2010 Lamborghini Reventón Roadster

Jan 8

Written By Katelyn McSherry

· Limited production, 205 MPH top speed, modernist styling defined the Aventador design to come. Is it super?

Lent by the Ralph Lauren Automobile Collection

A feat of modern esthetics, inspired by fighter jets, the Lamborghini Reventón introduced an all-new body design with angular shapes, huge air intakes, and retracting wings to form an aggressive and purposeful aerodynamic shape reinforcing its performance goals. Based upon the 6.5 liter V-12 powered Murcielago SV platform offering an open top limited edition version of the Reventón Coupe. This car was the only one built for the US market. A total of 16 roadsters were produced for “friends of Lamborghini”, to accompany the 20 fixed roof coupés first released in 2008. These styling cues continue to define Lamborghini design with the 2012 release of the popular Lamborghini Aventador.

The 4 cam V-12 engine offers slightly more power than its coupé sibling, but power output is offset by 55 lbs of additional vehicle weight, mostly due to body reinforcement to compensate for the lack of a hard roof and an advanced automatic safety hoop protecting driver and passenger in the event of a rollover accident. All of which keeps top speeds and acceleration at 205 mph and 3.4 second 0-60mph launch times, still impressive numbers for any performance car with a power unit design dating back to the original Lamborghini/Bizzarrini V-12 of the mid 1960’s. The running gear is all state of the art. With all-wheel drive vectoring 670 hp at 8000 rpm to the pavement, the engine employs a dry oil sump, allowing for lower placement in the chassis and a remote oil tank ensuring constant lubrication during cornering and acceleration.

Inside the cockpit, a combination of carbon fiber components compliments the impressive billet aluminum center instrument cluster housing three independent LCD displays. Readouts can be viewed in numeric or linear graphic modes with a G-Force meter taking center stage in the fighter aircraft influenced dash panel. Completing the design in a matte silver paint scheme developed exclusively for Lamborghini.

In Ralph Lauren’s words: “I love things that are designed for function. And what's designed here is not really the engine for function but the exterior, which is matted down and more industrial-looking.”