Why Lamborghini will always be the ultimate supercar brand? Lamborghini may only be 61 years old, but their contribution to the automotive sector cannot be ignored. Without this raging bull brand, started by a tractor farmer with a vendetta against Enzo, we would not have the term that causes so many of us a range of emotions, from excitement to desire and even Envy: supercar. It all started when a team of Lambo’s engineers wanted to push the boundaries for performance cars by having its engine in the middle instead of stretched out front. The result was the Miura, the genesis for Supercars. Following it was the Countach, and subsequently, many other mid-engine mad machines that caused 9-year-old boys to faint. Even in a world of Ferraris, McLarens, Bugattis, and Paganis, Lamborghinis still manage to outshine them as the ultimate pin-up poster supercars. They understand what all supercar owners want through three main criteria:· Deranged Styling that makes Fighter Jets look tame.· Raucous Soundtracks that make Volcanos seem quiet.· Thrills that make Sky-Diving seem boring. Less than five years ago, the key factor in their supercars was their purity before hybrid and turbocharged engines became standard. The Aventador SVJ Roadster and Huracan EVO Spyder represent the final chapters in Lambo’s pure petrol past. Both capture the essence of a supercar through and through. But which one is the ultimate expression of Lamborghini? Well today, we’re going to compare Lambo’s ex-Baby V10 to their ex-Flagship V12 in a series of tests and deliver a solid verdict on which is more Lamboish? Crazed Styling The core and main appeal of any Lambo has to be its styling. Lamborghinis have always looked deranged, completely lunatic. They are meant to be so eye-catching that Robert De-Niro and Natalie Portman could be right across the road from you, and you don’t even notice them. For your eyes are fixed to the big bad Lambo. Lamborghini’s V12s and V10s have consistently had a different approach in the styling department. Where the V12s were crazy to begin with, the V10s relatively speaking were tame in the styling department and only became more outlandish with later iterations. This was certainly true of the Huracan when it was new in 2014 but ever since the Performante Variant, Lambo have tried to inject that crazed styling into the car. The EVO certainly has more of that Lambo lunacy in its styling. With its redesigned grille, rear-integrated winglet, and twin-rifle exhaust, it certainly has that Instagram appeal of a true Lambo. But it pales into insignificance compared to the SVJ. The Aventador already was an outlandish car with its scissor doors and single-channel tunnel exhaust. But amazingly the SVJ makes the eye-watering standard Aventador look domestic. For starters it is enormous, so big it makes the EVO look tiny. Lambo have heavily redesigned front, fitted new twin rifle style exhausts, redesigned the engine bay cover to look more like a fighter jet and of course that signature wing that stretches the entire length of the car. And that’s before you even get to the epic scissor doors. There is no comparison here, the EVO is a snazzy supercar but the SVJ is quite simply an F35 for the road. Winner: SVJ Naturally Aspirated Rock’n’Roll Soundtracks As well as looking like Jet-fighters for the road, Lambo’s other core appeal is to make as much racket as a jet fighter. Unlike most supercar makers, Lamborghini has only recently adopted the use of turbocharged engines in their mid-engine dream machines. For the last 60 years, their supercars have been powered by gargantuan naturally-aspirated raucous brutes of engines. Engines that scream and shout, that turn petrol into noise and that one can enjoy especially as a convertible. The SVJ Roadster uses a monstrous 6.5L V12, Lambo’s first all-new V12 that was introduced with the Aventador. Yet the redesigned exhaust makes this normally rock’n’roll burble have a slight race-defined pitch. The EVO uses a 5.2l V10, an engine that Lambo have used since 2003 with the Gallardo and that has only recently been retired with the Huracan. It has far more bite, response and raciness to its soundtrack compared to the roaring SVJ. Ultimately it comes down to which engine you prefer. The more responsive and racy V10 or the more bombastic and brutal V12. No matter what, both will certainly cause you and your passenger to go deaf with joy. Winner: TIE Roof Removal Of course, to really enjoy these cars' raging soundtracks is through their ability to temporarily lose their rooves. In fact, Lamborghini is probably the one manufacturer that can pull off a convertible well, next to Jaguar. Losing the roof simply adds to the drama, which let’s be honest, is the main reason you buy a Lambo. The Huracan EVO Spyder features an electronic folding cloth roof which retracts in just 17 seconds and can operate at speeds up to 31mph. The Aventador SVJ Roadster’s roof is unfortunately not so simple. In fact, it requires immense patience and absolute certainty that the weather will be completely dry. Read More Lamborghini Temerario: Controversial New Supercar Makes European Debut in London You have to open the bonnet, move the driver’s seat forward, and operate both the black and red latches in that order. Only then can the roof be removed and must be placed in the correct slot before you perform exactly the same on the passenger side. The time is very much dependent on how practical you are and the country you live in. And should you need to put the roof up, that’ll take ages as well. There’s no contest here, the EVO wins hands down. Winner: EVO Horsepower and Aerodynamics Despite their jet-fighter styling and volcano soundtracks, Lambos have never been the last word in benchmark performance or tech. That job was often handled better by Ferraris, McLarens and Porsches. However in recent years, especially given their recent trials at the Nürburgring, this status quo has changed. The Huracan EVO Spyder’s V10 is certainly not all show and no-go. It produces 640 horsepower and 443 lb-ft of torque. But it is frankly nothing compared to the SVJ’s 778 horsepower