That’s it, folks. Not just the end of the mighty Lamborghini Aventador, which has been on sale for over a decade now, but also the end of unassisted Lambo V12s.
Yup, the limited-edition Aventador LP780-4 Ultimae—no, that’s not a typo—will be the last road-going Lamborghini powered solely by a nat-asp V12. The Aventador’s replacement will still use a V12—as confirmed by CEO Stephan Winkelmann earlier this year—but it will be a plug-in hybrid.
Which will no doubt make the Ultimae, a car Lamborghini calls “the grand finale of the traditional V12 combustion engine, and the ultimate Aventador in every sense,” a hugely collectible object from the moment it’s released. Lamborghini says it’s building quite a few—350 coupes and 250 roadsters—meaning you may still be able to get on the list. The price hasn’t been disclosed, natch.
The venerable 6.5-liter atmospheric V12 here makes 780ps—or 769hp in old money. That’s 10hp up on the Aventador SVJ (and 40hp more than the Aventador S), but the Ultimae is a wee bit heavier than the former Nürburgring lap-record holder. Nil to 100kph takes a claimed 2.8sec and it’ll rocket all the way to 354kph. There’s four-wheel drive and four-wheel steering.
As for styling, the Ultimae borrows bits from the S and the SVJ. It does without the SVJ’s fixed wing, for example, but keeps the exhaust/diffuser. Inside, it’s closer to the more richly-appointed Aventador S, with ‘Comfort’ spec seats and lots of lovely alcantara.
So, a fitting farewell? Or would you like more drama?
NOTE: This article first appeared on TopGear.com. Minor edits have been made.
