This year's most dramatic
sports car, Lamborghini's Aventador LP700-4 has arrived
in Thailand, launched in an extravagant ceremony in the
fourth floor Ballroom of the InterContinental Hotel in
Bangkok in front of a guest list that included city
celebrities and VIPs.
The stage was set by popular Thai VJ and host "PK" who
introduced Mr. Wittawat Chinnabarramee, Managing
Director of Niche Cars, official importer for Thailand
of the Italian supercar brand; Niche Cars also holds the
rights to Lotus. In the foyer two of the brand’s
historical masterpieces – the Diablo and Countach –
built momentum. Then in the darkness of the expansive
Ballroom with dozens of strobe lights flashing crazily
the Aventador LP700-4 rose imperiously from below the
makeshift stage to be driven down a short ramp towards
the guests massed around a revolving turntable.
The high performance
workings of this extreme machine, finished in trademark
eye-catching bright orange, were detailed on the stage
by Thailand's undisputed drift king, 'Gigi' Sak Nana. He
was joined by Mr. Mana Trongkamolthum, President of the
Lamborghini Thailand Club. Also on hand to explain the
new supercar was Lamborghini factory engineer Sergio
Scotese; he sees the levels of “innovation” as being the
key to the project.
The Aventador LP700-4
in fact made its global debut at the Geneva Motor Show
in March, replacing the decade-old Murciélago right at
the top of the supercar tree. Although the styling is
evolutionary, it draws much of its razor-sharp
inspiration from the Murciélago’s stealth
fighter-inspired Reventón spin-off, under the skin it is
an all-new beast, with a brand-new 700 bhp 6.5 litre
engine mated to a revolutionary new ISH (Independent
Shift Rod) transmission, unique on a road car, which
reduces shift time to just 50 milliseconds. That means
it can sprint from 0-100 km/h in 2.9 seconds and reach a
top speed of 350 km/h. CO2 emissions also fall by 20
percent, despite an 8 percent hike in power.
The construction
techniques also raise the bar as Lamborghini has chosen
the route of a no-compromise racing car-style carbon-fibre
monocoque fitted with an F1-type coilover suspension
crafted out of lightweight aluminum. That all adds up to
keep weight down to 1,575 kgs – improved performance
through lower weight is the current mantra of the
‘Raging Bull’ factory.
In the pursuit of
pushing the supercar envelop further than it has gone
before, the Murciélago however remains out of the reach
of all but a very few individuals. The first example to
arrive in Thailand, the car launched at the
InterContinental, has already been sold, the keys were
ceremonially handed over its new owner, Bangkok
businessman and Evo magazine owner Chettha Boyd
Songthaveepol, during the launch.
With a list price here
starting at a staggering 34 million baht, the Aventador
LP700-4 is only likely to arrive here in tiny numbers
and is set to remain an ultra-rare sight on the Thai
roads.
by Edd Ellison
ItaliaspeedTV
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Lamborghini
Aventador LP700-4, Thailand Première @ Intercontinental
Hotel, Bangkok
