An unfair battle some would say. The meeting of a Ferrari 458 Italia and a Lamborghini Aventador LP700-4 would not normally take place. If it did, there would certainly be uneven odds on the outcome. Car Buzz recently videoed and reported this challenge.
The 458 Italia, whilst representing something entirely different from Ferrari, in the form of its mid-rear mounted engine, is admittedly not in the same league of supercars as the Aventador. It produces 540 Nm of torque to the 690 Nm of the Lamborghini. The prancing horse reaches 60 mph in 3.4 seconds and the raging bull takes just 2.9 seconds to arrive at 62 mph. This is not to say that the Ferrari is a poor cousin. After all, what would you expect from a vehicle with design input from seven-time world F1 champion Michael Schumacher?
Nothing in the Ferrari’s blueprint though can compare to the newly out-of-the-box Lamborghini. The 6.5 litre V12 Aventador was really born higher up the food chain than the 4.5 litre V8 458 Italia. Anything chosen to be the next Batmobile should certainly be able to fly at the highest levels.
Specialist tuner of such elite sports cars, Underground Racing thought that they could have a little bit of fun however by installing their new Stage One twin-turbocharger on the Ferrari. The resulting power surge from 562 hp to 700hp equals that of the Lamborghini.
Watching this contest is a gripping film. The soundtrack is enough of a feast for the senses, but to watch these two sparring beauties is riveting.
The black and white entree to the film is evocative of great duels of the past. Even in colour, the footage is shot from on-car cameras making the action seem as if it is jumping out at you. As a cat plays with a mouse, so too does the Ferrari lull the Lamborghini into a sense of security. Beautiful country scenery surrounds this epic, but the drivers are not there to enjoy the view. Only once the road was clear could they put the pedal to the floor.
The Aventador seemed to leap ahead with an initial surge of power. But even with aerodynamic fins flaring, it could not keep pace. Only seconds later, the 458 Italia brought turbocharged power to bear. Boosted ahead by a superb non-stock supercharger, the Ferrari won this race.
Whilst it may have spoiled the show to let the ending out of the bag, watch this space for the next chapter as Underground Racing bring the Lamborghini Aventador Twin Turbo Systems model to the after-market segment. That will be a race worth following.