Lamborghini has had a rollercoaster year. While new models like the Huracan Tecnica and Urus Performante have bolstered sales and the first examples of the modern Countach were delivered to customers, the supercar manufacturer has faced other struggles. One example of such struggles was back in March when a cargo ship called the Felicity Ace went up in flames. The tragedy was that 4,000 new cars from the Volkswagen Group were onboard, including Bentleys, Audis, VWs, Porsches, and the final US-bound iterations of the Lamborghini Aventador Ultimae.

Instead of trying to salvage the 15 supercars, each valued at $500,000, Lamborghini decided to extend the production run beyond the 350 coupes and 250 roadsters initially scheduled. Well, now those cars have been built and the Aventador has officially reached the end of the road. More than this, it signifies the end of an era, as the Lamborghini V12 will be hybridized from here on.

The final car produced was an Ultimae Roadster finished in a light blue Ad Personam color specified by its owner in Switzerland. The fact that this final car is destined for Europe begs the question - did Lamborghini restart Ultimae production as was speculated initially, or were the final units still in production and European-based client orders delayed to accommodate the rebuilds of the lost American orders?

This Ultimae Roadster represents the last naturally aspirated V12 to leave Lamborghini's plant in Sant'Agata Bolognese and marks the 11,465th Aventador to reach customers worldwide. First launched in 2011, the Aventador is not exactly modern, but when it debuted, it was described by CEO Stephan Winkelmann as "a jump of two generations in terms of design and technology," with "performance that is simply overwhelming."

It spawned more than eight model derivatives and 10 one-offs like the Centenario and Veneno. While it may have sold just more than half of what the Huracan has so far in nearly twice the time, its role as a halo for the Lamborghini brand cannot be overstated. Such was its success that the number of Aventadors sold is greater than the sum of every other V12 model in the brand's illustrious history.

"The Lamborghini Aventador was a game-changer at its launch, and the flagship Lamborghini model for 11 years of production," says Winkelmann. "The V12 engine has been part of Lamborghini's heritage since the company's earliest days; the beating heart of models from Miura to Diablo, Countach to Murcielago."

Winkelmann also praised the strides the car made in terms of its design and performance, highlighting core tenets of the Lamborghini brand that were embodied in the supercar: "pure, futuristic design; benchmarking performance; and addressing technical challenges with innovation to produce the most emotive, class-leading super sports cars. These principles are the very essence of the Lamborghini Aventador, and assure its timeless appeal."

Developed initially by Maurizio Reggiani, the car used new technology for the brand with a carbon fiber monocoque, the first clean-sheet V12 since the 350 GT, and a new robotized gearbox. In its final form, the Aventador Ultimae generates 769 horsepower and 531 lb-ft of torque from its 6.5-liter displacement, with a 0-62 mph sprint of just 2.8 seconds.

It spawned special editions in Japan and all over the world, featured in Batman: The Dark Knight Rises, and became part of global NFT drops by famous artists and musicians. Importantly, the Aventador performed as a V12-powered supercar should, setting a Nurburgring record in 2015 of 6:59.75 minutes in SV form and then reclaiming the record in 2018 with a 6:44.97 minute effort as the Aventador SVJ.

Lamborghini says that 85% of Aventadors were ordered with Ad Personam personalization, meaning Aventador buyers bought their cars to be enjoyed, not flipped, and wanted them to be individual. More than 200 unique colors and trims have been equipped to Aventador variants since it went into production in 2011.

Forming the foundation for the Lamborghini Sian and Countach, both of which feature hybridization, the Aventador served as the platform for its own successors. Development of a new hybrid V12 model is currently underway, and with Lamborghini celebrating its historic V12 models on a monthly basis throughout 2022, we predict the successor will be unveiled at year-end.

While the future may be electric, the Aventador will always have a special place in our hearts.

Whatever comes next might be special, but the Aventador will always be the last of its kind, which is something pretty special.