Lamborghini has sensationally announced it is bringing back the legendary Countach, with the unveiling of the Countach LPI 800-4 at The Quail: A Motorsports Gathering, over the weekend.
Lamborghini is celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Countach this year and has marked the momentous milestone occasion with a futuristic limited edition that pays homage to the iconic supercar.
“The Countach LPI 800-4 is a visionary car of the moment, just as its forerunner was,” stated 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’.”
“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. It upholds the Lamborghini tradition of looking forward, of exploring new design and technology avenues while celebrating the DNA of our brand. It is a Lamborghini that innately expresses the marque’s enduring and emotive power: always inspirational and thrilling to see, hear and most of all drive.”
The new Countach draws inspiration from first LP 500 and LP 400 production versions and is a 21st century take on the supercars distinctive wedge silhouette. In giving the LPI 800-4 a distinctive Countach face, inspiration was also taken from the Quattrovalvole edition, with the assertive lines of the front bonnet with long, low rectangular grille and headlights, as well as in the wheel arches with their hexagonal theme.
Commenting on the new Countach LPI 800-4, Mitja Borkert, Head of Centro Stile at Lamborghini stated: “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. This is an unnegotiable part of our DNA, the essence if you so will. The first Countach shaped the Lamborghini design DNA like no other car; the new Countach translates that unconventional and edgy character into the future.”
Like the original Countach, the new limited edition LPI 800-4 will be powered by a Lamborghini V12 engine, which is combined with Lamborghini’s hybrid supercapacitor technology, as developed for the Sián. It will deliver 814 cv of maximum combined power (rounded at 800 for the name) from its naturally aspirated powerplant (780 cv) and electric motor (34 cv). It transfer that pwoer to its permanent four-wheel drive transmission and produces of 0-100 km/h in just 2.8 seconds, a 0-200 km/h in 8.6 seconds and on to a top speed of 355 km/h.
Mounted longways at the rear together with its forward-cabin layout, the original Countach featured side-mounted radiators from Formula One; forward-facing gearbox and tubular spaceframe technology. It was as revolutionary in its approach to sports car engineering as in its astonishing looks, with its engine position chosen for weight distribution and balance and of course, the aspirated twelve cylinders delivering the most emotive top performance.
The Countach developed the best available technologies of its era to produce an extraordinary car that set new standards for supercar design. This visionary philosophy is reflected in the Countach LPI 800-4, which is taking the pinnacle of current Lamborghini technologies and engineering to produce the performance expected from a Countach for the 21st century.
The monocoque chassis and all the body panels are constructed in carbon fiber, which provides the optimum lightweight solution as well as exceptional torsional stiffness.
“The engineering team that developed the original Countach advanced Lamborghini’s pioneering technical approach, delivering unexpected innovations and the best performance available in a production car,” says Lamborghini Chief Technology Officer Maurizio Reggiani. “That spirit inherently drives Lamborghini R&D, resulting in the pioneering hybrid technology in the LPI 800-4, and the emotive driving experience and top-line performance expected from a flagship V12 Lamborghini.”
Owners of the exclusive limited edition Countach LPI 800-4 can choose from a range of heritage exterior paint options, mostly in solid colours, such as the iconic Impact White, Giallo Countach and Verde Medio. Otherwise, the contemporary palette offers modern paintings, mostly metallic colors, such as Viola Pasifae or Blu Uranus.
The Countach LPI 800-4 will be limited to 112 units, and will be delivered from first quarter of 2022.
