What’s the point of having fuck-you money if you never say fuck you?

Damian Lewis’ line as Bobby Axelrod there is pretty much all the justification you need to drop $667,661 on a car once you’re so paid that such a purchase would even be a possibility.

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( Lamborghini’s PR agency reached out to me and asked if I’d like to borrow this car for a couple of days. It was not an offer I was prepared to decline. This took place many weeks ago, long before any stay-home orders were issued.)

It was pretty funny watching people react to my loaner Lamborghini Aventador SVJ’s price, and of course, anyone who was within earshot of me while driving it had to ask. Since I’m sure you’re curious too, let’s start with a breakdown. As written on Lamborghini’s tab:

Base Vehicle Price: $573,966

Ext detail + fixed Air: $7,100Hard top in carbon fiber: $5,600Mirror housings in shiny: $2,800Style package: $8,400SVJ Logo - Black: $8,400Electric & heated seats: $4,200Internal cross stitching: $1,400Transparent Protective: $3,500Interior Logo SVJ colored: $700New Rims 20/21: $5,200Visibility and light: $1,800Travel package: $1,100Seat belts - Rosso (Red): $1,800Special Color - Rosso: $14,800Ad Personam Interior: $14,700Ad Personam exterior $2,100GGT: $6,400Destination Charge: $3,695

“Mirror housings in shiny.” Hell yeah, gotta have that, whatever it is. If you’re here for consumer advice: The $14,800 Rosso Efesto paint is probably worth it, but the true baller move here is the $8,400 SVJ Logo.

Since the Aventador’s prime directive is to advertise the owner’s huge sense of humor, nothing’s going to scream “I can do whatever I want” louder than an $8,400 logo.

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The Lamborghini Experience

Hard Driving

As much as enjoyed practicing my princess wave rolling up and down Rodeo drive at 5 mph, I am a professional test pilot, and contractually obligated to test fate when I have access to horsepower.

There’s 759 horsepower here (770 CV in the Euro output as published by Lamborghini) from a naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12 with a seven-speed shiftable automatic transmission and all-wheel drive. That kind of juice can take you to meet God in less than a few heartbeats. Or make you go viral for all the worst reasons.

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I can’t say I came anywhere close to this car’s upper limits of ability, but more than half a gas tank spent carving Angeles Crest Highway left me with this: The car’s surprisingly forgiving, incomprehensibly grippy, and when it accelerates, fiercely brutal.

Stepping from a gentle roll into a hard charge, the Aventador announces its intentions to mob with a howl. You’ll hear every note of it when the rear window’s rolled down. Shifts buck the car with some violence, but you basically only have an instant to enjoy yourself before your vision goes blurry you’re in danger of entering orbit. Or hitting the car’s top speed of 217 mph.

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Fortunately, the SVJ’s brakes are the size of satellite dishes and can bring the car from about 62 mph to a stop in 31 meters. That’s barely more than 100 feet! Don’t put your boot too deep into the brake pedal if you’re not ready to bruise your sternum on the seatbelts.

And I’m not even about to get into how the self-adjusting aerodynamics work. Because I have no clue. But I was treated to an ever-changing display in the gauge cluster assuring me that the Aerodinamica Lamborghini Attiva system was hard at work keeping me from crashing.

If you actually are interested in how ALA works, Lamborghini’s shared an official video on the matter:

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Incredible braking and the aforementioned grip–the tires are like 10 inches wide, for godsakes–sells a surplus of confidence to whoever’s lucky enough to be behind the wheel of this car. The Aventador SVJ feels heavy; planted. Though the spec sheet actually says it’s only around 3,300 pounds–pretty lean when you realize how large the car is.

None of that space translates to anything of practical value, of course: Cargo capacity is limited to one (1) manilla folder or similar when the roof’s stashed in the frunk.

Consumer Advice

Sure, it’s cool, but is it worth just one Miata less than $700,000? If you have to ask that question, you can’t afford it. No car is worth the price of an Aventador SVJ from a practical perspective, but as we’ve established, “practical people” have never been Lamborghini’s target audience.

Then again, let’s measure its value another way: Is this Aventador SVJ 2.5 times cooler than a Huracan? Yes. Totally. And based on my brief experience, bystanders react appropriately and will be more than 2.5 times more impressed if you pull up in this over an “entry-level” Lamborghini.

If you’ve got the coin for one of these cars... you should probably use it to help the destitute or society in general. But if you have to have the quintessential Lamborghini experience, this is it, chief. It’s pretty freaking fun.

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2019 Aventador SVJ Roadster

2019 Aventador SVJ Roadster

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Speed, style, fuck-you factor

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If you don't want to meet people every time you stop, this car's not for you.

TL;DR

A one-vehicle parade anywhere and everywhere it goes. Thrilling. Extra-terrestrial. Extra extra.

Power

759 HP • 531 LB-FT

Weight

3,362 LBS

Price

$667,661 as tested

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