How to drive a Lamborghini Aventador SVJ Roadster from Italy to the UK?

When Lambo comes to your door and asks you to drive their Aventador swansong model to the UK, you will definitely choose a long and long way home...

"Dear At TopGear, we need manpower to send an Aventador SVJ Roadster from the factory to the UK. Can you help? ”

When I first dreamed of joining this industry, I could hardly imagine that I would have the opportunity to drive a new car? (In place of my ten-year-old Renault Clio, which often overheats.) The idea of ??one day being entrusted with the safekeeping of important belongings of a wealthy family seems too far-fetched. This whimsical feeling lingers to this day, and the obvious privilege of the superior has not wavered. In fact, the fact that all TG staff are able to unite and strive for self-improvement is precisely due to this mentality of looking up to others. So after the above email was sent to my inbox, the news was not widely circulated to other colleagues, which is a good thing.

Just a few weeks later, I came outside the Lamborghini Sant’Agata Bolognese headquarters, and my eyes began to look at the SVJ’s blue sky and sea blue paint and bronze Leirion? Forged forged wheels. The concocted horn-shaped ice cream is mouth-watering. With a total length of five meters, a width of over two meters and a height of just over one meter, this angular supercar is truly imposing. Adding to this visual shock a 6.5-liter V12 capable of producing 759 horsepower and Lamborghini's patented ALA Active aerodynamic system, it simply combines all the conditions for a supercar to be a supercar.

Rowan Horncastle is my partner on this trip. Rowan is an ideal companion for a long road trip. He meets most of the key requirements. He has world-class shooting skills, knows many interesting things that are not available but are perfect for passing the time, and is a very trustworthy driver.

As a small team of Lambo staff demonstrated how to remove two roof panels and put them into the "front trunk", the feeling of surprise and admiration suddenly turned into confusion and fear. Because the entire process must be carried out in sequence according to law, 90% of the SVJ's luggage capacity will be taken up after the roof is stowed. Rowan traveled "lightly" this time, with only a monopod, a small drone, and a huge camera bag. As I had expected it, I had no luggage other than a toothbrush, some underwear and socks.

After the roof was firmly installed, the 6.5-liter V12 was started. I was waved by the security guard and drove towards the factory gate. The next moment I became a big star in the photo stream of tourists that day. Well, of course, there is no doubt that the big star is this car.

After crawling out of the factory gate inch by inch, we headed north along SS251. The first impression we got was more like a stream of consciousness babble. "Oh, the body is very wide. Rowan, can you see what's behind the car? Why are the pedals so far to the left? This thing is really, really too wide. Oh, look at such a complicated terrain map. What should I do? How far can it go? ”

At first, I basically questioned whether it was rational to spend a long day in a car that was the most unlike a GT in my memory. However, as the mileage increased, I became more and more interested in this car. The level of familiarity has also increased accordingly. I gave up the automatic transmission and switched to manual shifting, and turned the Anima driving mode selector to the Sport side, so the Aventador would make a continuous sound every time I downshifted, and I no longer had to worry about shifting gears like I had received a written warning. Big progress. Unfortunately, this joy was thrown cold water at the first highway toll booth on this trip - this 388,000 pound Lamborghini is a right-hand drive version with a width of 2.2 meters!

Given that scratching the SVJ’s body would be a bad start if I passed the toll station for the first time, I decided to try to keep a safe distance from the road shoulder. Rowan was obviously optimistic about the parking distance, so he tried to stick his credit card out the window and wave it around. He found that the parking location had to be one foot closer to the toll machine to swipe the card. All I had to do was open the car door, move around in a very unbecoming manner, make a small amount of unbecoming crawling movements, and curse a few times very unbecomingly, and finally get a receipt. The rear gate is raised, the door is closed, and the car continues on the road.

"Yes...this will be very troublesome" Rowan muttered to himself.

But everyone knows that only highways provide an excellent opportunity to listen to the sound of cars, and SVJ’s singing voice is unparalleled in the world. So we gradually picked up the pace, and the sound waves bouncing back from the high-speed guardrails became stronger and stronger, until a large truck suddenly changed lanes in front of us... The emergency avoidance was very effective, and Rowan and I looked at each other speechlessly. One glance. The Long March, which lasted 1,000 miles (more than 1,600 kilometers), had only gone 50 miles before this.

We plan to arrive at the valley below Andermatt, a village on the border between Italy and Switzerland, tonight, climb a picturesque mountain road at dawn, and stay for a while. You will enjoy the scenery before heading to the border.

However, seeing that the sun is timid about the stunningly cold winter in Italy today and is about to recede under the night, we have to play it by ear and revisit the well-known old place - Lake Como. To put it more clearly, when the sun was setting in the west, we were heading towards Griante along the western shore of the lake. Due to the narrow road and the need to weave in and out of the quite busy traffic on the lakeshore here, my eyes became narrower and narrower. To prevent my blood pressure from soaring, I decided to take a break in Lenno, and the SVJ could only be temporarily sent to Piazza 11 Febbraio by the lake.

