Honda Super-One vs Lamborghini Aventador

What's the difference?

Honda is on a roll, with the Super-One reflecting the brand’s excellent engineering essence more vividly than any other model.

On paper, the Kei-car based EV is big on price but small on power, space, battery capacity and range. Chinese brands must be laughing.

Yet the Super-One punches well above its (commendably low) weight for style, charm, fun and efficiency, while delivering larger-car levels of comfort, refinement and features.

Given the premium pricing is well beneath other premium retro EV rivals like the Mini Cooper and Fiat Abarth 500e, the Super-One even makes a convincing value-for-money pledge for itself.

We can’t wait to drive it more. Little wonder this has been such a big global hit.

Note: CarsGuide attended this event as a guest of the manufacturer with meals provided.

The Aventador isn't the best car you can buy for the money and truth be told, it isn't the best Lamborghini, which is a bit tough when you remember the only other car they make at the moment is the V10 Huracan. But it's all about the theatre as much as being a very capable supercar. 

I'm not a Lamborghini fanboy, but I completely get the Aventador. It's a because-we-can car, just like the Murcielago, Diablo and Countach before it. But unlike those cars, it's thoroughly modern and with the upgrades introduced to the S, it's faster, harder and enormously entertaining. 

As the last of a dying breed it delivers on everything a Lamborghini should - amazing looks, nutty price tag and an engine that excites not just driver and passenger but anyone with a heartbeat. It's by far the most charismatic car you can buy, no matter how many zeroes are on the cheque.

Photography by Rhys Vanderside

Honda has performed a minor miracle beefing up its baby N-One into the Super-One you see before you.

The brief called for devising a ‘fun’ EV, but using the standard narrow Kei-car architecture wouldn’t cut it design-wise.

The result sees wider tracks, a fat new body kit with LED ring lights, blanked-out grille and bold blistered wheel arches boxing in larger wheels and tyres. These extend width and benefit stance substantially, while air intakes and tailgate spoiler improve aero.

Additionally, there are mods to the steering with stronger wheel hubs and suspension with a stronger rear beam and uprated springs and dampers, and a chip upgrade for more power when the purple “e-Booster” button is pressed.

Compared to the N-One, the Super-One’s length increases 185mm to 3582mm and width by 100mm to 1573mm. Height and wheelbase are 1616mm and 2520mm respectively.

That all said, the body remains the same dimensionally, but those colourful sports seats, retro-style cassette-player climate-control design and ambient lighting make the petite interior feel premium.

Asking if there's anything interesting about a Lamborghini design is kind of like asking if the sun is warm.

While there are some geese out there in the corners of the internet who think Audi has ruined Lamborghini styling, there is absolutely nothing shy about the Aventador. It's an incredible looking machine and, if I may say so, shouldn't be had in black because you miss a lot of the madder details.

This car is all about the experience.

It might look close to the deck in the photos, but however low you think it is, it's lower. The roofline barely makes it to the bottom of a Mazda CX-5's windows - you need your wits about you in this car because people just don't see you.

It is absolutely spectacular - people stop and point, one chap sprinted an easy 200 metres to take a photo of it in the Sydney CBD. Hello, if you're reading.

Inside is pretty tight indeed. It's amazing to think that a car 4.8 metres long (a Hyundai Santa Fe is 4.7 metres) struggles to contain two people over six feet tall. My six foot two photographer's head left an impression in the headlining. It's a tiny cabin. It's not a bad one though, it even has a cupholder on the rear bulkhead behind the seats.

The centre console is covered in Audi-based switchgear and is all the better for it, even if it is starting to look a bit old (those bits are from a pre-facelift B8 A4). The alloy gearshift paddles are fixed to the column and are brilliant to look at and touch, while the digital dashboard - which changes with the driving mode - is fantastic even if the reversing camera is awful.

Generous apertures, a high roof and big doors that open nearly 90 degrees combine to make entry and egress easy.

The Kei-car narrowness is immediately obvious but, unless you’re more than 180cm tall, you’re unlikely to feel cramped. Deep windows, thin pillars and a lofty seating position help provide a pleasantly airy environment with excellent all-round vision.

Those bolstered sports seats are unique, and are superbly comfortable and supportive in a big sports car way. They could be out of a Prelude.

There’s little about the angular, layered and boxy dashboard that’s diminished by the Super-One’s diminutiveness.

Fit and finish are first class, all controls are within easy reach, physical buttons take care of most of important functions like that cool and very effective climate control set-up, and the 9.0-inch touchscreen, which will be familiar to other current Honda owners, is child’s play to operate.

Storage is sufficient, with door pockets capable of carrying a medium-sized bottle, while Honda provides simple access to USB-C ports.

Size does not compromise the Super-One, unless you’re above average height, as those brilliant front seats do not slide back far enough. And the steering column does not adjust for reach, adding a further hindrance.

Further back, things do become plainer, like Honda forgot to upgrade the second row from the donor N-One.

Plain (yet comfy) monochrome material is the overriding theme, yet there is abundant space in all directions for two adults (this car is strictly a four-seater), on a comfy pair of seats that recline slightly.

