Lamborghini Revives 2022 Countach LPI 800-4

Lamborghini has reimagined Marcello Gandini's 1970s Countach LP400 for the 2020s with an all-new model called Countach LPI 800-4.

The Sant’Agata company describes the Countach LPI 800-4 as “the rebirth of a dream”. It pays homage to the 1970s original but, says the Lamborghini, it is “not retrospective: it imagines how the iconic Countach might have evolved into an elite super sports model of this decade.” The new design features a 1970s-inspired wedge silhouette with angular edges, hexagonal-shaped wheelarches and uncluttered lines that deliberately reference the early LP500 and LP400 models. There is no fixed rear wing, for instance, and the slatted air scoops are integrated fluidly in the car’s ‘shoulders’.

Accentuated 1970sstyle NACA side intakes are cut into the sides, while the ‘Periscopio’ indent running from the roof to the rear of the car are another 1970s theme. While the nose takes inspiration from the later Countach Quattrovalvole, the rear end recalls the distinctive inverted wedge shape of the original Countach, incorporating triple rear light clusters and quad exhaust pipes, mounted within a carbonfibre diffuser. Visible carbonfibre can be seen in the front splitter, door mirrors, engine cover air intakes and rocker panel. Another modern touch is a photochromatic roof that changes from solid to transparent at the push of a button. The underpinnings are closely related to Lamborghini’s Aventador and Sián. The monocoque chassis and all the body panels are made of carbonfibre, resulting in a low overall weight of 1595kg (dry). The 20-inch front and 21-inch rear wheels echo the famous ‘telephone dial’ style of the 1980s, fitted with carbon ceramic brakes and Pirelli P Zero Corsa tyres. The LPI moniker stands for ‘Longitudinale Posteriore Ibrido’ (mid-mounted longitudinal hybrid). The 6.5-litre V12 is mated to a mildhybrid supercapacitor; the V12’s power output of 780hp is boosted by 34hp of electric power, giving a combined total of 814hp. That gives the LPI 800-4 a 0-62mph time of 2.8 seconds, 0-124mph in 8.6 seconds and a top speed of 220mph.

‘Heritage’ paint colours echo solid 1970s palettes, including Impact White, Giallo Countach and Verde Medio, while contemporary metallic colours include Viola Pasifae and Blu Uranus. Access to the leather-and-carbon-clad cabin is via scissor doors. There are design cues from the original Countach here, too, in the geometric stitching and square motifs. But modernism invades in the form of an 8.4-inch touchscreen unique to the LPI 800-4.

The new Countach is limited to just 112 units worldwide, with deliveries starting in early 2022. And it is ultra-premium-priced – €2 million (£1.7m) before taxes.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS LAMBORGHINI COUNTACH LPI 800-4

• ENGINE: 6498cc V12 hybrid
• MAX POWER: 780bhp at 8500rpm
• MAX TORQUE: 720Nm (531lb ft) at 6750rpm
• TRANSMISSION: 7-speed semi-auto, 4WD
• DIMENSIONS: 4870mm (L), 2099mm (W), 1139mm (H)
• WEIGHT: 1595kg
• TOP SPEED: 220mph
• 0-62MPH: 2.8sec