There's a way to do this sort of virtual wheelbase manipulation well, as has been demonstrated by Porsche, among others. Unlike the seamless Porsche four-wheel steer system, the Aventador S' is noticeable, especially in Corsa, less so in Sport. Lamborghini claims that 0.005-seconds after the steering wheel is turned, the rear wheels react accordingly. While that theoretically seems plausible, in practice, there's something that's not quite right. There's also a reluctance to return to center, requiring a concerted effort, which might have more to do with the front tires' width. Either there's more delay at the rear than claimed, or the variable ratio up front is too active - or maybe the combination of those plus the all-wheel-drive system varying front/rear bias is simply too much to control flawlessly. Whatever the case, the result is that the steering, and thus the car itself, isn't intuitive in its handling responses. And that's not a good thing on a narrow, consequential road.

Flat-out in Camarillo

Emerging from the hills, we found ourselves on a deserted farm road. Two miles of flat, straight highway proved an ideal place to finally stretch the Aventador's legs. With its 255/30R20 front and 355/25R21 rear Pirelli P Zero tires, the combined contact patches add up to 48 inches of rubber on the road. That's more than a 2016 Formula 1 race car. Corsa, Corsa, Corsa! were the apt settings when we flat-footed the throttle and grabbed upshifts at the 8,500-rpm limiter. In this situation, more engine torque is shuffled to the rear, up to 90 percent, in fact. The upshifts were quick, reported to take just 0.05 seconds, but they were brutal and violent as ever—apparently an Aventador tradition and part of the "performance" experience.

Considering all the bits in this mammoth motor, it's truly remarkable how quickly and smoothly it revs, delivering what feels like limitless, linear acceleration. It was all I could do to keep grabbing gear after gear without hitting 8,500 rpm. There's more a sense of horsepower than of torque, although 509 lb-ft at 5,500 rpm is not a trifling amount. Just after grabbing fifth gear, we reached 150 mph. Given enough asphalt, the S Roadster's top speed is the same as the 110-pounds-lighter S Coupe's drag-limited 217 mph. At about this time, we were thankful for the S Roadster's revised aerodynamics that provide 130 percent more downforce with 50 percent better efficiency (downforce versus drag) compared to the original Aventador. We were also grateful for the standard 15.7- and 15.0-inch carbon-ceramic disc brakes.

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Back to Earth

Reaching the coast again, we turned south onto Highway 1, using this appropriate location as the opportunity to press the dashboard button that lowers the rear window. We were shocked at how much more engine noise comes into the cabin - as well as the air blast that ensues. That little window has a big job and it does it well. After city, canyon, and farmland driving, somehow, the Aventador S Roadster felt most at home on Pacific Coast Highway.

In his First Drive of the Aventador S Coupe in Spain on the famed Ricardo Tormo circuit, Scott Evans praised it as a worthy track companion. And although this real-world drive didn't afford us the chance to explore the Roadster's true limits, I'm sure we'd agree. Yet, with the sound of the engine purring away through the gentle bends, and the Southern California sun making its way toward the blue horizon to our right, the Roadster, the road, and the setting were finally in perfect harmony.

Sure, you could rent a Mustang convertible, go for a drive down the coast, and come to the same conclusion. But, as one does when driving in a caravan of Lamborghinis, we pulled into the lot next to "The Rock" at Point Mugu. We drew a crowd—again. Locals, tourists, even those in our group were filling up the memory on mobile phones with photos. The Aventador S Roadster's unabashed, unbridled, unapologetic all-encompassing over-the-top performance—in all senses of the word—and the reactions it produces, not just in its privileged passengers, but gob-smacked onlookers as well, is automotive art at its best. Want the best-performing Lamborghini? Get the Huracán Performante. Want the best performance art? That would be the Aventador S Roadster.

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2018 Lamborghini Aventador S Roadster
BASE PRICE	$460,247
VEHICLE LAYOUT	Mid-engine, AWD, 2-pass, 2-door convertible
ENGINE	6.5L/730-hp/509-lb-ft DOHC 48-valve V-12
TRANSMISSION	7-speed auto-clutch manual
CURB WEIGHT	4,150 lb (mfr)
WHEELBASE	106.3 in
LENGTH X WIDTH X HEIGHT	188.9 x 79.9 x 44.7 in
0-60 MPH	2.6 sec (MT est)
EPA CITY/HWY/COMB FUEL ECON	10/16/12 mpg
ENERGY CONSUMPTION, CITY/HWY	337/211 kW-hrs/100 miles
CO2 EMISSIONS, COMB	1.61 lb/mile
ON SALE IN U.S.	Currently

2018 Lamborghini Aventador S Roadster interior seat

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