Due to school holidays, SVJ attracted many children to watch and shout "Lan~?Bo~?Kee?~?Ni?~". It is enviable and comforting to know that this work has positive and negative values ??deeply embedded in their DNA. They all knew that it was made in Italy and that it was unreasonably exaggerated, but they were very happy to see it come here to meet them in person. With luck, this encounter may stay in their hearts forever, and it may even inspire the next generation of engineers, who knows.

After starting the SVJ to get more ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, we set off to continue north to Gliantai, where we took the ferry to Bellagio. Since this is Italy, the staff waved me to board the ferry first and park my car at the front of the deck to serve as the priceless bow statue, which is definitely more effective than the mermaid statue. In order to balance the weight, Lambo originally parked a car on the left and right sides, but after the captain noticed that we were shooting, the two cars were ordered out of the shot with a hurried order. You really have to love this country.

The boat sailed very fast on this journey, and as the sun gradually set on the distant lake shore, the ferry arrived at Bellagio... This town is named after the hotel of the same name in Las Vegas , right? I raised the nose of the Aventador and drove ashore from the deck, but there were many people at the scene who didn’t hesitate to leave their dinner on the table and rush over to take photos. As a result, I ran away to the gas station at the nearest pier before I finally got rid of the crowd and continued south. Gradually I discovered that this The roads in this area are actually narrower than those on the other side, which is great.

My stress level continued to increase, but Rowan forgot about it because of the magnificent sunset. I couldn't help but secretly look at the colorful clouds in the sky, and almost scratched the rear wheel rim. This sky is so sultry. The sun has just reached the warmest color temperature, which perfectly complements the scenery reflected on the lake. Wherever the light goes, it dyes everything with the most beautiful colors, making all filters useless. land. Once you have experienced the midwinter dusk on Lake Como, it will really make other sunsets eclipse. This land, this lake, and the local buildings... there is nothing better than this perfect scenery, not to mention the unparalleled masterpiece of a car that is unparalleled in the picture.

It's a pity that I can only get a taste of it, because I have to spend all my efforts to use this unusually wide and noble Lambo to pass through these streets that were originally used for mules and horses or overpass models. The oncoming traffic is also becoming more and more complex, although it is not varied and consists of Piaggio motorcycles, tour buses, Fiat 500s and more tour buses. But at this time, I was very accustomed to the size of the car, and I felt that the Lambo sports car seemed to be getting smaller and smaller with me as the center. By the time I finally reached Lecco, even Rowan was almost no longer timid about driving it, thankfully. ?

In order to soothe our tense nerves, we had a hearty meal at the Five Zang Temple. As a result, as I turned my back on the lakeshore and headed toward Andermatt, I was almost in a state of blissful coma that only Italian pizza can induce. Fortunately, Rowan was driving this journey, and the Waze navigation software was a big help - directing us to go directly through the city center, a city center where large-scale road construction was underway and steel mine arrays were everywhere. So Rowan raised the nose of the car and carefully passed through the chaos. After walking like this for a long time, we finally sneaked into the motel at the foot of the mountain. Looking back at the SVJ, which was making a sound of cooling and getting ready to sleep, I felt that it was like a pitch-black angular abyss hiding murderous intent among the many white vans in the parking lot.

The next day, I got up before dawn, packed up, and prepared to go out and climb the mountain. As soon as I started the SVJ, I realized that there is no such thing as being subtle and low-key. So as soon as the V12 spits out bursts of steam to drive away the chill of the night, it inevitably attracts more attention.

I left the hotel in a hurry and started climbing towards the Gotthard Pass. Rambo, which had been dancing around the narrow streets for a day, was completely free in the mountains and Swiss roads. Since I am free and there are no other vehicles in my field of vision, I will of course let the V12 hit the speed red zone honestly and unceremoniously. The ensuing sound is not only unparalleled, but also endless. The furious roar that bounces off the mountainside can really make all the hair on the back of your neck stand at attention and salute. I zipped through sweeping winding roads, hairpin bends and avalanche-safe tunnels, each time sending waves of roar between concrete pillars. These tunnels led me to a vast expanse of flat land beyond the mountains, and I suddenly felt like I was just a small blue speck in the vastness of heaven and earth. But I finally saw the surface of SVJ, and with the roof retracted to let the sun pour down, there is really no other car in the world that can stimulate your senses so thoroughly.

I obviously need to go back and walk this part of the road again, immediately, immediately.

Rowan decided that I was being too happy-go-lucky, and after some research on Google, he decided that it would be a good idea to descend via the Old Gotthard Pass. The old road was mostly composed of continuous cobblestones, deadly cliffs and granite railings. Wouldn't it be nice...

