It wasn't the first Lamborghini or the most popular, but the Countach might be the most iconic car the automaker has ever constructed. The Countach was highly influential, not only ending up on countless bedroom and garage walls in poster form but continuing to drive Lamborghini styling to this day. To celebrate 50 years since the prototype first went on display at the Geneva Motor Show, Lamborghini has brought the name back, but this time on a limited-production special edition model that is loaded with vintage styling cues and retro touches.
The new car is called the Lamborghini Countach LPI 800-4, and it is delightfully retro, but also shockingly modern. Underneath the '70s vents, faux pop-up headlights, and oh so many grilles is a hybrid driveline. With a 6.5L V12 that makes 770 hp all by itself, the new Countach also packs a 48V electric motor that is placed inside the seven-speed automated manual transmission's case and adds 35 hp. In total, it offers 803 hp combined and is a slightly detuned version of the driveline found in the even more limited-production Sian.
Powered by a capacitor instead of a lithium-ion battery, the electrification adds a minimal amount of weight while delivering torque fill between gear changes and an improved launch off of the line. Lamborghini says the car will hit 100 km/h in just 2.8 seconds and get to 200 km/h in 8.6 seconds on the way to a top speed of 355 km/h.
Lamborghini President and CEO Stephan Winkelmann calls it "a visionary car of the moment, just as its forerunner was," and says that it imagines how the Countach might have evolved had its production lasted longer than 16 years.
The new interpretation has the iconic wedge-shaped silhouette of the original Countach. It is largely uncluttered, looking more like the original production cars rather than the gussied-up later versions. The face wears the lines of the QV models, Lamborghini says, with exposed LED lamps doing the best job of impersonating pop-up lamps possible.
The larger air intake ducts in the side and doors of the car are larger and more prominent here than in the original, and the modern Countach lacks a rear wing. It does have the strong Countach shoulders and gills, though, and six hexagonal tail lamps.
Even on the inside, Lamborghini has attempted to recall the original. It has a red and black heritage leather colour layout with geometric stitching that Lambo says references 1970s design.
A wide range of heritage paint colours will be offered, and in a nod to the original car's LP 112 internal name, just 112 units will be built. Deliveries of the LPI 800-4 will start in the first quarter of next year.
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