Lamborghini pulled an absolute blinder on us last week by announcing that it would revive the storied Countach nameplate as part of the original wedge supercar’s 50th anniversary. But it looks like it couldn’t sustain the surprise for quite long enough, as a series of leaked images have surfaced on social media.
As you can see, Sant’Agata Bolognese is taking the reincarnated moniker very seriously, as the car is very strongly inspired by its namesake. Aside from the very Marcello Gandini doorstopper profile, the new Countach also features rectangular headlights (sans the pop-up units), trapezoidal bonnet and a slim full-width front grille reminiscent of the bumper bar on the original.
Moving to the side of the car, you can spot the dramatic angular wheel arches, triangular side air intakes (a welcome nod to the original’s NACA ducts) and louvres aft of the side windows. The rear is a bit more modern, with Sián-inspired hexagonal taillights poking out of the trademark bone-shaped apertures, plus a large diffuser with massive quad tailpipes.
Thankfully, Lamborghini has eschewed the barrage of wings and scoops found on later Countaches (in particular the over-the-top 25th Anniversary), returning to the simple streamlined look of the first iteration, the LP400. The deep chin spoiler with its trapezoidal intakes is about the only deviation from this aesthetic.
While the images look to be three-dimensional renders, the car appears to be the real deal, matching the teasers (which showed the aforementioned grille and the fuel filler cap) released earlier in the week. It also reveals the LPI 800-4 name suffix that hints at what’s under the louvred engine cover.
The “LPI” bit was first seen on the Asterion concept and stands for longitudinale posteriore ibrido, or hybrid rear longitudinal, referring to the engine’s positioning and configuration. This means that the mill, likely a naturally-aspirated V12, should receive some form of electrification.
Speaking to Autocar, CEO Stephan Winkelmann said that Lamborghini’s second model introduction this year – after the Aventador LP 780-4 Ultimae – will feature the company’s supercapacitor technology, first seen on the Sián FKP 37. As such, it is expected to be feature that car’s powertrain, a 785 PS 6.5 litre V12 mated to a 34 PS electric motor to deliver a total system output of 818 PS.
Reports suggest that the reborn Countach will be limited to 112 units and will be officially revealed at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance this weekend. The short production run means that it won’t replace the Aventador – that car is likely to be succeeded by a more conventional battery-powered plug-in hybrid supercar.
The post Lamborghini Countach LPI800-4 leaked – throwback looks, hybrid V12 with supercapacitor from Sián appeared first on Paul Tan's Automotive News.
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