Yes, every 1980s kid who had access to a deck of Top Trumps cards will know that the Lamborghini Countach is an iconic name in the history of supercars! And looks like this year, in order to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Countach, the nameplate is reused on a limited-production hybrid-electric model called the Countach LPI 800-4!
In many regards, the new hybrid Lamborghini Countach is a direct descendent of the original. It has a V12 engine, directly behind the two seats. And, like every Lamborghini sports car since the Countach, it’s shaped like a low-profile wedge. In the new supercar’s mid-mounted engine bay is a naturally-aspirated, 6.5-litre V12 engine with a 48-volt electric motor based on the technology of the Lamborghini Sián – the automaker’s first-ever hybrid that debuted in 2019.
But the new car isn’t a plug-in hybrid. As the car drives, it stores power in a supercapacitor that can provide some additional power to the wheels during hard acceleration. At low speeds, it also provides power between gear shifts to help smooth the uncomfortable surging and bucking that can come from Lamborghini’s aggressive racecar-style transmission.
Supercapacitors are more expensive than batteries and they are not as good as batteries at storing energy for long periods. But they can store more energy per cubic centimetre than batteries and they can absorb and release energy more quickly.
In all, the new four-wheel-drive Countach can produce up to 802 horsepower, with 769 coming from the gasoline engine and an additional 33 horsepower from the electric motor that is attached to the side of the gearbox. But the car is set for a very limited run, with only 112 to be made. Incidentally, the first cars will be delivered to customers in the first quarter of next year.
Lamborghini chief executive Stephan Winkelmann explained that he is “not a big fan of doing ‘retro’ cars.” He wanted this car, even though it’s suggestive of the original Countach of the 1970s and ’80s, not to look like a copy.
Yet, Lamborghini subtly incorporated visual cues from various versions of the old Countach. The overall shape was taken from the first concept version of the car, which had a very smooth profile. That’s why there’s no visible rear wing. (There is a wing, since the car’s power and performance demands it, but it retracts when not needed.)
Then, the indentation in the roof that spreads out toward the back is modelled on the “Periscopio” notch in the roof of the first production of Countach cars. Instead of a typical windshield-mounted rearview mirror, those early Countaches had a sort of periscope that allowed the driver to see behind the car by looking out over the roof. The roof indentation mimics the one that the periscope looked through. In the new Countach, there is a glass sunroof inside that notch that can be darkened when the sun is too bright.
But unlike any other modern Lamborghinis though, the new Countach has rectangular headlights designed to mimic those of the 1971 original. There are no fang-like light designs on the front, as Lamborghini’s other new supercars have. The narrow grille on the front with the word “Countach” written on it is also based on the original concept version.
