If you crash Lamborghini’s new V-12 Aventador and damage any of the carbon-fiber parts, the supercar won’t be repaired by the brand’s 29 U.S. dealerships.
Because the car, to be unveiled tonight in Geneva, will have a monocoque, or unibody, structure made of carbon fiber, Lamborghini will ship damaged Aventadors to a so-called flying doctor for repairs at a special center in Seattle.
Lamborghini will train and equip up to three flying doctors, one in the United States. These repair specialists will fix damaged Aventador exteriors. They will carry suitcases with heat-generating tools to reapply carbon fiber to damaged areas of the cars.
The Seattle center is at the University of Washington, where Lamborghini, Boeing Corp. and the university have teamed for carbon fiber research that helped in the development of the Aventador.
Traditional body repair won’t work on the Aventador because the monocoque and roof are a single component made of carbon fiber and resin. They are being made at a new $10 million facility at Lamborghini’s factory in Sant’Agata, Italy. The rear-engine lid and rear air scoops also are made of carbon fiber.
The new Aventador’s body-in-white -- which has an aluminum door, hood and front fenders, also is being made at the new facility.
The entire monocoque weights 324.5 pounds. Similar structures have been used for Formula One race cars and function like roll cages to protect occupants. The monocoque is connected to the front and rear end of the Aventador with aluminum subframes on which the suspension, engine and transmission are mounted.
The Aventador is the successor to the Murcielago supercar, which went out of production last spring. The Aventador costs $378,995, including shipping, and deliveries will begin this summer.
Lamborghini CEO Stephan Winkelmann says the first year’s production allocation for the United States is sold out.
