22 awesome V-12 Lambos spawned by the Avendator

The Lamborghini Aventador is no more. Due to be replaced imminently with the Raging Bull’s first series-production hybrid, it leaves a legacy of no less than 22 different models.

Over 12 years. Lamborghini certainly made the most out of the L539 6.5-liter V-12 engine, the Independent Shifting Rods transmission, and the carbon fiber monocoque that were all developed under Audi’s ownership.

The original Aventador spawned a roadster, a series of low-volume and show cars, and saw its power output grow from 700 hp in 2011 to 820 hp in a one-make racer.

Here’s the order of service.

2011–16 Aventador LP700-4 Coupe

The Aventador launched at the Geneva Motor Show in February of 2011, and the first deliveries of the all-new Filippo Perini-designed supercar began that summer. All-wheel drive was standard, aiding the Aventador’s ability to accelerate from 0–62 mph in just 2.9 seconds. In five years, more than 5000 examples were sold.

2012 Aventador J

The first one-off on the Aventador platform was the J—a brutal barchetta, described by Lamborghini as “the most uncompromising open super sports car of its entire history.” Mechanically, it was the same as the production car but teased the upcoming roadster. It was sold for $2.8 million.

2013–16 Aventador LP700-4 Roadster

The top came off the Aventador two years later with a removable two-part carbon fiber roof that could be stored in the luggage compartment. Some extra stiffening was required for the sills and A-pillars, but the weight penalty was just 110 pounds and there was no drop off in performance.

2013 Veneno

To celebrate its 50th anniversary, Lamborghini unveiled the Veneno, named after one of Italy’s most fearsome fighting bulls. Its V-12 was boosted to 750-hp, racing suspension was installed, and the carbon bodywork featured a host of aerodynamic accouterments—handy when its top speed was 220 mph. Just three were made and sold for €3m ($3.18M) apiece.

2015–17 Aventador Superveloce LP750-4 (2016–17 Roadster)

More power and less weight—that was the recipe for 2015’s Superveloce. Wider use of carbon fiber saved an additional 110 pounds, while engineers found another 50 horsepower in the V-12, shaving a tenth of a second off the original Aventador’s 0-to-62-mph sprint. A Roadster followed and was limited to 500 units.

2016–21 Aventador S LP740-4 (2017–21 Roadster)

With 2016 came the Aventador’s first facelift, with minor styling updates by Mitja Borkert and fairly major mechanical tweaks by the engineering team. The V-12 now made 740 horses, four-wheel steering was added, and “Lamborghini Dinamica Veicolo Attiva” active suspension was installed. Carbon-ceramic brakes also became standard. The removable-roof roadster arrived in 2017 and the S would remain in production until the final run-out models took over in 2021.

2016 Centenario

Ferruccio Lamborghini would have been 100 years old in 2016, giving the brand a good excuse to put up the bunting and produce a limited run of Aventador-based specials. Just 20 Centenarios were built as coupes and 20 as roadsters, all powered by a 770-hp version of the V-12—the most powerful ever (at the time). The asking price was a cool €1.75m ($1.86M).

2018–21 Aventador SVJ LP 770-4 (2019–21 Roadster )

The Superveloce Jota (SVJ) was the car that sent Lamborghini to the top of the Nürburgring lap time leaderboard. Lapping the Green Hell in six minutes, 44.97 seconds, Lamborghini limited production to 900, including 63 SVJ63s which marked the year Lamborghini was founded. True to form, a Roadster followed a year later. The SVJ was the first production V-12 model to feature Lamborghini’s “Aerodinamica Lamborghini Attiva” (ALA) system, an advanced system that managed airflow to produce massive gains in downforce.

2018 SC18 Alston

When a customer asks, Lamborghini answers. In the case of the SC18 Alston, the question was: “Can you build me an Aventador GT3?” The company’s race team Squadra Corsa raided its parts bin and fitted the carbon rear wing and hood intakes from the Huracàn GT3, plus wheels based on the Veneno, rear lights from the Centenario, and the rear fenders and fin from the Huracàn SuperTrofeo Evo. The price paid was not disclosed.

2019 Siàn (2020 Roadster)

The Siàn showed the shape of things to come. It was the first Lamborghini to use a hybrid powertrain. Mating the V-12 from the SVJ with an electric motor powered by supercapacitors, the total output was a mighty 808 horsepower. Design elements from the electric Terzo Millenio concept car of 2017 were included, along with a throwback to the original Countach in the form of periscope-inspired glass panel in the roof. The 82 buyers invited to purchase a Siàn paid $3.6 million for the privilege. Just 63 coupes and 19 roadsters were built.

2020 SC20

Seemingly taking its inspiration from the J of 2013 and the SC18 Alston is the SC20. This one-off open track tool was put together by Squadra Corse for one VIP customer. The SC20 employed 770 naturally-aspirated horses, center lock wheels, and bodywork paired back to a minimum. It was then given adjustable aero to make sure it would stick to any circuit.

2020 Essenza SCV12

With customers asking Lamborghini to build race-ready Aventador specials, the firm finally bit the bullet in 2020 with the Essenza SCV12. Using learnings from the Huracàn GT3, the car had a ton of downforce and a ram air system that boosted power to 820 hp. A six-speed X-trac manual transmission was fitted and drive was dispatched to the rear wheels only. Lamborghini said it would build 40 of the $3.5M race cars to compete in a one-make series, which doesn’t appear to have actually happened.

2021 Countach LPI 800-4

It may be best not to dwell too much on this one. The much-anticipated “new” Countach was essentially a re-styled Siàn, but that didn’t stop 112 people from paying $2.6 million to get their hands on it.

2021 LP780-4 Ultimae Coupe and Roadster

This was to be the Aventador’s swansong. “The Aventador LP 780-4 denotes the final, purest, timeless naturally aspirated production V-12 Lamborghini,” said CEO Stephan Winkelmann in 2021. Essentially combining the best bits of the Aventador S and SVJ, the 780-hp Ultimae was “the last of its kind.” Except it wasn’t.

2022 Invencible and Auténtica

Lamborghini couldn’t resist one last Aventador special. Two actually. The Invencible and Auténtica represent the final installation of the landmark V-12 without any form of electrical assistance. The duo takes cues from most of the back catalog, including the racy Essenza SCV12 and sets up the next generation of hybrid hypercars.

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