Plus, lots of light, overhead grab handles, a reading light and one map pocket.

Otherwise, it’s pretty bare back there. Don’t bother searching for cupholders, a centre armrest or air vents.

Those twin backrests fold down low and flat, Honda Jazz ‘magic seat’ style, to provide a huge cavity that goes from just 162 litres in four-person mode to 618L VDA to the window line and 967L to the ceiling. Combined with a tall tailgate and low bumper load height, and this doubles up as a stubby panel van. Plus, there’s a useful underfloor cavity too.

The only fly in this dinky ointment is the lack of a spare wheel, relying on a hopeless tyre-repair kit instead.

Yes, well. There's not a lot of space because a V12 is not just big all on its own, all the ancillaries to support it rob a lot of the remaining space. Having said that, there's room in the front for soft bags with a 180-litre front boot, space for two people inside, a cupholder and a glove box.

And the doors open up into the sky rather than out like a normal car's. Who cares if it's impractical, it's hardly something that's going to stop someone buying one.

As with any Italian supercar, the price-to-feature ratio is rather higher than your average humdrum hatchback. A 'naked' Aventador S starts at a horse-spooking $789,425 and basically has no direct competition. Ferrari's F12 is front-mid engined and any other V12 is either a decidedly different Rolls Royce-type machine or super-expensive niche manufacturer (yes, niche compared to Lamborghini) like Pagani. They're a rare very breed, Lambo knows it, and here we are a sneeze-on-the-spec sheet away from $800,000.

So you have to keep two things in mind when rating a car's value for money at this level. The first is that there isn't any real rival in a pure sense, and if there was, it would be the same price and have the same spec. That's not excusing it, by the way, it's an explanation.

Anyway.

For your eight hundy you get 20-inch front wheels and 21-inch rears, climate control, cruise control, 7.0-inch screen (backed by an older version of Audi's MMI), four-speaker stereo with Bluetooth and USB, car cover, bi-xenon headlights, carbon ceramic brakes, electric seats, windows and mirrors, leather trim, sat nav, keyless entry and start, four-wheel steering, leather trim, digital dashboard, power folding and heated mirrors, active rear wing and active suspension.

The number of out-of-the-box options is staggering and if you're keen to really get on it, you can commission your own options when it comes to trim and paint and wheels. Let's just say that as far as the interior went, our car had almost $29,000 of Alcantara, steering wheel and yellow. The telemetry system, heated seats, some extra branding and front and reversing camera (uh-huh) added up to $24,000, the cameras almost half that total.

With all the bits and bobs, the test car we had was a sobering $910,825 before on-roads.

Being based on an internal combustion engine platform, you won’t find a frunk under the bonnet, which is choc-a-block full with a 47kW/168Nm electric motor.

It’s a good thing this only weighs 1093kg, which is about 300kg less than most rival EVs.

Press that e-Booster button, and power jumps to 70kW, slashing the 0-100km/h time from 14.5 seconds to ten-flat. Drive is sent to the front wheels via a single-speed transmission. Top speed is just 135km/h.

Boost is one of five driving modes.

There’s Econ for optimising range thanks to four regenerative braking levels via paddle shifts, City with unique single-pedal driving/braking and four regen brake levels, Normal that’s back with the six regen brake levels, and Sport that – along with Boost – swaps in simulated seven-speed manual ratios, complete with artificial exhaust note.

The Aventador S is powered by Automobili Lamborghini's 6.5-litre V12. You know it's a V12 because there's a plate on top of the engine (which you can see through the optional glass cover) that says so, and handily, tells you the cylinder firing order. That's a neat touch.

Buried deep in the middle of the car, this monster engine develops an astonishing 544kW (30kW up on the standard Aventador) and 690Nm. Its dry sump means the engine sits lower in the car. The gearbox is slung across the back between the rear wheels - the rear pushrod suspension actually sits on top of and across the gearbox - and is apparently brand new.

The transmission is known as an ISR (Independent Shift Rod) and has seven forward speeds and still just the one clutch. Power goes through all four wheels to the road, but it's clear the rears get the lion's share.

The 0-100km/h time is the same as the standard car, which kind of tells you that 2.9 seconds is about as quick as you can go on road tyres when you don't have four electric motors with torque from zero rpm.

The Super-One has a WLTP range of 202km. The combined average energy consumption is just 12.1kWh/100km, though our hard-driven test car with air-con on a sunny day in peak-hour traffic displayed around 20kWh/100km.

Faster charging is the advantage of having a compact battery pack.

Using a 400-volt architecture, Honda claims its 29.6kWh Lithium-ion unit can be charged using a common 50kW DC charger from 15 per cent to 80 per cent in about half an hour.

More sensibly, plugged in at work/home overnight should only require about eight hours to 100 per cent full, or around four hours with a circa-7kW wall box.

Maximum AC power charging is 6.6kW in single-phase and 10kW in three-phase modes.

Hilariously, the official figure is 16.9L/100km. I doubled it without trying. Simple as that. If you're buying this car thinking it will be easy on the juice, you're insane.

