Lamborghini Aventador LP700-4 Roadster (2013) first pictures

Lamborghini has chopped the top off the Aventador supercar to create the new 2013 LP700-4 Roadster.

The big news? The loss of the Murcielago convertible's hopeless 'umbrella' soft-top, which took a couple of people 10 minutes to erect - but only after much head-scratching and swearing. Not very becoming of a big-league supercar cabrio.

The new supercar adds to its periodic table with a new carbonfibre, two-piece hard top. It removes by hand and stows in the front boot.

Crafted from RTM and forged composites, the two-piece roof weighs a grand total of 12kg, according to Lamborghini. 'It takes just a few seconds to operate now,' said a spokeswoman.

Because the Aventador is largely composite, performance and stiffness are said to be unaltered from the tin-top LP700-4. Sant'Agata quotes 0-62mph in 3.0sec and 217mph at the top end.

Mechanically, the LP700-4 is identical to the coupe, though you'll surely hear the mid-mounted 693bhp 6.5-litre V12bhp better here.

See the Aventador Roadster at the Los Angeles auto show in November 2012; UK sales are due in summer 2013, priced around £285,000 - a stout £20,000 more than the coupe.

By Tim Pollard