Le mele e le arance , entrambi si rivolgono a merda
Ever since I became a true car enthusiast, I have never liked Lamborghinis. The main reason for this was that they seemed too outlandish for their own good, too in-your-face and obnoxious. If someone had the money and were determined to spend it on a car, why wouldn't they just buy a Ferrari?
Then one day my eyes were opened to realized that a modern Ferrari wasn't any different than a modern Lambo. Sure, they handle their individual lunacy in their own ways but when you boil it all down, how different are they really? They both have stupid gimmicks: Ferrari's F1 style steering wheel and Lamborghini's Top Gun starter button. They both put up stunning numbers and, personally, I would be embarrassed to get out of either car in a crowded area. An Aventador looks ridiculous, no question, but is a 458 or an F12 really that much more subtle? To my eyes they are both just crazy shapes with radical details.
So now that my preconceived notions have been shattered, how do I approach forming my new opinions on these raging bulls and prancing horses? Judging them by the people who buy them doesn't help much because they have become the same people (for the most part). They are overly wealthy people looking to make a statement. If there is a difference, and Im not certain there is one, it would be that Lamborghinis appeal to the inner child while the Ferrari holds a certain prestige that sings to rich boys masquerading as men. If I just look at the cars from a design prospective picking the prettiest of both breeds, the 458 and Aventador, It is still very hard to choose because their personalities are so different, I will try to explain.
The hard angles and jagged edges of the Aventador give away its intentions. This is not built for commuting on the 405. No, its a war machine. Its sharp nose splits the air in front of it to blow all obstacles off the road and let them all burn in the fire of its wake. The car may look like a stealth fighter, but because of that there is no way you could miss it. It is exciting, violent and completely unnecessary. If it were British built it would be named The Jason Statham.
The Ferrari 458 is a slightly different creature. The goal of the 458 is to give its clientele the illusion of being Michael Schumacher, instead of something as childish as playing Han Solo in your little fantasy world. Derived from science, designed by craftsmen, and built to be a stand-alone thoroughbred, it is shaped not to light the atmosphere on fire but to glide through it while barely causing a ripple. Every gentle curve has a purpose, to make you faster, to make you better. And if you manage to break this steed, few will be able to keep up with you. It is elegant, thrilling and unapologetically pompous. If it were built in America it would be called a Kardashian 90210.
So for me, if I had a few extra hundred thousand bills in my mattress, I would struggle to pick between the Statham and the 90210. To be honest, it would be pretty amusing to walk up to an Aventador and call it my own (a Christmas-like wonder accompanies the thought) and there are few things that would be more rewarding than destroying physics on a canyon road in a 458. But if it came down to it, if a briefcase filled with cash was chained to my wrist and I had to chose a 200k+ car, I would laugh at both and go buy an Aston Martin Vanquish.