Cheeringly, Lambo has at least tried, the V12 going silent when you sit at the lights, the best thing being the way it bursts back into life when you lift off the brake.

If you have the time available, it takes 90 litres of premium unleaded to fill the tank.

At last, we’re behind the wheel of Honda's first EV for Australia, and the Super-One certainly lives up to its name.

Even though it only boasts 47kW of power, it is amply gutsy around town, which is where our brief launch drive was limited to.

Acceleration is lively, scooting eagerly off the line, relying on its instant torque and relatively light weight to make the most of what is available.

There is plenty in reserve for immediate and effortless darting about in and out of traffic gaps.

And that’s in Econ mode. Press the purple e-Booster button, and the Super-One feels supercharged, leaping into action with stronger responses across the board, thanks to a 23kW boost. Performance within the 80km/h confines we tested it in seemed rapid.

The Honda does certainly feel more than racy enough given its sporty aspirations.

Meanwhile, the Super-One’s beautifully tuned steering and controlled suspension also provide an enjoyable and easy balance around town.

It's sharp enough for the driver to get involved, and yet smooth enough for parking to be a cinch, aided by a tight turning circle and great all-round vision. This is the Samantha Jones of dinky superminis: it owns the city.

The ride quality is a fine compromise, too. Firm yet never hard or crashy, it soaks up the bumps well enough, while also being surprisingly quiet.

We wonder whether road and tyre noise intrusion is as muted out on the open road?

We even enjoy the artificial noise coming from the powertrain.

After our all-too-brief first drive, it is clear that the Super-One is the first cheap-ish EV that feels designed and developed for driving pleasure.

It's not a sports car. It's no Civic Type R, and it isn't meant to be. Instead, this is a charming, well-rounded and highly enjoyable urban runabout with style, class and sophistication.

We can’t wait to drive it more. On first impressions, the Super-One has exceeded expectations.

In Strada or Street mode, awful. Everything is slow and doughy, particularly the gearshift which goes looking for a gear like dog looking for a stick you didn't throw, but instead hid behind your back. The low-speed ride is nothing less than terrible, fidgeting over every single lump and bump and is only slightly more appealing than being dragged along behind.

The gearbox is really the worst bit about it. Automotive history is littered with cars that laboured along with a single clutch semi-auto: Alfa Romeo 156, BMW's E60 M5 and today the Citroen Cactus is stuck with just such a dud transmission.

Like that old M5, however, there's a trick to making the gearbox work for you - show absolutely no mercy.

Switch the selector up to Sport, get off the highway or major arterial road and head for the hills. Or better still, a clear race track. Then the Aventador goes from a pain in the rear to a glorious, roaring, completely unhinged and unhinging battle cruiser. This car is all about the experience, from the second you lay eyes on it to the moment you put it to bed.

This isn't an everyday supercar and it's absurd to think Lamborghini thinks it is.

First up, there's the obvious entry point with those wacky doors. While it's tricky to get in, if you're under six feet and reasonably mobile, stick your backside in, keep your head down and you're in. If you've been clever, you've specified the glass engine cover so you can see out the back but the huge wing mirrors are surprisingly effective.

Has someone thoughtlessly parked the car in a tight spot? No trouble, the four wheel steer makes the car absurdly manoeuvrable given its extravagant length and width.

As we've already established, it's not much fun at low speeds, waiting until about 70km/h before things start to make a bit more sense. This isn't an everyday supercar and it's absurd to think Lamborghini thinks it is. It just isn't.

The old Aventador was not the most capable of machines but made up for it with its overall belligerence. The new S takes that aggro and dials it up. When you move the drive mode to Sport you are basically unleashing hell. You can pretend to be super-masculine and switch to Corsa (race) mode, but it's all about getting the car straight and getting you around the track in the most efficient way possible. Sport is where it's at if you want to have fun.

The Aventador is about being seen, but not before you've been heard - from two postcodes away. It really is utterly glorious when you have a stretch of road to yourself. The V12 revs furiously to its 8400rpm redline and the wallop of the upshift is accompanied with a fantastic bark and a burst of blue flame. And these aren't the best bits.

Approach a corner, stomp on the colossal carbon ceramic brakes and the exhaust erupts in a combination of bangs and pops and growls that puts a smile on even the most hardened car-hater's face. The fact it steers into corners with just a demure roll of the wrist, aided and abetted by that funky four-wheel steering system. It's just brilliant, addictive and truth be told, it gets under your skin.

The Aventador doesn't have an ANCAP safety rating but the carbon chassis also comes with four airbags, ABS, stability and traction controls.

The Super-One comes with a five-year, unlimited kilometre warranty.

But if you choose to have it serviced at a Honda dealer, that increases to eight-years/unlimited. Intervals are 12 months or every 10,000km.

For the first five years, it will cost $199 per service, providing good value for money.

Currently there are 75 Honda dealers throughout Australia.

In an unexpected twist, you'll get a three-year/100,000km warranty and the option to increase to four years ($11,600!) or five years ($22,200!)(!). Having recovered from typing that, given the cost of something going wrong, that's probably money well-spent.