Overview
With a raucous 769-hp V-12 engine and an exotic exterior, the 2022 Lamborghini Aventador is the definition of a hypercar. While competitors such as the Ferrari SF90 embrace an electrified future, the Lambo’s 12-cylinder mill swills fuel like a frat bro chugs. Its scissor doors, wide and low proportions, and heavily vented bodywork double as a theater on wheels. Inside, its highly customizable cabin has room for two riders, but there’s very little space to store loose items. Behind the wheel, the driver can activate the Aventador’s shrieking soundtrack with a stab of their right foot or experience the massive machine’s surprising agility by twirling the tiller. While its obsolete automatic transmission is almost as frustrating as the roadster’s cumbersome roof removal, those are but a small penance for the 2022 Aventador’s otherwise awesome powers and style.
What’s New for 2022?
We’ve been predicting the end of the Aventador for some time now, and it looks like the 2022 model year will be it’s last. To celebrate the end of an era, Lamborghini is building a limited number (600 units globally) of a specially equipped Aventador it’s calling the Ultimate. This ultimate send-off features a tuned-up version of its ubiquitous V-12 engine as well as weight-saving techniques that make it lighter than the outgoing Aventador S. The Ultimate will also send more torque to the rear wheels than the S, have standard carbon-ceramic brakes, and it’ll have some unique, albeit subtle, visual details.
Engine, Transmission, and Performance
The Aventador powertrain features a mid-mounted naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V-12 that develops 769 horsepower. The engine’s 531 pound-feet of torque makes its way to all four wheels via a seven-speed automated manual transmission. Although we haven’t driven the Ultimate version, we have driven the brutally powerful, track-focused SVJ (which stands for Superveloce Jota) and its roofless counterpart and experienced their tremendous acceleration and crushing cornering forces. The hefty machines heaved through the corners, but their incredible grip and four-wheel-steering systems helped them change direction on a dime. We have also driven the Aventador S and Aventador S roadster and found the latter’s top-down ability makes it the better car for listening to the V-12’s thrilling timbre.
Fuel Economy and Real-World MPG
With fuel-economy ratings in the single digits, the Aventador ranks among the least efficient cars on the market. We haven’t had the opportunity to test the government’s estimates on our 75-mph highway fuel-economy route, which simulates real-world mpg and is part of our extensive testing regimen. For more information about the Aventador’s fuel economy, visit the EPA’s website.
Interior, Comfort, and Cargo
In typical Lamborghini fashion, every Aventador supports a set of scissor doors that swing open. The low-slung interior is showing its age, but it can be fitted with a variety of premium materials and personalized options. The cabin won’t hold many small items, and luggage space is limited. The dashboard features a digital gauge cluster that changes its layout whenever you select a new drive mode—Strada, Sport, and Corsa; Ego mode allows you to personalize the settings for powertrain, steering, and suspension.