V12 that generates 531 lb-ft of torque. But horsepower is not the big difference between these two cars, Aerodynamics are. The EVO features a new front bumper with integrated aero-blades and a rear ducktail spoiler to improve downforce by 5 times over a regular Huracan. In addition, it has the same rear diffuser, exhaust pipe position and radiators as a Performante to stick it to the road. The SVJ is the first of Lambo’s V12 flagships to feature the Aerodinamica Lamborghini Attiva (ALA) system. This adds aerodynamic components such as a disconnected front splitter, a tri-dimensional air outlet on the bonnet, a large carbon fibre rear wing with a central fin, underbody vortex generators, and a large rear diffuser all to maximise downforce. In this category, the big V12 SVJ takes the victory. Winner: SVJ Weight, Performance and Handling You’d imagine that with more power and more aerodynamic advancements, the big V12 SVJ would crush the little V10 EVO in the middle of next week. Except, not. Despite being the lightweight Aventador, the SVJ still weighs nearly 40kg more than the EVO. And then there’s the gearbox. Like all Huracans, the EVO uses a super quick and responsive 7-speed dual-clutch gearbox, whilst the SVJ slugs around with a single clutch ISR, that brakes your neck every time you change gear. What this means is despite extra horsepower and a high top speed of 218mph vs 202mph, these two are pretty evenly matched in a drag race. Both will sprint from 0–62 mph in 2.9 seconds, and in the corners, both are fairly well-matched. Both feature rear wheel steering and whilst the SVJ has more aerodynamic advancements, the EVO more than makes up the difference by being shorter, narrower and lighter. Sure a racing driver could get the SVJ around a track quicker as the hardtop variant was once the king of the Nürburgring. But the simple fact is that EVO is easier to exploit. That being said, neither of these cars is what you’d call track day thoroughbreds. They lack the precision of a Ferrari, Porsche or McLaren. As a result, they both tie here. Winner: TIE Interior and Usability As dramatic as these cars are to behold on the outside, they are equally dramatic on the inside. The EVO Spyder’s interior features a new touchscreen infotainment system dubbed Lamborghini Dinamica Veicolo Integrata and the overall layout is easily the best on any supercar around that period. Whilst the SVJ Roadster has a dramatic interior, especially its carbon-bucket seats, there’s no denying its overall infotainment is a mess. Essentially it’s the same system Audi was using in the mid-2000s. Not only does the EVO beat the SVJ for infotainment, but it destroys it in usage. It's smaller and therefore easier to park and use and its double-clutch gearbox is smoother and easier to use around town. The SVJ’s single clutch is a nightmare, jerking, rolling backwards on hills and constantly putting your neck muscles under strain. And if that isn’t frustrating, the ride is shocking, you hear bangs of differentials as it wobbles along and it's wider than a bus. As a car to use, the EVO wins. Winner: EVO Value and Exclusivity In terms of Exclusivity, the SVJ Roadster is the clear victor. Despite both being introduced in 2019, Lamborghini only built 800 SVJ Roadsters compared to the many, many Huracan EVO Spyder that have come since then. So it’s no wonder why the SVJ when new sold for $667,000 compared to the EVO’s $480,000, but even more surprising is that the SVJ has held onto its value relatively well. In this category, the big V12 is the victor. Winner: SVJ A Bigger Occasion, (Which is more Lamboish) Ultimately you aren’t buying either of these cars to determine which is the better performer or which is more valuable or which is faster. The whole purpose of buying a convertible Lambo is which delivers the bigger occasion. Which is more idiotic, more crazy, more outlandish, more flawed. Now the EVO has its little quirks, the ride is harsh, the fuel economy is poor, and its soundtrack and styling will certainly cause most men to gasp. But comparing it to the SVJ is like comparing a Bengal Kitten to a literal tiger. The SVJ is the embodiment of a bastard. Everything it does is a nightmare:· It’s too wide to park anywhere.· The gearbox is clunky, and jerky and breaks your neck.· The ride is appalling.· The roof is ridiculous and takes ages to fit.· It constantly makes worrying banging noises of differentials.· You can’t open its engine cover.· And you can’t even exploit its performance on a B road like you can with the EVO.And yet it’s those flaws that make it the victor. Lamborghinis are not meant to be easy cars, they are meant to be battleship cruisers, steam trains. Nightmares make your life hell yet their styling and soundtrack is unbeatable. And these flaws and qualities are what the SVJ is all about. The big V12 takes the W. Winner: SVJ Conclusion So with a victory of 6:4 the Aventador SVJ Roadster is the superior Lambo. There’s no denying the Huracan EVO Spyder is an amazing car. Fast, loud, exciting, raucous, visceral, and much more usable. In fact, if I had to recommend which car someone keen on entering the supercar market should buy, there’s no contest, the EVO Spyder is victorious. It is truly the perfect supercar. But if you want the ultimate expression of what Lamborghini is all about, you’ll struggle to find a car that does better than the SVJ. It’s a raging, fire-spitting, uncouth, noisy, impractical, savage, idiotic, flawed, clunky, bad-tempered monster, everything we know and love about Lamborghini. It is the ultimate supercar and you all just have to love it. F1rstMotors: Lamborghini comparisonModelHuracanAventadorVariantEVO SpyderSVJ RoadsterYear of Release20192019Engine5.2l V106.5l V12Horsepower640hp770 hpTorque443 lb–ft531 lb–ft0–62mph (100km/h)2.9 seconds2.9 secondsTop Speed202mph (325 km/h)218mph (351 km/h)Weight1,542kg (1.5 tonnes)1575 kg (1.6 tonnes)Power to Weight415 hp per tonne489 hp per tonneGearbox7–speed Dual Clutch Transmission7–speed ISR Automated Manual TransmissionDriven WheelsAll Wheel DriveAll Wheel DrivePrice$359,000$667,000 Source: Pistonheads
