Automobili Lamborghini recently revealed the Countach LPI 800-4 which is a futuristic limited edition to honor the iconic status of the Countach due to its revolutionary design, cutting-edge technology, recreating it for the 21st century.
The pure lines were clearly a nod to the Countach tradition, who pioneered the modern super sports cars and the Lamborghini design. The Lamborghini’s hybrid supercapacitor technology matched with an aspirated V12 engine gives the Countach LPI 800-4 the unmatched V12 experience. The Longitunidale Posteriore (LP) mounted powerplant and the hybrid (I) technology developed for the Sián gives it its distinct sound. Its maximum combined power is 814 cv round to 800 for its name, the electric motor (34 cv), and aspirated powerplant (780 cv) along with its permanent four-wheel drive transmission, allows the LPI 800-4 to provide the best Lamborghini performance as it can accelerate from 0-100 kph in just 2.8 seconds, in 8.6-seconds it can go from 0-200, with a top speed of 355 kph.
Automobili Lamborghini President and CEO Stephan Winkelmann shared, “The Countach LPI 800-4 is a visionary car of the moment, just as its forerunner was. 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.”
Countach – the pioneer in modern super sports car design
With one look, it is easy to see the influence of the Countach on the LPI 800-4, and it is a testament to the influence of the original Countach design that was seen in countless walls and posters in the 1980s making it an icon of automotive. The name Countach is derived from the Piedmontese dialect to mean an expression of wonder and surprise and it is interesting to note that the Countach is one of the few models that did not follow the Lamborghini naming convention of connecting them to bull names.
Head of Centro Stile Mitja Borkert shared, “The first Countach has been present in our Centro Stile as a model for some years now. 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.”
The unique silhouette of the Countach have an essential line that goes from the front to the rear, with sharp angles and lines, and a distinguishing wedge shape, really changed the how modern super sports cars are designed, most especially for future Lamborghini models. The Countach LPI 800-4 built on the 20-year design history of the Countach and its five models, adding their legacy to iconic automotive design.
With a nod to the first production version of the LP 500 and LP 400, the final outline of the LPI 800-4 is pure and clean. The Quattrovalvole edition was the inspiration for the unique Countach face of the LPI 800-4, as seen from the assertive lines on the front bonnet to the hexagonal wheel arches, and long, low rectangular grill and headlights. The greenhouse used the sharp incline and straight lines that was seen on the original Countach, bridging the powerful and clean front-to-rear line.
A fixed rear wing cannot be seen from the pure lines, and even the airscoops are seamlessly added into the strong shoulders of the car, designed with the unique Countach slatted ‘gills’. The LPI 800-4’s side and doors have the aerodynamically powerful NACA air intakes. From above, the Periscopio lines that goes from the roof to the rear of the car can be seen seemingly appearing to float towards the back of the car.
The distinct wedge shape of the LPI 800-4’s rear makes it immediately recognizable, and the rear bumper was also designed with a lower, sleeker line. They used the ‘hexagonita’ design for the three-unit rear light clusters. The LPI 800-4 displays the four exhaust tail pipes that is known from the Countach family attached in the carbon fiber rear diffuser. The infamous scissor doors which was first introduced on the Countach and have become a Lamborghini V12 signature are retained for drivers and passengers to board and alight the vehicle.
Modern Performance Engineering
The Countach’s V12 engine is as legendary as its design. Along with the forward cabin layout, the engine was mounted longways at the back of the original Countach and it also featured side-mounted radiators that it got from Formula One as well as tubular spaceframe technology and forward-facing gearbox. Similar to their approach towards its design, Lamborghini was also innovative in how they handled sports car engineering deciding on the engine position based on weight distribution and balance, as well as the aspirated twelve cylinders to enable it to constantly deliver top performance.
For the Countach, Lamborghini used cutting edge technology to create a truly extraordinary car, and this can also be seen on the Countach LPI 800-4 which used the best and the latest Lamborghini technologies and engineering to create the performance that would be expected of the latest Countach.
“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. 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,” shared Lamborghini Chief Technology Officer Maurizio Reggiani.
The Lamborghini Countach LPI 800-4 is equipped with a V12 6.5-liter engine that produces 780 cv, with a 48-volt e-motor that is directly mounted on the gearbox giving it an additional 34 cv for increased performance and immediate response. It is the same innovative architecture that Lamborghini originally developed for Sián, the only mild-hybrid technology that made a direct connection between the electric motor and wheels so as to preserve the pure V12 behavior and power. A supercapacitor is used to power the e-motor so it can give three times more power compared to a lithium-ion with the same weight.
To give the optimum lightweight solution, all the body panels and the monocoque chassis are made from carbon fiber which also gives it an extraordinary torsional stiffness. The LPI 800-4 has a dry weight of 1,595 kg and a dry weight to power ratio of 1,95 kg/cv. Carbon fiber features that are visible on the exterior are also available as an option for the front splitter, engine bonnet cover air intakes and rocker panels, and around the front window and wing mirrors. Carbon fiber features are also seen on specific interior details. State-of-the-art 3D printing technology produced the movable air vents. It also has a photocromatic roof that changes from transparent to opaque at the push of a button, a physical reminder that despite the nods to its predecessors, the car is still a viable automotive screensaver for the future.
The Quail Debut
The Countach LPI 800-4 was recently unveiled at The Quail, USA. It was presented with a dedicated Bianco Siderale finish, that has a hint of pearlescent blue which is reminiscent of Ferruccio Lamborghini’s Countach LP 400 S. A red and black leather heritage interior completed the look. The interior also paid homage to the original Countach with a push towards modernity. The influence of 1970s design and technology can be seen in the classic and luxurious leather that sports geometric stitching on the dashboard and specially designed comfort seats.
The 20-inch front and 21-inch rear wheels of the LP 800-4 were designed in the ‘telephone’ style of the 1980s, matched with Pirelli P Zero Corsa tires and carbon ceramic brake discs.
Clients of the exclusive, limited edition Countach LP 800-4 have a variety of heritage exterior paint options to choose from, which are available mostly in solid colors like the iconic Impact White, Verde Medio, and Giallo Countach. They also offer contemporary palette in mostly metallic colors like Viola Pasifae and Blue Uranus.
The center console has an 8.4-inch HDMI center touchscreen that is only seen on the LPI 800-4. It manages car controls like Connectivity and Apple CarPlay. It is also equipped with a unique button named ‘Stile’ (Design), and when it is pressed, it explains to its privileged audience the design philosophy behind the Countach.
The Countach LP 800-4 will have a limited run of only 112 units, which is a tribute to the ‘LP 112’ moniker given to the internal project during the development of the original Lamborghini Countach. Delivery of the LP 800-4 will start on the first quarter of 2022 to the privileged few who will be able to acquire and drive a futuristic car inspired by its rich automotive history.
