The Lamborghini Aventador was unleashed upon the world way back in 2011. It was a comprehensive upgrade from the Murcialago as Lambo’s flagship, V12-engined super-monster. And, as you’d expect with a car that looks so good, it was an instant hit.

In the seven-or-so years since we’ve known the Aventador, Lamborghini has kept things fresh with a slew of special editions and revisions, the latest of which is this – the LP 740-4 S, or as everyone calls it, the Aventador S. And it captures the Lamborghini flagship spirit so well that it’s completely replaced the original car.

So what do you get? Well, the 6.5-litre V12 now develops 740 bhp (40 more than the standard car), and 690 Nm of torque. Performance figures remain the same – an eye-watering 0-100 km/h time of 2.9 seconds and a top speed of 350 km/h. There’s also a new aero kit, and tweaks to the suspension and drive modes, plus a rejuvenated interior.

The question is, after seven years in production, can the Aventador still run with the world’s best supercars?

The short answer is yes: I’ve finally found a car that lives up to the hype.

To find out what the Aventador S was capable of, we opted for the silky smooth Tarmac found out behind Falcon City. It’s hard to find a location as stunning and impressive as the Aventador S, but we got close. If you haven’t been there, go! We turned off Emirates road and the scene that met us was absolutely breathtaking. It’s as close as a filming location will ever get to bringing a tear to my eye. Obviously, I’m cool, so it didn’t. But it almost did.

The thing is, in a car as powerful as the Aventador S, it’s actually quite a perilous location. Sand blasts the arrow-straight roads, meaning you have to stay supremely focused, balancing the throttle on a knife edge as you take on the amazing corners set against the dunes.

The rapid acceleration is exhilarating and absolutely terrifying all at the same time. The first few times I drove the car I was honestly left shaking, and I wasn’t much better on those desert roads. The noise is tremendous. The Aventador S comes with an excellent stereo (from Audi), but if you’ve got that switched on, this isn’t the car for you. A real Aventador driver floors it up to the 8,500 rpm red line and just basks in the aural magnificence of that sonorous engine and exhaust note. It’s life-changing, that noise.

The Aventador S comes with three primary driver settings – standard, sport and track. I couldn’t tell you why on earth you’d need even the sport option, mind. The Aventador S is absolutely insane and at no point did I feel the need to add a little more terror to the experience. This car is so fast and so incredibly powerful that it’s actually hard to find enough runway to actually get the foot down – even in the standard road mode.

The best thing about the Aventador S, though, is that it brings a whole bunch of glamour to the party, too. Driving it around town, you feel like an absolute celebrity. I’d guess that 30% of the people who see you will take pictures and videos. Another 20% will stare but will be too embarrassed to take a picture, and the rest will just be too filled with jealousy to do anything.

I’m not going to try and convince you that this is an everyday runaround, but it can be used in Dubai if you’re really dedicated. This car isn’t about the daily commute, so don’t expect cup holders and storage. But it does have a navigation, a good infotainment system and great AC blower. All that stuff all comes from Audi, so it’s obviously going to be good.

In fact, the whole interior package is stunning. It’s aggressive and sporty but luxurious and, dare I say, comfortable. Perhaps the coolest thing about the interior is the fighter pilot-style centre console, which manages to contain all the buttons you need whilst still retaining an air of sleekness. Last but perhaps most important of all, sitting dead centre on the carbon centre console is the engine start button, which lies underneath a lid that you need to flip open. It really is a jet fighter, this thing.

Ok, so enough gushing. In the interest of making this seem like a review, I’ve racked my brains for some things I didn’t like. There isn’t much, but here goes.

The Aventador S isn’t particularly enjoyable at low revs; it’s clunky and jumpy, so don’t for a second think that you’re doing the daily commute in this thing. And while the noise is fabulous when you’re gunning it, it’s not particularly nice at low revs and idle. You only really hear the radiator fan working overtime to cool down that monster V12

And, that’s it. That’s all I’ve got to complaint about. I’ve driven a lot of amazing cars but this one absolutely got me. Like any petrolhead would, I honestly felt sad handing the keys back. The flagship Lambo has made me rethink what power, speed and acceleration fees like.

And it’s made me sell my Audi S7 in the pursuit of something more fun. Turns out I haven’t grown up yet.