The recently revived Lamborghini Countach LPI 800-4 has been driven on public roads for the first time ahead of deliveries starting in the coming months.
Its dynamic debut follows a reveal last year at The Quail, A Motorsport Gathering as part of the annual Monterey Car Week festival in California, as Lamborghini marked 50 years since the original Countach made its debut at the Geneva motor show.
Just 112 examples will be produced, priced from €2 million (£1.7m) before taxes, and the majority are said to be spoken for already.
Like its namesake, the new Countach is powered by a naturally aspirated, longitudinally rear-mounted (longitudinale posteriorie, hence LP in the name) V12 engine, in this case producing the same 769bhp as it does in the non-electrified Aventador Ultimae and driving both axles through a seven-speed automatic gearbox.
The V12 alone would make the Countach one of Lamborghini's most powerful road cars, but the integration of a 34bhp, 48V electric motor in the gearbox takes combined output to 803bhp, putting it well clear of the Ultimae and only slightly below the Sián FKP 37. A precise torque figure hasn't been given, but it can be expected to closely match the Sián's 531lb ft.
The Countach will sprint from 0-62mph in just 2.8sec – two seconds quicker than the most powerful version of its namesake – and on to 124mph in just 8.6sec. Top speed is pegged at 221mph.
The electric motor is powered by a supercapacitor unit, which is said to produce three times more power than a conventional lithium ion battery of the same weight. However, this will be the last time Lamborghini employs this technology in a production car, with replacements for the Aventador, Huracán and Urus lined up to receive more conventionally hybridised powertrains with the capacity for significantly reduced emissions and engine-off running, which a supercapacitor cannot achieve.
It's the "only mild-hybrid technology to create a direct connection between electric motor and wheels", according to Lamborghini, and is used to smooth out the acceleration curve, provide a subtle power boost at the driver's discretion and motive assistance in low-speed manoeuvres.
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What about the Espada.or the Jarama?, I'm sure I've mentioned them in other articles about Lamborghini, and yes the Miura would seem a log go to next.
'How crushed were you when Gandini publicly disavowed the project? Is it true that Winklemann could be heard muttering "I told them retro is a bad idea" while wandering the corridors of Lambo HQ?'