Even amidst the jostling and petty squabbling between the world’s premier supercar makers – from the established (Ferrari) to the pretenders (MacLaren) – it is easy to dismiss the supercar as irrelevant to anyone but those who can afford it.

What little aspirations that Joe Public would have to own a supercar is further put down by the ‘Green Movement’, spiralling cost of petrol, global civil unrest, uncertain economic environment  and many more ‘depressants’.

But then along comes the Hypercar, the likes of Bugatti, Pagani, Koenigsegg, Lamborghini. These exist not just for aspirant owners to rob a country blind to be able to afford them. But they also exist for the more noble cause of keeping dreams alive. Hypercars transcend motoring. They are not merely absurdly fast cars with mind-boggling technology.

Hypercars fuel the imaginations and wildest fantasies of every boy, man and woman who may or may not even know how to drive a car. These almost fictional objects stand for the ultimate expression of the human desire to push boundaries and explore limitless possibilities. Just witnessing a Hypercar hurtling gloriously down the road is enough for you to renew your vigour for life.

At the recent Geneva Motorshow, a host of Hypercar makers paraded their latest creations. Pagani with its (admittedly damp) Huayra replacement for the (magnificent) Zonda and Koenigsegg with the astonishing Agera. But even before the Geneva Show opened it’s doors for the public, Volkswagen Group tried to steal the show by launching the hugely anticipated Lamborghini Aventador at their pre-show party.

And stole the show they did!
Watch the video of the launch here along with the photoset of the official studio pictures.

Specifications and details after the jump.

The body

The Lamborghini has a new monocoque cell made from reinforced carbon fibre. The company has spent time investing in getting weight down which, along with reducing emissions and improving fuel efficiency, is part of the new competition laws being played out among the supercar heavyweights. The details on weight are as follows:

- Monocoque cell: 147 kg
- Chassis including aluminium parts: 230 kg
- Engine: 235 kg
- Transmission: 79 kg
- Overall kerb weight: 1,575 kg
- Weight distribution: 43% up front, 57% rear

While the style is suitably different from the Murcielago these figures prove just how new the Aventador is. It is a true replacement model both in design and substance, and the exterior measurements have been revisited as part of the design. The Aventador’s measurements are:

- Length: 4.78 m
- Width: 2.26 m
- Height: 1.13 m

That is a super low and super aerodynamic Aventador. The extra length provides a longer wheelbase than what was seen on the Murcielago, too.

The engine and technology

This is Lamborghini’s fastest and most powerful model yet and has been built partly to herald a new design but also to usher in a brand new V12 engine. And they intend that the V12 will boldly take on all the competitors, having no problems in sidelining the Gallardo while its at it. The details are:

- Power: 700 hp or 515 kW
- Torque: 690 Nm or 509 lb-ft
- 0-100 km/hr: 2.9 seconds
- Top speed: 350 km/hr
- Drive system: Haldex IV all-wheel drive
- Gearbox: new ISR (Independent Shifting Rods) transmission
- Driving modes: Strada, Corsa and Sport (changing the gear shift time)

Those figures match the slightly green tinge that Lamborghini has tried to take on with lower fuel consumption and emissions for its Aventador. We’re still talking a supercar, so it feels a bit superfluous to be saying this, but in any case the 398 g/km figure of CO2 emissions is apparently down by about 20 percent on the Murcielago.

Design and other features

The Lamborghini Aventador gets sexy scissor doors, and a whole new interior with upgraded, luxury finishes, new entertainment system and new dashboard set-up. Controls are more accessible and the three driving modes, as well as the limited slip differential and steering settings, can be changed via buttons on the right.

The wheels come in either 19 or 20 inches (obviously using ceramic brakes) and the amazing, sunglasses-required colour you see in these pics is the brand new Argos Orange.