Lambo resurrects the Countach with US$2.6-million price tag

Lamborghini has resurrected a storied nameplate from decades ago for one last ride before the Italian supercar company transitions to an all-electric future.

The 2022 Lamborghini Countach LPI 800-4 pays homage to its famous predecessors built between 1974 and 1990, with their sharply angled wedge shape, sculpted rear and unusual doors. Originally designed by Bertone, posters of the previous-generation rear-engined, scissor-doored, exotic-looking Countach were as ubiquitous on bedroom walls in the late 20th century as were posters featuring equally glamorous-and-unobtainable Hollywood starlets.

The modern version, which will be displayed at The Quail as part of Monterey Car Week, is outfitted with a naturally aspirated rear-mounted 6.5-liter V-12 engine that combined with the brand's 34-hp hybrid supercapacitor technology produces a total of about 825 hp, Automobili Lamborghini says.

Equipped with standard all-wheel drive, the Countach LPI 800-4 is capable of accelerating from 0 to 100 km/h in 2.8 seconds, reaching 200 km/h in about 8.6 seconds, and it carries a top speed of over 355 km/h, the automaker said.

"The Countach LPI 800-4 is a visionary car of the moment, just as its forerunner was," Automobili Lamborghini CEO Stephan Winkelmann said in a written statement. "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.' "

With a body built entirely of carbon fiber-reinforced plastic, the Countach LPI 800-4 rides on 20-inch front wheels and 21-inch rear wheels and features four-wheel steering that gives it a curb-to-curb turning radius of just under 38 feet — or about 11 metres.

"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," said Lamborghini Chief Technical 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."

Inside the cabin, the Countach LPI 800-4 features an 8.4-inch touch screen display that includes a special "Stile" button, which, when pressed, plays a video explaining the car's "design philosophy," the automaker said.

It will be priced at US$2.64 million, excluding taxes. Lamborghini said the first deliveries of the hand-built modern Countach would begin in the first quarter of 2022.