It was only a matter of time before the Lamborghini Aventador received the hardcore Performante treatment following the launch of the facelifted S model. After all, Lamborghini was never going to let the Huracan Performante steal the thunder from its flagship supercar for long. Rumors suggest that the new hardcore Aventador could drop the Superveloce badge and instead adopt the Performante monikor. Regardless of what Lamborghini decides to call it, photos of a prototype Aventador have emerged on a Lamborghini Dutch Instagram page.

The prototype is has been fitted with some extreme aerodynamic aids that suggest we're potentially looking at a Performante version of the Aventador. The Lamborghini Huracan Performante boasts some of the most advanced active aero technology of any road car, so we're fully expecting the hardcore Aventador to benefit from an upgraded version of the technology. Performance modifications shown on the prototype include tweaked rear air vents, a bespoke diffuser and a set of dual tailpipes on the center of the rear fascia much like the Huracan Performante. A protruding shark fin has been mounted to the rear decklid, and the front fascia looks more aggressive with the addition of a new splitter.

Lamborghini's ALA (Aerodinamica Lamborghini Attiva) technology, which independently adjusts downforce on the left and right sides of the car, helped the V10-powered Huracan Performante set a new Nurburgring production car lap record, so it's exciting to imagine how it could enhance the performance of its V12 brother. We would also expect Lamborghini to extract more power from the Aventador's naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12. In the S guise, it produces 730-hp and 509 lb-ft of torque, so there's a good chance the Aventador Performante could match the 770-hp Centenario or possibly even exceed it.