Lamborghini Aventador S Vs Ferrari 812 Superfast Vs Aston Martin Vanquish - The V12 Showdown

Lamborghini, Ferrari and Aston Martin are names which can even make even the most ignorant of people go weak in the knees. You will either find these on the walls of children's bedrooms (we are still children at heart) or in the garages of successful businessmen or sports personalities (who isn’t). The signature of these companies has always been their roaring V12 engines married to the very pinnacle of automotive engineering. Keeping with its aversion to green technology,  Lamborghini has introduced a mid-life update to the flagship Aventador in the form of Aventador S and Ferrari will soon be introducing the successor of the F12 Berlinetta - the 812 Superfast at the Geneva Motor Show. 

With the new V12 powered weapons in their armoury, let's see how these Italian giants fare against one another (on paper). To make things more interesting, let's throw in the V12 tourer from Britain as well - the Aston Martin Vanquish.

Mechanicals

Before we begin to compare the stats of the three cars, it's important to mention that the Aston is not really running in the same race as the Lambo and Ferrari, and is a Grand Tourer.

Now that that’s out of the way, it's time to get geeky. On paper, the Aventador S and the 812 Superfast, both have naturally aspirated 6.5-litre V12s. The one on the 812, however, is more powerful. In fact, it is the most powerful naturally aspirated Ferrari ever. It makes a massive 800PS of power and 718Nm of torque, which is 60PS and 28Nm more than the Aventador S. But, when it comes to the end result, the 0-100kmph time of both the supercars is identical at 2.9 seconds and the Lamborghini is limited to 350kmph, whereas the Ferrari will hit 340kmph. 

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The Aston Martin Vanquish, on the other hand, falls short of the Ferrari by 224PS and 88Nm. The performance numbers, when compared to the Italian bull, stand at 0.9 seconds more for a 100kmph sprint and 26kmph less, as far as top speed is concerned. 

And because we live in India, the engine specifications will be incomplete with the mileage figures. So, just for the numbers sake, the Lamborghini Aventador S claims a fuel economy of 5.91kmpl, the Ferrari 812 Superfast has a fuel economy of 6.71kmpl and the Aston Martin Vanquish has a claimed fuel economy of 7.8kmpl.

All in all, while, even though, the Ferrari has the more powerful engine, the Lamborghini will reach triple digits in the same time and will go 10kmph extra, if you have the guts to go there. The Vanquish is not in the number game. It takes its own sweet time to get to 100kmph (which is also really quick) and won't scare you with its top speed either. 

Dimensions

When it comes to dimensions, the Aventador S is the longest, widest and the shortest car in the comparison. The Aventador has the most 'supercar' looking design of the three whereas the  812 Superfast carries on with the Berlinetta body type of the  F12. The Aston has its own signature design language, with its long bonnet and the roof smoothly merging with the boot which makes it look drop dead gorgeous. It is also longer and has a lower roof than the Ferrari.  

Features

In terms of features, The Aston is very differently equipped as compared to the other two. Where the Vanquish wants you to have a comfortable journey, the Lamborghini and the Ferrari supercars focus on providing only the essentials when it comes to comfort, in order to shed weight and make the car go faster. 

The new Lamborghini Aventador S has been redesigned so that the front splitter and new diffuser now create 130% more downforce. It is also the first production Lamborghini to get the four wheel drive steering. This enables the rear wheels to turn in the opposite direction of the front up to 3 degrees at low speeds, virtually reducing the wheelbase by up to 500mm and in the same direction like the front by 1.5 degrees at higher speeds, virtually increasing the wheelbase by 700mm and making it more stable in corners. Other than that, the Lambo also gets four drive modes - Strada, Sport, Corsa and a new Ego which lets you customise the powertrain, suspension and steering to your own preference, an LCD digital instrument console which looks straight out of a video game. Another cool little touch is on the switches that look like they have been borrowed from a fighter jet. 

The Ferrari 812 Superfast is equipped on the similar lines of the Lamborghini. It also has the four-wheel drive steering which Ferrari calls the 'Virtual Short Wheelbase' and was first introduced in the limited run F12 TDF. The frontal section includes active flaps at the underbody and the rear features an aerodynamic bypass to increase downforce. Inside, the driver gets a new steering wheel, instrument clusters and the latest infotainment unit from Ferrari. Also, the 812 Superfast will be launched in a Rosso Settanta red colour to mark the company’s 70th anniversary.

The Aston Martin Vanquish clearly gives precedence to comfort and luxury over performance. To begin with, it has 1000-watt Bang & Olufsen BeoSound 13-speaker audio system, a 6.5-inch LCD screen, electrically operated front seats with a three slot memory. Additionally, it gets powerful exterior heated mirrors, front and rear parking sensors, cruise control, heated front seats, heated rear screen, Iridium gearshift paddles with colour-keyed leather trim and rear parking assist camera. In terms of occupant safety, the Aston boasts driver and passenger front airbags, curtain side head airbags along with pelvis and thorax seat-mounted airbags. Among the three, it seems to be the most practical everyday car. 

All of the three supercars in the above comparison are winners in its own right. The Lamborghini Aventador S and the Ferrari 812 Superfast are too close on paper for one to be declared a winner and the Aston Martin Vanquish, though behind in the numbers game, is a perfect grand tourer with luxury as its middle name.

Recommended Read

- Lamborghini Aventador S: First Drive Review