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Redefining the Sports Car
When Lamborghini debuted the Countach in 1971, it redefined the entire concept of an exotic sports car. With its sleek shape, unique scissor doors and powerful V12 engine, the Countach was unlike anything else on the road. And a half century later, in the most fitting way to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Countach, today the Italian automaker announced a new model worthy of wearing this legendary name — the Lamborghini Countach LPI 800-4.
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Automotive Icon
“The Countach LPI 800-4 is a visionary car of the moment, just as its forerunner was,” said Automobili Lamborghini President and CEO Stephan Winkelmann. “One of the most important automotive icons, the Countach not only embodies the design and engineering tenet of Lamborghini but represents our philosophy of reinventing boundaries, achieving the unexpected and extraordinary and, most importantly, being the stuff of dreams,” Winkelmann enthused.
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The Original
Perhaps the most famous model in Lamborghini’s history, the Countach inspired many fledgling automotive enthusiasts. Back in the day, the Countach could be found in poster form (remember posters?) on the walls of many childhood rooms. With sharp angles and a sleek, low profile, the original Countach is a truly futuristic take on the sports car. This cutting-edge car may be fifty years old, but it looks just as exotic today.
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Contemporary Design
Lamborghini did not set out to replicate the original — instead this modern-day Countach provides a look at what this special car would have become had it stayed in production. “The Countach LPI 800-4 pays homage to this Lamborghini legacy but it is not retrospective: it imagines how the iconic Countach of the 70s and 80s might have evolved into an elite super sports model of this decade,” said Winkelmann.
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Recognizable
The new Lamborghini Countach LPI 800-4 features many styling cues that clearly hearken back to the pioneering model. The steeply raked hood and its integrated headlights mimic the original car’s aggressive looks, albeit with advanced lighting rather than the pop-up headlights of the first model. The hood flows directly into the windshield, creating a virtually straight light from the bumper to the top of the glass.
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Distinctive Silhouette
The Countach’s signature sharp angles and iconic wedge shape carry forward a half century to the new model, as does the line running front to rear that gives the Countach its distinctive silhouette. Large air intakes at the doors as well as vents behind the windows also evoke the familiar Countach countenance.
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Rear View
The three-unit taillight clusters of the new Countach are housed at the outermost edges of the car, providing a modern take on the original design. Subsequent Countach models feature a large rear wing that further reinforces the car’s extreme styling. The new Countach LPI 800-4 has no fixed wing; instead it uses a three-position electronically operated spoiler to ensure ultimate performance.
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Scissor Doors
Perhaps the one feature — make that two features — of the original Countach that stands out most are its unique scissor doors. These doors became synonymous with V12 Lamborghinis, so of course the new Countach LPI 800-4 has them as well.
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Setting the Course
“The first Countach has been present in our Centro Stile as a model for some years now,” explained Head of Centro Stile Mitja Borkert. “Whenever I look at it, it gives me goose bumps and it serves as the perfect reminder for me and the entire design team to design every future Lamborghini in a visionary and futuristic way. . . . The first Countach shaped the Lamborghini design DNA like no other car; the new Countach translates that unconventional and edgy character into the future,” noted Borkert.
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Big Power
The original Countach has a 4.0-liter V12 engine that produces 375 horsepower — the Countach LPI 800-4 takes things up a few notches. The new Countach boasts a 6.5-liter V12 teamed with a 48-volt e-motor — powered by a supercapacitor — for a total output of 769 horsepower and 531 lb-ft of torque. Power gets sent to a Haldex four-wheel-drive system via Lamborghini’s independent shifting rod — or ISR — automated transmission.
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Lightweight
This amazing new Lamborghini Countach LP 800-4 makes extensive use of carbon fiber throughout. The monocoque chassis as well as the body panels are all carbon fiber, which provides an extremely stiff yet lightweight package.
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Extreme Performance
In keeping with the stunning performance generated by Countach models from the mid-1970s, the new Countach LPI 800-4 is equally extreme. This special Lamborghini can reach 62 mph in a mere 2.8 seconds and 124 mph in 8.6 seconds. The car’s top speed is reportedly 221 mph.
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Classic Wheels
The Countach LP 800-4 features 20-inch front and 21-inch rear wheels with classic 1980s styling influences. The special wheels are shod with Pirelli P-Zero Corsa tires, with stopping power provided by carbon ceramic brakes.
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Interior
The exclusive few who have the opportunity to sit behind the wheel of the Countach LPI 800-4 will enjoy the 8.4-inch center touchscreen display unique to this car. In addition to Bluetooth and Apple CarPlay connectivity, there’s a button labeled “Stile.” Pressing the button provides the driver with the Countach design philosophy.
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More Comfortable
Although this modern-day Countach takes cues from the original, it offers a much more luxurious interior. Seats trimmed in luxurious leather have a classic look with a square motif “referencing the bold style and optimism of the 1970s design and technology,” according to the automaker.
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