Reimagining one of the most revered sports cars of the past century is a gargantuan task, but it’s one that Lamborghini has undertaken with the utmost care, revealing the Countach LPI 800-4. Rather than attempt to reinvent the original, Lamborghini has instead focused on imagining how the Countach might have evolved had it remained in production to this day, and the results are spectacular.
“The Countach LPI 800-4 is a visionary car of the moment, just as its forerunner was,” says 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
The original Countach was a pioneer. The use of a longitudinal V-12 engine located just behind the passengers created the blueprint for the modern supercar. The design was an instant classic, dripping with drama even in 2021, and almost unimaginably stylish upon its reveal in 1971. Over the course of 19 years of production, Marcello Gandini’s design was arguably diluted with the arrival of bigger wings, spoilers, and plastic bodywork extensions, but each Countach remains utterly spectacular to behold.
For the new car, Lamborghini design director Mitja Bokert has chosen to channel the spirit of the earlier versions, but has also integrated some references to later models. The LPI800-4’s basic form incorporates the wedge-shaped frontal profile of the first LP400 production Countach, as well as the similarly clean taper from the passenger compartment to the rear end. It also lacks any fixed wing or visible aerodynamics, but an active aero element does sit just above the rear lights.
Other elements of the 21st-century Countach have taken inspiration from the later Quattrovalvole version of the original, including the angular frontal design and trapezoidal hood and hexagonal wheel arches. Scissor-opening doors are, of course, present; every Lamborghini supercar since the first Countach has featured them.
The powertrain borrows advanced hybrid technology from the limited edition Lamborghini Sián, combining a 780hp version of Lamborghini’s long-serving 6.5-litre naturally aspirated V-12 with additional assistance from a 34hp electric motor, drawing power from a supercapacitor. Lamborghini claims a total system output of 814hp. The LPI 800-4 produces peak Lamborghini performance of 0-62mph in just 2.8 seconds, 0-124mph in 8.6 seconds and a top speed of 220mph.
Just 112 examples of the Countach LPI 800-4 will be built, a number chosen to correspond to the LP112 project name of the original Countach.
To find out more, please contact one of our Lamborghini dealerships.
