In keeping with Lamborghini tradition, the Aventador is named after a fighting bull. Aventador was a bull that fought particularly valiantly in the bull ring of Zaragoza, Spain in 1993. The bull which the Aventador is named after earned the Trofeo de la Peña La Madroñera for its courage in the arena.
Launched on 28 February 2011 at the Geneva Motor Show, five months after its initial unveiling in Sant'Agata Bolognese, the vehicle, internally codenamed LB834, was designed to replace the then-decade-old Murciélago as the new flagship model.
Soon after the Aventador unveiling, Lamborghini announced that it had already sold over 12 of the production vehicles, with deliveries starting in the second half of 2011. By March 2016, Lamborghini had already built 5,000 Aventadors, taking five years to achieve this milestone.
Six months after unveiling the Aventador, plans for a roadster version were leaked by the U.S. EPA after it included the model on a data sheet on its website. Lamborghini officially unveiled the Aventador J to the world at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show. The roofless and windowless concept car uses the same V12 engine as the standard Aventador, producing 700 hp through a lightweight seven-speed automated transmission. The car does not have air conditioning or radio to save further weight for a total of 3,472 pounds (1,575 kg). The car presented at the Geneva show was the only unit to be produced, and was sold for US$2,800,000. Another Limited Edition model was made for Shaikh Al Yahyaa and was sold at an unknown price. The car was specially made for a close relation.
The J designation was thought to have come from Appendix J in the FIA rulebook that describes the technical specifications of race cars. headerHowever, during an interview with designer Filippo Perini, it was revealed that the 'J' actually stands for Jota, in reference to a 1970s one off Lamborghini Miura Jota, which also conformed to the FIA's Appendix J regulations.
Production of the Aventador was planned to be limited to 4,000 vehicles (4,099 Murciélagos were built); however, in 2016, it achieved the 5,000 unit milestone. The molds used to make the carbon-fibre monocoque are expected to last 500 molds each and only 8 have been made. The base price of the Aventador is US$393,695.
The car's shape borrows heavily from Lamborghini's limited-edition Reventón and their Estoque concept car.
The vehicle was unveiled at Lummus Park, Miami, followed by Miami International Airport, followed by Auto China 2014 (with Nazionale configuration via Lamborghini Ad Personam personalization program).