It's easy to get distracted by the otherworldy appearance of the Lamborghini Centenario Roadster and forget that the animal underneath packs all the speeding genes of the Aventador Superveloce and then some - just thinking about it makes one wonder what would happen is the just-debuted Raging Bull would be thrown onto the Nurburgring.
Could the Centenario Roadster set a new Nordschleife lap record for a production car? I'm betting on a sub-6:57 yes. It all has to do with the Aventador SV's 6:59.71 Ring performance and the time mentioned above, which comes from the current holder of the record, the Porsche 918 Spyder.
In fact, the importance of such a feat being achieved by the just-debuted Lambo has to do more with the idea of an open-top machine grabbing the trophy from another open-air monster than with the achievement in itself.
This kind of Green Hell hierarchy change would only come to act as an x-ray of our car industry, showing how much engineers have made the once-flimsy cabriolets evolve, as well as how outright performance matters less than management decisions. And by the latter part I'm willing to say that the shenanigan probably won't happen.
Sant'Agata Bolognese has made enough of a Lamborghinis-aren't-just-for-the-show point with the Aventador SV, so there's no need to steal the also-VW-Group crown of the 918 Spyder. Especially since Koenigsegg is likely to beat the Zuffenhausen halo car's record by quite a margin once it heals its almost-shattered One:1 and returns to the Nurburgring.
As for the technical premises of the Centenario Roadster being able to fly across the 73 corners that make up the infamous German track in less than 6:57, let's think about this a little bit.
One major ace up the $2.3 million Roadster's sleeve is its four-wheel steering, which is missing on the Aventador (the upcoming facelift might change that, though).
In terms of the power-to-weight ratio, the Centenario Roadster comes with 2.04 kg/hp, while the Aventador SV (Coupe) has 2.03 kg/hp, so the difference is negligible.
Sure, a deeper analysis would be required, but only an actual asphalt adventure could deliver the definitive answer. And since, as I mentioned, this isn't exactly a priority for Lamborghini, I'm inviting you to check out the parts of the beast that we have been granted access to - the piece of footage below shows the 770 hp, naturally aspirated heart of the Centenario Roadster beating during the hypercar's Monterey debut.
In his quest to bring you the most impressive automotive creations, Andrei relies on learning as a superpower. There's quite a bit of room in the garage that is this aficionado's heart, so factory-condition classics and widebody contraptions with turbos poking through the hood can peacefully coexist. Full profile
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