A classic reimagined
To create their newest supercar, Automobili Lamborghini looked into the past. It’s a past many were familiar with, having adorned their bedroom walls on posters. That past is the Lamborghini Countach, sold by the brand in the 70s and 80s, and defining the wedge shape many supercars are known for today. It’s a testament to the lasting impact of the original Countach design that became the poster car of the 1980s and a symbol of automotive and lifestyle ultra-cool.
The new Lamborghini Countach LPI 800-4 is instantly recognizable as the elevated descendant of Countach generations. The name is a fitting expression of surprise and wonder in Piedmontese dialect and pronounced ‘Coon-tach.’ It is also one of very few Lamborghini model names not connected to bulls.
It develops the characteristic lines of the classic Countach, updated through five models over nearly 20 years, concentrated into the purest realization of iconic automotive design. The final outline is pure and uncluttered, with references to the first LP 500 and LP 400 production version.
Lamborghini have kept certain design cues like the long, low rectangular grille and headlights, as well as in the hexagonal wheel arches. There is no fixed rear wing outside the pure lines, and the airscoops are integrated fluidly in the strong shoulders of the car. The iconic NACA air intakes cut into the side and doors. The rear keeps its distinctive inverted wedge shape, with the ‘hexagonita’ design shaping the three-unit rear light clusters.
“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,” says Automobili Lamborghini President and CEO Stephan Winkelmann. “The Countach LPI 800-4 is a visionary car of the moment, just as its forerunner was.”
Powering the new Countach is a 6.5 liter V12 engine combined with Lamborghini’s hybrid supercapacitor technology. It produces 814 Ps of maximum combined power and brings the power to the road via its permanent four-wheel drive transmission. It can accelerate from 0-100 km/h in just 2.8 seconds, 0-200 km/h in 8.6 seconds and reach a top speed of 355 km/h.
It achieves this thanks to modern construction techniques. The monocoque chassis and all the body panels are in carbon fiber, providing the optimum lightweight solution as well as exceptional torsional stiffness. The Countach LPI 800-4 has a dry weight of just 1595 kg.
Inside, the interior also takes inspiration from the original with classic and luxurious leather featuring geometric stitching on the specially designed comfort seats and dashboard, sporting a square motif referencing the bold style and optimism of 1970s design and technology.
An 8.4-inch HDMI center touchscreen unique to the LPI 800-4 manages car controls including Connectivity and Apple CarPlay.
Only 112 units of the Countach LPI 800-4 will be produced, as a tribute to the original’s internal project name, LP 122. Those priviledged few can expect to receive their vehicles in the first quarter of 2022 and drive a piece of automotive history reimagined for the future.