Lamborghini debuts reborn Countach LP800-4

LAMBORGHINI has celebrated the 50th anniversary of its legendary Countach supercar by relaunching it as a limited-edition special, packed full of the brand’s latest and greatest technology.

Ford has also jumped on the classics bandwagon with its GT ’64 Prototype Heritage Edition, a car – as the name suggests – designed to commemorate the birth of its original GT40 Le Mans prototype.

Blending classic design cues with modern tech, the new Countach features an uprated version of the Sian’s 6.5-litre V12 mild hybrid powertrain, which now produces combined a 599kW and though no combined torque figure is quoted, the V12 is good for 720Nm while the transmission-mounted 48V electric motor churns out 35Nm.

Despite the classic looks, this makes it one of the fastest Lambo production cars to date, stopping the clock from 0-100km/h in 2.8 seconds, 0-200 km/h in 8.6 seconds and pushing on to a top speed of 355km/h.

That kidney-scarring 0-100km/h time is possible thanks to the now signature all-wheel-drive system, with gear changes fired off by a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic.

By contrast, the Ford GT ’64 Prototype Heritage Edition is devoid of mechanical updates, continuing with the standard GT’s 482kW/746Nm twin-turbocharged 3.5-litre V6 and should share the same 3.2-second 0-100km/h time and 348km/h top speed.

The latest in a long line of special edition GTs released recently, the ’64 Prototype Heritage Edition is adorned in era-specific ‘Wimbledon White’ paint with ‘Antimatter Blue’ graphics as per the original prototype racer.

Antimatter Blue-painted carbon fibre wheels complement the Ford’s roof and bonnet decals with the colour scheme continuing through the interior with ‘Lightspeed Blue’ Alcantara-wrapped carbon-fibre seats and instrument panel.

Appliques in Antimatter Blue also feature on the GT’s instrument panel, door register bezels and seat cross-brace.

There is nothing retro about the reborn Countach’s body and monocoque, which are made entirely from carbon-fibre. Beneath are staggered alloy wheels (20-inch front, 21-inch rear) wrapped in Pirelli P Zero Corsa rubber.

Behind the classically styled wheels resides a carbon ceramic braking system capable of hauling the 1595kg (dry) supercar up from 100-0km/h in 30 metres.

Inside the cabin is an 8.4-inch infotainment touchscreen featuring Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity as well as a unique button that, when pressed, explains the Countach design philosophy.

Just 112 examples of the new-age Countach will be produced, with first deliveries slated to begin in in the first quarter of next year.

Lamborghini president and CEO Stephan Winkelmann said the new model was as visionary today as the original was back in the 1970s.

“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’,” he said.

“The Countach LPI 800-4 pays homage to this Lamborghini legacy but it is not retrospective: it imagines how the iconic Countach of the 70s and 80s might have evolved into an elite super sports model of this decade. 

“It is a Lamborghini that innately expresses the marque’s enduring and emotive power: always inspirational and thrilling to see, hear and most of all drive.”

Announcing the Ford GT ’64 Prototype Heritage Edition, program manager Mike Severson said it will be the first commemorative model to “go beyond celebrating race wins”.

“This one goes deep, and honours the earliest of Ford supercar heritage,” he said, describing it as “a modern interpretation of the original, with no mistaking what this car is paying tribute to”.