2017 Lamborghini Aventador S
While we’ve been spending a lot of time in Lamborghini Huracans lately, we all know it’s the Aventador and its V12 engine is much higher in the brand’s pecking order. Though that gap between the two is not quite as wide as Lamborghini would like it, thus a highly-revised Aventador comes our way…and with it a brand new 2017 Lamborghini Aventador S.
The Lamborghini Aventador has always been much more than just your standard rich guy garage trophy, with serious on-track credentials that most owners barely ever get more than a whiff of. Well, for those few who actually do seek to get the most out of their Aventadors, they’ll love the new 2017 Aventador S.
That affection starts with additional power for the naturally-aspirated 6.5-liter V12 engine. A boost of 40-horsepower puts it at 730, only 10 less than the still lighter Superveloce, with 509 lb-ft. of torque. Thanks to valve-timing and intake adjustments, it revs higher while also delivering peak torque sooner. No complaints about that!
But, the big heart throb is new four-wheel-steering; which of course comes with an acronym, LRS for Lamborghini Rear-wheel Steer. Combined with the front steerers, and you have LDS, or Lamborghini Dynamic Steering.
You can feel it in action right away, as it has an almost unnatural feel at first; but once you learn to trust it and put it to good use, there’s no doubt it makes you faster on the track.
Laps around Spain’s Circuit Ricardo Tormo revealed that not all of the all-wheel-drive understeer has been eliminated, but you can feel bags and bags of torque going to the rears on corner exit, and plenty of grip to deal with it; aided by improved stability control.
Turning can still feel heavy and the overall experience remains intimidating, depending how much experience you have throwing half a million dollars around a corner.
We had a chance to drive the S back-to-back with the previous Aventador, and the S noticeably turns in a lot quicker.
We could also easily get a feel for the stiffened suspension, as the magnetic dampers have been recalibrated. All-wheel-drive software has also been altered, and the S adds a new driving mode, appropriately named “EGO”, which allows you to dial in your own custom setup.
The Aventador S sticks with the Independent Shifting Rod transmission, which can feel downright brutal at times, hampering the daily driving experience, but apparently it has been smoothed somewhat. Engineers claim a true dual-clutch would add weight, and that buyers really like the classic race car feel of the current setup.
Lamborghini also claims to have taken some mass out of other parts of the car, so that even with four-wheel-steering bits, overall weight remains about the same.
And not to worry, it will still deliver you to 60 in under three seconds.
Obviously the four-wheel steering helps shorten the turning radius for parking or maneuvering around the pits.
But even with all of the updates and oodles of electronics controlling everything, this car still has a raw nature that gearheads will love…we sure do!
Visibility remains atrocious and the ride is stiff even in its softest suspension settings. If you want comfort or refinement, seek out a Huracan and save a few coins.
The Aventador S’s look is still mostly the same, but the bodywork does see a mid-cycle massaged.
There’s a new nose designed for increased airflow, and certainly looks more aggressive as well. Likewise, in back, the rear diffuser is redesigned; constructed of carbon fiber should you choose the upgrade.
Exhaust fumes spill out of three single outlets in a new triangle arrangement.
The active rear wing can deploy in a number of ways depending on speed and drive mode.
Altogether, downforce has been improved dramatically; without sacrificing any top speed.
Updates inside include a new configurable TFT digital gauge display, and Apple Car Play. Lambo could have gone a little farther here, but since most Aventador’s are highly customized, they’ll leave that up to you.
You’ll have to tap into a significant portion of your trust fund if you want to play with an Aventador S, as prices start at $424,845; just 20-grand more than a “base” Aventador, but still way less than a Superveloce.
The Lamborghini Aventador is unlike anything else on the road. Just about everyone knows what it is when they see one, and don’t easily forget about it when they do. And now with the S, Lambo has taught this old bull some new tricks, making their flagship supercar is more capable, and more captivating, than ever.
Specifications
- Engine: 6.5 liter
- Horsepower: 730
- Torque: 509 lb-ft.
- 0-60 mph: 2.9 seconds
2024 GMC Hummer EV SUV
It May Not Make A Whole Lot Of Sense, But It’s Still An Awesome Vehicle
The reborn GMC Hummer all-electric pickup delivered all the off-road chops we expect from a Hummer, plus the supercar-like acceleration of a high-performance EV that we didn’t expect. Well, now things have come full circle, as the Hummer is once again an SUV. So, let’s burn up some rubber, and some electrons, and learn what’s next for Hummer.