In order to capture the majesty of this field, Rowan instructed me to "drive a little further Go downhill and then turn around, I will use the drone to track and shoot." The descent itself was not a problem, but I soon discovered that there was no obvious place to turn around on this narrow path. I had to use Austin Powers' U-turn technique at full strength. There was a 500-foot-deep cliff in front of the SVJ and granite behind it. In the case of a cliff, I took advantage of the gap between the two granite railings and repeatedly turned the steering wheel twelve times. These twelve steering wheels must be the most thrilling experience I have ever had in a car. The SVJ will not be too happy in this kind of slow operation. If you carefully adjust the throttle, there will be no movement. If you are not careful, it will hit the air and land hard. If Rowan had a way to find my body, it would be very difficult for him to call me to report my death. After a period of sweating, I finally turned around and headed up the mountain, the sound of cursing and dripping sweat no less heard.

We actually took some time to clean up the SVJ, and at the same time, we were so lucky to use the swansong V12 to sweep this magnificent stage where it just happened to perform. Once the roof was back on we headed back to Andermatt and then north to Zurich. Try as I might, it was impossible to reach France without refueling before the next leg. So I had no choice but to accept the ridiculously expensive gas prices, and comforted myself with a mysterious sandwich filled with salami, eggs, cucumbers, lettuce, tomatoes, mayonnaise and mustard. Anyway, the special price is 9 pounds a portion, so if you don’t eat it, you won’t get it for free...

The top priority now is to cross the border as soon as possible, so Waze inevitably chose a route through the center of Lucerne, which caused serious problems. We were stuck in heavy traffic for an hour, watching our arrival time slip by the second. This place is not a paradise for SVJ, so it and the passengers on the car are just as relieved to be freed from the siege. We passed by in Basel and headed straight to Mulhouse. We considered making an appearance at Bugatti on the way, but it would have been too ostentatious. I continued to fight Waze in Colmar, because it seemed hell-bent on us getting off the highway and taking an n-class highway through Nancy.

Later, we still obeyed the instructions, and the route finally connected to a fast road - the A26, which allowed us to arrive in Reims at sunset. The Aventador was racing all the way in St. Quentin, northwest of Reims, breathing in the cool evening air while covering the long road effortlessly. Because the gear ratio is so long, the V12 only needs to hover at a level slightly above 2,200rpm to drive straight ahead.

According to the ALA graphic display on the screen, we also have to be familiar with how the car body sucks in the surrounding air and how the rear wing is sorting out the airflow. On this kind of winding road with no one around and unobstructed view, this big Lambo is really capable of being a qualified GT. Half of the twelve cylinders can be idle according to the situation, and the left and right cylinders are minimized through a subtle relay method. By absorbing the fuel in the cylinder, I once reduced the fuel consumption to 9.4L/100km on the way.

The arrival in Calais was leisurely, after mile after mile of desolate road. The dark clouds that had followed me all the way finally broke. It started pouring rain at the entrance of the tunnel, forcing the authorities to temporarily close most of the transportation system. Only two customs channels were opened to deal with the traffic. Our trip back to our hometown was once again blocked.

Finally, we finally passed customs and boarded the carriage transporting the tall vehicle, and were able to enjoy the irony of being a dwarf. As one school bus after another unloads its passengers, it will be interesting to see how the next generation reacts to the sports car. The results showed that most people's reaction was "Wow", some people were curious to know who the car belonged to? (Obviously it belongs to Rowan, he is a big figure on social media), but everyone thought highly of the SVJ. They seemed to be intoxicated by their unreasonable nature and their unabashed madness in exerting the extreme momentum of the project.

After emerging from the tunnel and entering the flooded Folkstone, the SVJ began to dance in the truck ruts while the heavy rain continued to fall. It had been a terrible night, but I had become quite familiar with the car. We live with it and know its propensities and powers intimately. So as I drove at highway speeds on that terrible cold rainy night, I had never felt so excited about driving a supercar in the rain.

We finally sent it to Essex after midnight. In the end, we were reluctant to let it go, so we stayed in the car for another hour to reflect on it.

This kind of V12 epic adventure long march has now come to an end. If I have realized anything during this thousand-mile journey, it is probably that the world likes the Aventador's platform frame very much. When the general goes away in the future, everyone will miss it very much. A taste of sensory overload. It is a great honor to be able to bring one of these masterpieces to the magnificent world where it shines, and to walk a long way so that it touches the depths of our souls. We left countless beautiful images and moments along the way. As the finale of the authentic analog supercar, this journey will always be engraved in my heart. That’s what it’s like to keep the best emails secret after you receive them.

This article comes from the author of Autohome Chejiahao and does not represent the views and positions of Autohome.