Lamborghini Aventador SV (2015-2017) review

The Lamborghini Aventador SV – for Superveloce – backs up the promise of its aggressive, fighter jet styling; it is a monster of a supercar. As evidenced by its Nurburgring lap time of 6min 59secs it has the raw performance to live with hybrid hypercars costing three times the SV’s £315,000. Supercar driving experiences do not come more authentic than this. 

In dynamic terms the SV feels sharper and more agile than the standard Aventador, but that car was hardly lacking in dynamic ability itself. Equipped with the vast rear wing and contrasting styling elements the SV looks incredible on the road. Few cars have ever snapped the necks of onlookers quite so readily as this one. 

>Take a look at the best Lamborghini photos from evo

The single-clutch gearbox has been improved slightly for this installation, but the thinly padded bucket seats offer no lower back support and their long distance comfort is non-existent. The standard Aventador’s grand tourer credentials have certainly been gnawed away, but the SV is just about as exciting and dramatic as supercars get. 

Lamborghini Aventador SV: in detail

• Performance and 0-60mph time > Dips below the all-important 3-second mark on the 0-60mph sprint, producing a bellowing exhaust note as it does so. Ferocious.
• Engine and gearbox > Six and a half litres, twelve cylinders and an automated manual gearbox that's at its best when you're flat out. All the essential Lamborghini ingredients are present and correct.
• Ride and handling > Hugely rigid structure contributes to a sublime chassis with massive grip. Prefers smooth roads to bumpier ones, and its width can be intimidating.
• MPG and running costs > Cylinder shut-off under light load is Lamborghini's concession to economy, while all its rivals go turbocharged. Still prodigiously thirsty. Servicing won't be cheap either.
• Prices, specs and rivals > Has few true rivals, since cars at this price point offer a diverse range of features and talents. The SV is as exciting as any of them, however.
• Interior and tech > Punishingly firm seats and limited headroom mar the jet fighter-style cabin. Outdated infotainment system offset by the soundtrack from the V12.

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Prices, Specs and Rivals

At £315,000, the Aventador SV has never exactly occupied a crowded market sector. Despite this, there are a few choices very different in character to the Aventador that prospective owners will have to consider.

The Ferrari 812 Superfast offers similar performance credentials, and is blessed with twelve cylinders, too - all for just over £250,000. But Ferrari sets its focus differently, and can be considered a grand tourer rather than a focused, lightweight supercar - set up to cross continents in a day, rather than set a blistering track time. 

A better comparison would be with the McLaren 675LT, a £285,000 Brit-built supercar that is also set up with an emphasis on track performance. Like the SV, it's a specially lightweight, focused version of an existing supercar - and despite packing less power from a smaller, 3.8-litre V8, it keeps up with the Aventador thanks to its greater torque.

The Aventador SV packs in just about everything you could possibly want from a technical standpoint - that beastly V12 engine, in-board suspension, carbon ceramic brakes, and extensive use of lightweight materials all bolted to a carbon fibre tub. The only issue with the specification is the outdated gearbox.

Despite the car's track-focused nature, the Aventador SV still packs in modern conveniences like sat-nav, Bluetooth phone connectivity and crucially climate control.

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Aventador SV owners will be interested to know that this car’s predecessor, the Murcielago SV, is now valued at close to £400,000 on the used market. When they were new five years ago they carried a list price of £270,000, which represents a significant increase in value. 

However, fewer than 200 Murcielago SVs were built compared to a planned run of 600 Aventador SVs, so it would be too simplistic to expect the newer car’s values to do exactly the same. All Aventador SVs have now been allocated to customers, so anybody hoping to get into one will very likely have to pay a premium over the £315,000 list price. 

If you like the sound of the SV but you think it’s a touch too restrained – or perhaps you’re claustrophobic – then you’ll be pleased to know you can have it with a removeable roof. The Aventador SV Roadster is just 50kg heavier, is only one tenth of a second slower to 62mph and has a top speed of ‘more than 350km/h (217mph)’ – the same as the coupe.

> Click here to read more about the Lamborghini Aventador SV Roadster