We thought that after sa Revuelto sold at a lossMatt Armstrong would mellow. Not so. The five-million-subscriber British YouTuber has put a coin back in the machine with a more bankable target: a Lamborghini Aventador SVJ Roadster, limited series of 800, 770 hp naturally-aspirated 6.5 V12, no hybrid system, the ultimate Aventador swan song. End of August, we told you about the purchase of this damaged, non-running modeland the first repairs. Today, the story is complete: the SVJ, nicknamed "Suzanne Victor Jones" by the Youtubeur, is on the road... and above all, it's worth more than it cost.
Flashback: why SVJ, and not another?
Disgusted by hybrids after the Revuelto, Armstrong opted for a base 100 % thermal with solid ratings and almost dogmatic desirability among purists. Purchase price: £230,000 (€250,000) for a dented SVJ Roadster (touched front end, blown oil cooler, fiddled wiring harnesses, cracked gearbox mount, bent rear G wheel...) but no triggered airbag or damage to the carbon cell. After rebooting the e-gear circuit, the car starts. A good sign.
First drive: the SVJ literally burned out
Armstrong refurbishes it, grafts a titanium line and sends the V12 roaring to life. A few minutes, a kid's smile... then the cold shower: a weld on the titanium exhaust fails. The metal doesn't bend, it cracks. As a result, the flames no longer escape through the tailpipes, but rise up into the engine compartment.
Softened plastics, baked dipstick, melted oil separator and hoses, damaged plexiglass hood, damaged heat shield. The SVJ isn't going up in smoke, but it's seriously "toast". Mat Armstrong's solution: abandon titanium and revert to a stainless steel Valvetronic exhaust (same design, more forgiving metal). Armstrong replaces :
- oil separator, hoses,
- aerodynamic elements and rear brake light,
- plexiglass motor,
- various covers and "melted" plastics,
On the body side, the alignments are cleanly reproduced (fenders, bumpers, underbases, wheel arches). The stainless steel line is fitted with a heat shield.
Second rolling
Reassembled, new tires, hood rested, cameras and sensors ok, the SVJ goes for a test drive: controlled launch, and stratospheric V12. The SVJ puts on a show without setting fire to the engine compartment. The final bodywork adjustments (fender sets/bumpers) are fine-tuned to look better than when it left the factory, according to the team.
Balance sheet
Armstrong is open about his figures:
- Purchase price: £230,000 (€250,000)
- Parts for complete overhaul, wheels/tires, body components, probes, etc. : £130 000 (150 000 €)
- Subtotal: £360,000 (€400,000)
- After the "titanium" incident: approx. £5,500 parts + £6,500 miscellaneous (returns/upgrade)
- Suzanne Victor Jones" final total: £372,000 (€420,000)
Faced with this, the market: in Great Britain, the cheapest SVJ Roadster sells for ~£530,000 (€600,000). Even if it has a history of accidents, the difference is considerable. Not to mention that the SVJ's value curve has every reason to hold, and even to rise. Jackpot!
Meanwhile...
Meanwhile, Armstrong is still tearing his hair out on a Ferrari 458 Spider capricious bodywork adjustments, stingy tolerances, time running out. The channel's specialty remains the same: showing the moments when things go wrong.
English 
French 
Italian 
Spanish 
Portuguese 
German 
Japanese 
Turkish 
Dutch