So I sit here at my desk having a hard time kicking off my small review with a strong punch line, especially given that it is still very much incomplete due to the limited time I have spent so far with my new Aventador, so I will just throw it out there and hope it all makes sense!

I am in no position to provide any serious speed tests or handling comparisons since I do not have access to a track at the moment, but there is plenty of that on the net, so my review will be mostly "emotional". Keep in mind this is more of a comparison between a car I fell in love with (the Murcielago), and the new pretty face around (the Aventador).

The first thing you notice when you open the door is the slight angle which is not particularly disturbing, but if you are actually in a tight parking space it is noticeable, especially given how fast the door shoots upward. One of the features lost in the new car is the weight of the doors the Murcielago had as the new car has a rather plastic feel to it., maybe not the correct term to describe my feeling here but you get the point.

Moving on to the cabin, an obvious observation is how the steering wheel alignment has shifted to be right in front of you, rather then to the slight off-center feel of the old car. The cabin is more symmetrical and I already miss how the Murcielago cabin was sort of wrapped around the driver. When I started adjusting the seat I felt that I was sitting higher from the ground, which is a matter of personal preference I guess, but I like to sit literally on the floor if possible.

The center console is massive and makes the cabin appear smaller then it actually is, loaded with switches, buttons, and what not. It kind of gives you the false impression of piloting a sophisticated jet fighter, where every button has a greater meaning then simply adjusting your volume or window height. In my opinion it is something that should not be there to distract you from the car. Not only does it make the easiest things more complicated (not a fan of the way you operate the gps/radio/tel) but also ruins the looks for me. I prefer a minimalistic design.

I chose the optional steering wheel with alcantara and no buttons on it and I highly recommend staying away from a multifunction steering wheel, which is just another distraction. Overall the interior feels very small, almost as if they really had to make an extra effort to make room for the driver/passenger.

Quality wise it felt similar to the Gallardo. Actually the sort of punch line I was kind of looking for might be "Welcome to the bigger, better, meaner, Gallardo", because to me this is what this car is. Nothing to do with the Murcielago as far as I’m concerned…is it a bad thing though?

I guess I was hoping more of the characteristics of the Lamborghini this replaces would carry into the new model. The car certainly is a very user-friendly supercar with hyper-car potential (I am convinced they did not go all out on that engine on purpose, to keep some room for an anniversary model or something special). I am not going to compare the obviously aged interior details of the old car to the Aventador, but as far as look and feel goes, it is not the most refined interior there is and sort of has a similar feel to Gallardo or SLS.

Ok, so I start the car and drive away...what do I feel? In my experience, every time I drove a new car, it would take me more then 2 or 3 days to get what the car is all about, and every time my first impression was wrong. So far I’ve driven the car for 3 days, and I understand and feel it much better already. It really takes some time to soak in all the feedback you get from the accelerator, brakes, and steering, to get used to it.

I totally understand those journalists who were completely blown away by how light, responsive and agile the car feels! Very impressive, but also feels like the made an extra effort to make it more user friendly for a casual driver. I kind of liked how you had to fight the Murci (nostalgia time again).

The car is extremely rigid and provides an uncomfortable ride on every setting (call me a masochist but I actually enjoy this feature!!) but feels very agile and alive. Comparing the old to new I would say is like comparing a cannonball to an arrow, the old car feels like a brick, in a good way, which is solid, heavy and unstoppable (literally since the breaks could have really been better) once you pick up speed. The Aventador feels very light, aggressive, sharp, focused, and the breaks are phenomenal.

I do not want to spend too much time on comparing the obviously outdated e-gear transmission, or overall performance since the Aventador is a clear winner here. At low to moderate speeds the Murcielago feels lazy and heavy, and the steering very hard (which is another feature I enjoy, hard steering with good real feedback), and the Aventador feels like it is half the weight and the low revving engine performance is just phenomenal.

I recall how the Murcielago would “take you to the limit” in a corner, yet you would feel safe but if you mess up look out!

Comparing the Aventador to the other cars I have driven, I would say the everyday supercar is still the 458, but the Aventador is more of an every day hyper-car. (Or at least very close)

With over 600hp to get me into trouble with I prefer to have an all-wheel-drive car to drive on a daily basis, since the performance is way more accessible in a variety of weather conditions, For example my Ferrari 599 is down right scary at times!

Enjoy the pictures!