2014 Lamborghini Aventador Roadster
From its voracious V-12 engine to eye-transfixing styling, the Aventador Roadster is the epitome of conspicuous consumption, a term coined in Thorstein Veblen’s satirical treatise on pecuniary emulation titled “Theory of the Leisure Class.” The roofless LP700-4 does, after-all, offer a clear view of whomever is inside, giving passersby ample clearance to covet the owner’s station – or just see if they’re wearing a wedding band. Is it any wonder that convertible supercars often outsell their coupe counterparts two to one, or that the Aventador Roadster has already raked in 15 months worth of orders?
Gone is the flimsy fabric roof of the Murcielago Roadster, replaced with a two-piece carbon-fiber unit. It guarantees near coupe levels of stiffness despite each piece weighing just 13 pounds. They get stored in the front luggage compartment, where they will most likely stay, unless confronted with a random thunderstorm. Forget the who’s who in the driver’s chair and peer through the rear glass down to the V-12. It’s the same unit in the base coupe. It doesn’t get the extra 20 horsepower as in the limited-edition LP720-4 Anniversario, but it has only an extra 111 pounds. Where the powertrain does differ is the new stop-and-start system, which shuts the engine off when stopped and fires it back up in as little as 180 milliseconds. It helps reduce fuel consumption by 7 percent, which is not enough for most to notice, but that’s why you have the open top.
Gone is the flimsy fabric roof of the Murcielago Roadster, replaced with a two-piece carbon-fiber unit. It guarantees near coupe levels of stiffness despite each piece weighing just 13 pounds. They get stored in the front luggage compartment, where they will most likely stay, unless confronted with a random thunderstorm. Forget the who’s who in the driver’s chair and peer through the rear glass down to the V-12. It’s the same unit in the base coupe. It doesn’t get the extra 20 horsepower as in the limited-edition LP720-4 Anniversario, but it has only an extra 111 pounds. Where the powertrain does differ is the new stop-and-start system, which shuts the engine off when stopped and fires it back up in as little as 180 milliseconds. It helps reduce fuel consumption by 7 percent, which is not enough for most to notice, but that’s why you have the open top.
