300 Km/h.
This
kind of driving at the limit is a highly exclusive experience – the
Lamborghini Aventador J is fully functional for road use. It is an
absolute one-off: as a one-of-a-kind piece of art.
"With the
Lamborghini Aventador J, we have molded our brand DNA into its most
definitive form to-date. This automobile is as extreme and as
uncompromising as only a Lamborghini can be," says Stephan Winkelmann,
President and CEO of Automobili Lamborghini. "The new
Lamborghini
Aventador J is the most radical open supersports car of Lamborghini's
history. Its name comes from our tradition and combines an
unconventional design with technology innovation. Nowadays we are
confronted with several regulations that we face in the spirit of
challenge. The Aventador J is the proof that, despite the rules,
Lamborghini will
always make people dream, even in the future."
Continuation of a glorious tradition
With
the Aventador J, technically based on the Aventador, Automobili
Lamborghini is carrying on its glorious brand tradition. The 1970 Jota,
for instance, was the stuff of legends – a Lamborghini Miura with
improved performance and virtually redesigned every detail. It remained a
one-off; although some owners subsequently had their Miuras modified to
look like
the Jota.
The letter J is derived from the sporting
rules of the FIA world motorsport organization. Its "Appendix J"
defines the technical specification of race cars in the various classes.
The Aventador: Extremely open, overwhelming power
The
Lamborghini Aventador J is a super sports car of positively dramatic
single-mindedness and openness. It combines the overwhelming performance
of the Lamborghini Aventador with the most intense experience of power
and dynamics imaginable in an automobile.
The technical basis for
the Aventador J is the Aventador LP 700-4, Lamborghini's new
twelve-cylinder model. Presented in 2011, the Aventador has been
acclaimed by customers and journalists alike. The Lamborghini Aventador
LP 700-4's technology package is unique – its structure is based on an
innovative monocoque made from carbon fiber reinforced polymers that
combines systematic lightweight design with optimum stiffness and
safety. The new twelve-cylinder with a displacement of 6.5 liters and
515 kW / 700 hp combines the best in high-revving thrills with mighty
pulling power. Its super-fast ISR transmission, permanent all-wheel
drive and pushrod suspension combine this potent power with the utmost
handling
precision.
Systematic lightweight design – considerable weight reduction
Naturally,
the Aventador J benefits enormously from this unique technology
package. Yet the Aventador J has a significantly different
interpretation to the Aventador coupé. In this open version, the
monocoque has a largely new design, including the two safety bars behind
the seats. The absence of a roof, of the large windshield, of the air
conditioning system and of the navigation system obviously takes it to
an even lower weight. With a dry weight of 1575 kilograms, the series
production Aventador LP 700-4 is already extremely light for its
performance class thanks to its carbon fiber construction.
Carbonskin, a brand new carbon fiber material
The
unique expertise of Automobili Lamborghini in the field of carbon fiber
reinforced polymers is evident not only in the hi-tech monocoque, but
also in the research into further innovative solutions. Unlike
traditional seats, in the Aventador J seats are made of Forged
COMPOSITE®, with inserts of flexible carbon fiber fabrics: a result of
an innovative Lamborghini patent.
The specialists at Lamborghini
have developed an even more amazing version of carbon fiber material for
the Aventador J. In its first automotive application, this carbon fiber
fabric called "Carbonskin" is made of woven carbon fibers soaked with a
very special epoxy resin that stabilizes the fiber structure and keeps
the material soft. Like a hi-tech fabric, the carbon fiber
mats fit
perfectly to every shape. In the Aventador J, the complete cockpit and
parts of the seats are clad in this material and shimmer in matt carbon
fiber black. It's conceivable that in future there will be many
potential applications for this freshly patented and extremely
fine-looking material, even very high-end clothing.
The Design: uncompromisingly Lamborghini
An
extreme Aventador obviously needs an equally single-minded design,
which goes without saying at the Centro Stile Lamborghini. Every single
model from Sant'Agata Bolognese bears the unique design of the brand.
Clear, precise surfaces, as well as sharp, often broken lines are among
the unmistakable styling tools. They consistently emphasize the power
and enormous presence of these Italian super sports cars. Not one line
is ever accidental – the defining principle is always 'form follows
function'.
This function is very clearly defined for the
Aventador J – explosive dynamics, extreme driving fun, a unique
experience. Every kilometer with the Aventador J is extreme fun:
something plainly evident from the very first glance.