What a roller coaster the Hummer has been on. In seemingly no time at all it went from aspirational military-inspired ruggedness, to the poster boy for excess and environmental irresponsibility; and then just as quickly, it disappeared altogether as a casualty of GM’s 2009 bankruptcy.
Well, then under the GMC banner, the 2022 Hummer EV Pickup flipped the script by becoming the ultimate pollution-free EV at a time when EVs were just becoming mainstream. Since this 2024 GMC Hummer EV SUV more closely resembles the original, it looks like we’ve come full circle.
Most of the same stuff that made the pickup version so unique and so awesome are here: interactive LED lighting, Crab Walk, Super Cruise, Extract Mode, Watts to Freedom… just slightly less of it as the SUV version has four fewer modules in its double-stacked battery assemblies that make up this Ultium platform.
This 3X uses the same three-motor arrangement as the pickup, one up front and two in the rear, but “only” 830 horsepower here, due to the smaller battery; though 11,500 lbs. of torque is plenty enough for any land-based automotive task we can imagine. As to range, if you opt for the Extreme Off-Road package, which comes with mud-terrain tires, you’ll be limited to just 298 miles; but the standard setup here is rated for 314.
We saw as much as 305 available in the gauge display, so we planned a 302-mile road trip and still had an indicated 46 miles remaining at the end of it, putting us on pace for a range of 348 miles.
It can be a handful when you give it a foot-full, as Watts to Freedom launches are no joke.
With a 9-inch-shorter wheelbase, the SUV’s tidier package makes for better off-roading agility; that is, if you’re comfortable hammering through trails in your six-figure EV showpiece. And the SUV has also brought a few new things to the Hummer portfolio such as satellite-based trail mapping as part of the myGMC app and a Power Station onboard generator that gives you 19.2-kW of power for charging things out on the trail, including other EVs.
Much like the Hummer EV Pickup, it can be a handful when you give it a foot-full, as Watts to Freedom launches are no joke. Then only 3.6 seconds to 60 for a borderline cinematic experience with unique displays and sounds along for the ride.
Nothing is held back here. Full power is unleashed whether there’s enough grip for it or not, so you tend to get pulled in different directions as you take off and, for the most part, the whole way down the track. We cleared the quarter in 12.3 seconds at 112 mph as power never really lets up.
It’s easy to say that an 8,500-lbs. vehicle probably shouldn’t be moving that fast, but a few trips through our handling course reveals it has more than enough stuff to handle that weight. If you’re not afraid of some body roll, you can push it quite hard, and it will turn in without issues; the four-wheel steering clearly helps. And it dealt with that weight just fine in panic braking runs too, stopping us from 60 in a respectable 130 feet with no drama.
With everything forward of the rear seats the same as the Hummer Pickup, the interior is very familiar. There’s plenty of comfort and space for three in the rear seats, plus lots of flexibility. Cargo area is accessed through a side-opening, power-operated door that reveals 35.9 cubic-feet of space, which expands to 81.8 cubic-feet with the seatbacks folded; and of course, there’s also 11.3 cubic-feet in the front under hood cargo area.
But even with the shift to battery power, this Hummer remains very thirsty, using 63 kWh of energy per 100 miles. Pricing for this 3X starts at $106,945, the two-motor 2X at $98,845. Both the same as the Pickup.
While it can seem more ridiculous than practical, it’s hard not to love the reborn Hummer. Not only is it a purely unique automotive experience, but it’s a rolling example of what’s possible with battery power, while at the same time being incredibly fun and surprisingly easy to drive. The 2024 GMC Hummer EV SUV delivers much the same macho bravado of the original Hummer H1, but does it for a new era.
Specifications
As Tested
- Motor Setup: Tri Motor
- Battery Size: 212 kWh
- Horsepower: 830
- EPA Range: 298 miles
- 0-60 mph: 3.6 seconds
- 1/4 Mile: 12.3 seconds at 112 mph
- Braking, 60-0: 130 feet (avg)
- MW Test Loop: ~ 349 miles