The supercar->ke177 world is pretty much on fire lately. Literally! From Porsche 911 GT3s roasting on the streets to a Ferrari LaFerrari smoking while attending a hillclimb event. We've also seen a Ferrari FF burst into flames in Hong Kong and a Lamborghini Aventador Roadster catching fire during a media demonstration in Australia earlier this year.

Speaking of the Aventador, another example of Lamborghini->ke44's fast and expensive supercar went through its baptism of fire. This time it happened on the German Autobahn and under peculiar circumstances. Specifically, the unfortunate Aventador just had its engine replaced and it was out on its first test drive with the brand-new, 6.5-liter V-12 under its hood. For some reason, the powerplant overheated in a matter of minutes and caught fire, which quickly spread toward the cabin.

By the time the firefighters arrived at the scene, the entire rear end and cabin of the vehicle had burned to a crisp. The front end of the orange Aventador was all that was left of the $400,000 supercar, now just a pile of melted metal with a "total loss" label on top. Fortunately, both the driver and passenger managed to get away from the burning car unscathed.

Details as to what caused the blaze are scarce, but it appears the replacement engine fitted in the Aventador had a faulty cooling system. Needless to say, that's an issue you don't want in any vehicle, but especially in an expensive supercar with a bull logo on its nose.

Click past the jump to read more about the Lamborghini Aventador.

Why It Matters

Although this isn't the first Lamborghini Aventador to catch fire, owners shouldn't be concerned about a recall. Three Aventadors became 700-horsepower fireballs over the past couple of years, which is nowhere near the Ferrari 458->ke3479 debacle that eventually led to a massive recall. Nonetheless, this incident comes to remind us once again that expensive, high-performance cars are subject to such unfortunate events due to their construction and design.

Not only do they need driven and handled with the utmost care and in accordance with the manufacturer’s specifications, but their internals must work at full capacity and need to be inspected for possible malfunctions on a regular basis. Otherwise, the joy of driving a supercar can go up in smoke or become a threat to one's life.

Lamborghini Aventador

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The Lamborghini Aventador made its public debut at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show and replaced the venerable Murcielago as the company's flagship model. Also named after a bull, the Aventador is powered by a naturally aspirated, 6.5-liter, V-12 engine that generates a whopping 700 horsepower and 509 pound-feet of torque. The supercar has a power-to-weight ratio of 432 ponies per tonne and sprints from 0 to 60 mph in 2.9 seconds, making it the fastest Lamborghini ever built.

The unit mates to a seven-speed, semi-automatic transmission that needs just 50 milliseconds to shift gears. The drivetrain works in conjunction with a Haldex-developed all-wheel-drive system that aids both performance and handling. Lamborghini plans to build 4,000 Aventadors before launching a successor.