Rear view mirror like a periscope
Virtually
every part of the outer chassis was redesigned for the Aventador J, yet
it shows the spirit of Lamborghini in its most concentrated form. The
car's dimensions are extreme: the overall length is 4890 mm, the overall
width (excluding mirrors) is 2030 mm while the height is 1110 mm.
The
highest points are marked by the rear view mirror, which is perched on
an arm like a periscope, and by the two safety bars behind the seats. In
place of the classic front windshield there are two small wind
deflectors. The occupants of the Aventador J are confronted by the
element of the wind in much the same way as a superbike rider –
therefore the right
clothing is prerequisite for every trip.
Front scoop with winglets
The
front of the Aventador J is somewhat narrower than that of the
Aventador. The front end is dominated by a highly distinctive carbon
fiber air scoop, with central fixing braces and upward tilting winglets
on the outer edges. Viewed from the side, the front end of the Aventador
J looks
like a Formula 1 racing car.
Red with chrome effect, wheels with CFRP fan
The
black of the carbon fiber parts is visibly evident throughout the car –
the significantly wider sill elements and the mighty rear diffuser form
a perfect contrast to the rich red body paintwork. The special red
color was developed specifically for this Aventador - a highly intensive
red with a slight chrome effect.
The wheels, of course, were
also developed specifically for this car, with 20-inch rims at the front
and 21-inch at the rear. The five-spoke aluminum wheels have a central
lock system and an additional carbon fiber insert that functions like a
small fan for optimum brake ventilation.
Naturally, the doors on
the Aventador J also open upward. They are considerably thinner than on
the Aventador and are fitted with a tiny, fixed side window. The
muscular flanks around the rear wheels are hallmark Lamborghini and make
it immediately apparent where this particular bull keeps his power.
Rear end purely for aerodynamics and ventilation
Because
of its ample dimensions, the eye is drawn inexorably to the rear end.
It consists in principle of just three elements – the carbon-fiber rear
diffuser, the four huge tail pipes and the rear lights with their
typical 5 Lamborghini light signature in the form of a Y. The remaining
surface area is for heat dissipation and is enclosed only by a black
metal mesh. The rear
end is crowned by an enormous fixed spoiler
mounted on the bodyshell by two arms. 'Form follows function' to the nth
degree. The spoiler is supported by two pillars connected by the
diffuser: clearly inspired by racing.
Special bumpers
In
comparison with the Aventador LP 700-4, the exclusive Aventador J has
special front and rear bumpers. Both bumpers have been supplemented with
carbon fiber fins that act as flow deviators. Their purpose is to
achieve a significant increase in the vehicle's downforce at both the
front and the rear.
The outside comes inside
The
Aventador J's exterior and interior forms flow seamlessly into each
other. This super sports car turns its inside outward and is as open as
it can possibly be. Conversely, the exterior 'flows' through the
interior – a red stripe runs from the front hood, between the two wind
deflectors, over the dashboard, down the console to the center tunnel
and back up between the seat backs, before leaving the interior and
heading for the engine cover panel.
Interior is minimalist and single-minded
This
band of color connects the front and the rear of the car, creates a
visual separation between the driver and passenger space and is
interrupted only by a small control panel housing the starter button and
the switches for lights and transmission. The Aventador J is equipped
neither with a navigation nor car audio system, nor does it have the
associated
screen or air conditioning controls – these would simply
detract from its one and only raison d'être as an extreme driving
experience. What remains, of course, are two programmable TFT displays
behind the steering wheel.
The engine cover also brings the inside to the outside. To be more precise,
it
is not so much a cover but more a framework. This part has a new
geometry (X shape) and is made of carbon fiber. Two large openings lay
bare both cylinder banks of the mighty V12 power unit with its 6.5
liters of displacement – a truly stunning sight for every
automobile aficionado.
A unique work of art licensed for the road
However,
at the end of the Geneva Motor Show, this sight will be the preserve of
just one – the future owner of the Lamborghini Aventador J. There is
only one of them, no prototypes and no others for the Lamborghini
Museum. The buyer can look forward to a truly unique, street-legal work
of art. He will possess the most extreme expression of Lamborghini DNA
in existence and a real masterpiece of high technology. But the many
other fans of the super sports cars from Sant'Agata Bolognese can rest
assured - the Aventador success story has only just begun.
Image Credit: alexsmolik

