Skip to main content

World-conquering alpha male: 10 hours in a Lamborghini Aventador

Being met curbside at the airport by a Lamborghini has to be one of the greatest moments of my life.

Recommended Videos

As I walked out of the baggage claim area of SFO two weeks ago, I found a bright orange Aventador waiting for me. The driver’s door lifted, people started to stare, and I just had to pause and snap a picture. If I didn’t, I worried the moment would slip from my memory in all the excitement.

I had been flown down to the Bay Area by Lamborghini to attend the 2014 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. I was staying around two-and-a-half hours south of the airport but had 10 hours before I had to turn the car in. Doing what any guy would do, I threw my stuff into the wedge of Italian carbon fiber and headed for the hills.

Playlist

Before I set out on my trip down to San Francisco to drive the 2015 Lamborghini Aventador, I got on iTunes and searched for the word “Lamborghini.”

To my surprise, this search presented many results. Who would have guessed that so many songs have been written about Lamborghini? Certainly not me.

After many minutes wading through some absolute garbage, I settled on a few winners, made my purchase, and created a playlist on my iPhone I lovingly titled “Lambo Jams.”

Before I go any further, I think you ought hear what I was bumping when I dropped behind the wheel of the Aventador at SFO:

1. Lamborghini – Phoebe Legere

2. Lamborghini (feat. Fantaci) – BBSR

3. Lamborghini – Green Money

4. Summer Slip – Lamborghini

5. Lamborghini – Playya 1000 & The Deeksta

6. Lamborghini (Original Mix) – Turbo Turbo

7. Lamborghini (feat. Juice Ralph) – Tity Boi

8. Lamborghini – Trance Groove

Arguably, most of these songs are downright terrible. And I think you’ll agree. Amazingly, however, these songs suddenly become very, very good while pouring out of the speakers of a Lamborghini.

The songs about being in a Lamborghini and how wonderful it is, like Phoebe Legere’s song, were especially good with the thrum of a 700-horsepower Italian V12 behind my head, as I rocketed down the scenic highways of Northern California.

There’s something about combining the jubilation of being behind the wheel of a Lambo while listening to people sing and rap about that same feeling that multiplies the excitement and joy. I felt super excited to be driving it, but having someone put to words – and a tune – exactly what I was feeling made it that much better.

Going places

If you’re keen to know what exactly it’s like to drive a Lamborghini Aventador, I’ll direct you to my first drive report on Digital Trends. Here, I’d like to focus more on the experience of being in the car.

After a rollicking romp through the hills – OK that’s not fair to the car. It wasn’t a romp; it was a full-bore, ear-thrashing hammering. After my full-throttle escapade in the hills ended, I made my way down into Santa Cruz to find a gas station. Imagine my surprise that I’d burned through some 18 gallons of gas in less than a few hundred miles.

As I neared town, I hit traffic. That’s when the gawking and rubbernecking began. I thought I’d grown accustomed to being seen in supercars. The attention I gleaned in the Aventador, however, was unworldly. Thankfully, I was wearing my trusty pair of Shwood sunglasses, otherwise, I might have been blinded by all the iPhone flashes.

Men, women, and children all wanted to look at the car. Families rerouted their daily routines so that they could get a glimpse of the car. Thankfully, the roof is so low, the windows so small and dark that no one could tell that I wasn’t a celebrity. I hunkered down and let them assume I was somebody special.

In the Ferrari 458 Spider, people seemed to get mad at me – especially middle-aged white men. In the Aventador, though, people were happy for me; they were proud. Rather than cut me off and get piss-y that they didn’t, too, have a Lambo at their disposal, people were gracious and threw thumbs-up at the car and me.

2015 Lamborghini Aventador at SFO from @NickJaynes on Instagram
2015 Lamborghini Aventador at SFO from @NickJaynes on Instagram Image used with permission by copyright holder

The Hotel

Perhaps the most amusing reaction I received during my time with the Aventador was when I pulled up to the Inn at Spanish Bay in Pebble Beach. Although there were a half-dozen or so other supercars lined up in front of the place, I was still greeted like Michael Jordan, Elvis, and Buzz Aldren all rolled into one.

The throng of people who crowded around me was both surprising and a bit intimidating. Amusingly, however, when I threw the door up and the Valet leaned in to greet me, the first thing he noticed and commented on was my watch.

“Oh, a Daniel Wellington. Nice.”

Fully taken aback, I had no response for the fellow. I was climbing out of a $400,000 orange Lamborghini and he notices my $200 watch. Go figure.

Said and done

Having now driven virtually every major supercar on the market, I can say that Lamborghini is perhaps my favorite. It’s my favorite not because its cars are very good, which they are, but because of how they make you feel.

I’ve often reminded people, just because you can afford a supercar doesn’t mean you can drive it. Unlike some of its competitors, which will remain nameless here for my own self-preservation, the Aventador is seriously as much fun at 80 mph on a rolling, windy mountain road as it is at 15 mph in traffic.

Behind the wheel of a Lamborghini, you not only feel like a world-conquering alpha male, you’re also perceived as one – in the best way possible.

Nick Jaynes
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Nick Jaynes is the automotive editor of The Manual. When Nick isn't behind the wheel on the open road, he can be found…
8 shows like You that are just as addictive and twisted
You may be over, but there are plenty of other murder dramas right around the corner
Penn Badgley looking ominous as Joe Goldberg

After five seasons of twists, murders, and weird obsessions, Joe Goldberg's story on Netflix's You has come to a close. The crime drama has been a staple on the streamer with its mix of great characters and binge-worthy mystery that makes it feel like the best parts of a true crime documentary you'd watch on Oxygen on a rainy Saturday afternoon while you're sick. While it might not have been the best show on Netflix, You was a great way to get sucked into a different world with interesting storylines for several hours each season.

If you're already missing the soapy, addictive drama of You, we have plenty of similar shows for you to watch next. They range from Emmy-worthy Golden Age dramas to junk-food style crime mysteries that follow parallel themes and arcs to the Netflix hit. These are the shows like You to watch next.

Read more
10 cigar myths the internet won’t let die
The cigar 'facts' shared in every lounge that are actually complete BS
two men enjoying cigars

The internet has been such an asset to the cigar world. It allows us to look up obscure brands, communicate with fellow fans across the globe, and access a greater amount of information than ever before. There's a downside, though: rumors catch on like wildfire, and once they're out there, they're nearly impossible to get rid of.Visit any cigar lounge or read online forums, and you'll find the same tired myths that have been making the rounds for decades. While a few are harmless pieces of folklore, others are robbing you of your hard-earned cash, ruining your smoking experience, or just flat-out lying to you about health hazards.Let's burn down those stubborn misconceptions once and for all.

Myth #1: Darker (Maduro) cigars are always more powerful

Read more
Cigar etiquette 101: Dos, don’ts, and modern manners
Please don't be that guy. Here are the cigar etiquette mistakes that scream 'amateur'
well-dressed guy smoking on a couch in the dark

Walking into a cigar lounge for the first time feels like crashing somebody's secret club. They've got this unspoken language, weird rituals, and enough unwritten rules to make your head spin! But here’s the thing—cigar etiquette is not some gatekeeping nonsense to try to make you look dumb. It's about respecting the process, the experience, and not being the person who ruins everyone else's vibe.Whether you're new to this or have been faking for years, this guide will sort you out because there's nothing more likely to ruin a good smoke than someone who clearly has no idea what they're doing.

The basics: Respecting the ritual

Read more