Lamborghini Countach resurrected as hybrid supercar

"Countach!" Legend has it that Italian design guru Nuccio Bertone blurted out this exclamation the first time he saw the car codenamed Project 112 at his design studio in the early Seventies. A word used to express astonishment in the Piedmontese dialect, the name stuck to the Lamborghini that went on to be the most outrageous and legendary supercar ever. And it reigned as the undisputed class leader for 17 years, until it was finally replaced by the worthy Diablo in 1990.

Now, Lamborghini has resurrected the iconic supercar in the form of the Countach LPI 800-4, an all-new, limited-edition production car that pays homage to its legendary forebear.

Underpinned by an all-wheel-drive hybrid platform and powered by a V12 engine combined with a 48V electric motor and super capacitor technology, the modern Countach puts out 770 horsepower from its combustion engine and 34 horses from motor, for a total output of 825 horspeower.

Lamborghini says the new Countach will dash from 0-100kph in a mere 2.8 seconds and reach a top speed of 355kph.

Several styling elements in the new car are a nod to the ones from the original, including the hexagonal wheel arches, the unmistakable Countach countenance, the distinctive Countach slatted ‘gills’ on the shoulders and bold lines across the nose and rectangular grille and headlights.

Out back, the Countach LPI 800-4 connects with the past with its distinctive inverted wedge shape, the rear bumper featuring a lower, sleeker line, and the ‘hexagonita’ design shaping the three-unit rear light clusters. The LPI 800-4 gets four exhaust tail pipes, connected within the carbon fiber rear diffuser.

The Countach LPI 800-4 has been revealed in a special Bianco Siderale paint, with a hint of pearlescent blue, reminiscent of Ferruccio Lamborghini’s own Countach LP 400 S, complete with red and black leather heritage interior. The interior also takes design cues from the original Countach with the classic and luxurious leather trimming featuring geometric stitching on the specially designed comfort seats and dashboard.

The monocoque chassis and all the body panels are built from carbon fibre, helping the Countach LPI 800-4 keep its weight down to just 1,595 kg dry. Visible exterior carbon fibre features include the front splitter, around the front window and wing mirrors, engine bonnet cover air intakes and rocker panel.

Lamborghini will make 112 of the hybrid Countach at a price of $2.64 million (Dh9.69 million). Deliveries start worldwide in early 2022.