Lamborghini Aventador LP700-4 Revealed as 'A Jump of Two Generations' Says Lambo CEO

Described by Lamborghini CEO Stephan Winkelman as “a jump of two generations in terms of design and technology,” the new Aventador LP700-4 has now officially been revealed as the successor to the famed Murcielago.

Rising from the level of an exotic to a true supercar, the LP makes 700-hp from a V12 engine, powering a machine built almost entirely of carbon fiber, while using a racecar-style pushrod suspension, the company’s impressive AWD system, as well as a compact and emotional ISR single-clutch gearbox.

The monstrously large machine is now 6-inches longer than the car it replaces while being just fractions of an inch less wide. Yet for all its amazing attributes, the carbon fiber monocoque chassis is perhaps the most astounding, allowing the Aventador to weigh just under 3,500 lbs in its dry weight form.

While the chassis is revolutionary, the design itself is somewhat evolutionary, a development of the fighter-jet looks we first saw with the Reventon. The Aventador takes cues from that car as well as from the Estoque sedan concept, and retains the scissor doors that Lambos have become famous for. Another stylistic item, that’s also very functional, is the exterior vents on the car that open and close depending on when (and how much) cooling is needed.

As mentioned, power comes from a 6.5-liter V12 engine, with a total of 700-hp on tap, as well as 509 lb-ft, and when combined with AWD propels the new Lambo flagship to 62-mph in a mere 2.9 seconds.

Part of that speed it also attributable to what Lambo calls its Independent Shifting Rod (ISR) transmission, which can swap gears in just 50 ms in a special Corsa mode, delivering a more impressive shift feel than a double-clutch unit while also weighing significantly less.

Inside it’s pure luxury with a new TFT-LCD screen for the dash instead of analog instruments. It even features what Lamborghini terms a “Drive Select Mode System” that allows the driver to adjust vehicle settings (including engine, transmission, differential, steering and stability control) to one of three pre-determined setups: Strada, Sport and Corsa.

With the first deliveries set to occur late this Summer, the Aventador has an understandably exotic price tag: $379,700.

Check back for live photos of the Aventador LP700-4 Tuesday, March 1st and see all of AutoGuide’s 2011 Geneva Auto Show coverage here.