Named after a brave bull
Lamborghini's own press kit tells the story: Aventador was a bull that fought in October 1993 in the Saragossa arena in Spain and earned the "Trofeo de la Peña La Madroñera" for its courage. Lamborghini named its new V12 flagship after it. For the record, nobody has ever named a car after the bull that went and stood in the corner.
The replacement for the Murciélago
The Aventador LP 700-4 premiered at the Geneva Motor Show in March 2011, replacing the Murciélago. Lamborghini called it the sixth generation of its V12 models. Within weeks, Lamborghini said orders already represented far more than a year's production. At launch, Lamborghini's US release mentioned a price of $376,000.
What was new
Almost everything, according to Lamborghini's press kit:
- A carbon-fiber monocoque, the central tub of the car made from one structure of carbon, with aluminum frames front and rear.
- A brand-new 6.5-liter V12 making 700 CV (about 690 hp).
- A 7-speed ISR (Independent Shifting Rods) transmission that Lamborghini said shifted in 50 milliseconds.
- Pushrod suspension, the kind of setup you usually see on race cars.
- Four-wheel drive with a Haldex Generation IV system.
Lamborghini quoted a dry weight of 1,575 kg, 0–62 mph in 2.9 seconds and a top speed of 350 km/h (217 mph). It also said fuel consumption and CO2 were down about 20 percent from the Murciélago despite 8 percent more power. Progress: more horsepower, slightly less guilt.
The doors
Lamborghini's press kit says it plainly: "The doors open upward – of course." The scissor door was first introduced on the Countach and carried on through the V12 cars since. It's a feature that has caused more people to stop on a sidewalk than any crosswalk ever built.
The one Darin photographed
The orange Aventador on this card is Darin's photo, taken at Lamborghini Miami. Long, low and orange enough to see from space. We couldn't find a current exact listing for an LP 700-4 on the dealer's website when we checked on 21 October 2026, so the photo and button go to their inventory. Price on request.
Why it still turns heads
Fifteen years on, it still looks like a stealth fighter that got a license plate. The carbon tub and the V12 made it the template for Lamborghini's flagships that followed. If the Countach was the poster, the Aventador was the screensaver for a whole generation of phones.
The honest part
Upkeep: pending. Our rating: pending. Facts come from Lamborghini's 2011 press kit and its March 2011 US press release, linked below.
Sources: lamborghini.com · lamborghinimiami.com