Lamborghini Countach

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Lamborghini
Lamborghini Countach LP400
Lamborghini Countach LP400
Countach
Production period: 1974-1990
Class : Sports car
Body versions : Coupe
Engines:
Gasoline engines : 3.9-5.2 liters
(276-335 kW)
Length: 4140 mm
Width: 2000 mm
Height: 1070 mm
Wheelbase : 2450 mm
Empty weight : 1450 kg
Previous model Lamborghini Miura
successor Lamborghini Diablo
Lamborghini Countach LP400
Lamborghini Countach LP400S
Lamborghini Countach LP500S
Lamborghini Countach 25th Anniversary

The Lamborghini Countach [ kuŋˈtaʧ ] is a sports car from the vehicle manufacturer Lamborghini and was produced from 1974 to 1990. His name is sometimes incorrectly pronounced in German [ ˈkaʊn.tɘtʃ ].

etymology

The name Countach results from an exclamation in a dialect from Piedmont . The orthographically unspecified word Countach stands for an exclamation that combines astonishment and admiration, and can be translated as "Wow!" Or "Madness".

History of origin

At the beginning of March 1971, Lamborghini presented a design study called the LP500 at the Geneva Motor Show . LP stands for longitudinal posterior ("longitudinally rearward") and refers to the position of the motor. Originally no series production of the vehicle was planned, but the study was so well received that Lamborghini decided differently afterwards. However, the familiar 4-liter V12 engine was used initially. The mid-engine is not installed transversely , as in the previous Miura , but lengthways. What is unusual is the rear-wheel drive with a five-speed gearbox in front of the engine and a shaft through the oil pan to the differential gear .

A prototype of the Countach was presented to the public in March 1973 at the Geneva Motor Show , especially during the oil crisis . Lamborghini thought the car was so good that, in his opinion, it still had to sell. In March of the following year, the fully developed vehicle was also presented at the Geneva Motor Show. The first customer vehicle was delivered on April 11, 1974. Unlike the study, the series vehicles got NACA air inlets in the flanks and large air scoops on the rear fenders.

Model history

From 1974 to 1978 the vehicle was offered as the Lamborghini Countach LP400 . It had a V12 engine with a capacity of 3,929 cc and an engine output of 276 kW (375 hp ). In contrast to the Miura with platform frame , the Countach has a lattice frame , the body was designed by Marcello Gandini at Bertone , but produced by Lamborghini itself.

What were smooth curves on the Miura is angular and aggressive on the Countach. The windshield is extremely flat and the scissor doors open in a semicircle upwards and forwards. Gandini took up a concept that he had first implemented in 1968 with the Bertone Carabo show car . The LP400 was the fastest Lamborghini for ten years, not least because stricter emission regulations, especially in the USA, made it necessary to throttle the engine power of later models. It was only when Lamborghini equipped the LP500S with significantly more displacement that the performance of 1974 was achieved again.

From 1978 to 1982 the Lamborghini Countach LP400S was offered. It has the same engine as the LP400, but with a slightly reduced output of 261 kW (355 PS) and has a revised body with flared fenders and a front spoiler. An eye-catching rear wing was optionally available, which was supposed to increase the contact pressure on the rear axle. The customer vehicle of the Canadian oil magnate Walter Wolf served as a model (see below ).

After the following facelift , the Lamborghini Countach LP500S was produced from 1982 to 1985 . This model had a larger V12 engine with a displacement of 4,754 cm³ and an output of 276 kW (375 hp).

In 1985 the Lamborghini Countach LP5000S Quattrovalvole, or Countach LP5000S QV for short, followed . The displacement was increased to 5,167 cm³, the engine output rose to 335 kW (455 hp). This model has an engine with four valves per cylinder (Quattro Valvole (it.): Four valves). On this model, the bonnet has been arched slightly to create enough space for the larger engine. From this model series onwards, the Countach was also available in the United States . Externally, this vehicle was distinguished by the large bumpers prescribed there. In contrast to the European models, the mixture was prepared by a Bosch K-Jetronic injection system. The power was specified with 309 kW (420 hp); this model series was produced until 1988.

In 1988, an interim version was launched, it differs outwardly by sills with integrated air supply for the rear wheel brake, and an automatic air conditioning system is also installed, as can also be found in the following Anniversary. The last series was the Lamborghini Countach 25 Anniversary , built from 1988 to 1990 , an anniversary model for the 25th anniversary of Automobili Lamborghini, which was founded in 1963 . The engine power was not increased, but the body was changed. The rear lights and the panels in between were redesigned, there were sill panels with air intakes and a modified front spoiler with side air intakes.

Prototypes and custom-made products

Countach LP500

In contrast to the later production versions, the LP500 has a chassis and body made of sheet steel. There are no reliable values ​​available for driving performance, as the car is constantly changing and has never been officially tested by the trade press.

Walter Wolf Countach

In 1975 the multimillionaire Walter Wolf asked the then Lamborghini chief engineer Gian Paolo Dallara to give the Countach a little overhaul. The body was modified (similar to that of the LP 400 S, which was available from 1978), including a greatly enlarged rear wing and special interior fittings and a more powerful engine, namely the 5-liter V12 engine from the study with 330 kW ( 448 hp). Pirelli developed special tires for this model. It reached over 315 km / h. According to various sources, three copies were made. The first copy, painted red with the number 110148 is in Japan, another, painted blue in Germany (number 1120202). Wolf himself owned a blue Countach (number 1121210), whose current whereabouts are unknown.

Countach Turbo S

At the initiative of a Swiss dealer, two vehicles were converted to turbo charging. The maximum boost pressure was adjustable between 0.7 and 1.5 bar with a hand wheel ("steam wheel") while driving. The 12-cylinder engine with 4.8 l developed up to 550 kW (748 PS) and achieved a maximum torque of 876 Nm, which means a top speed of 333 km / h and an acceleration from 0 to 100 km / h in 3, 6 seconds was enough. This made the car the fastest road vehicle at the time. The first red copy, based on an LP400S from 1980, was long lost, but was rediscovered in Nevada in 2018. The second, black Turbo S is in the hands of a Swabian entrepreneur.

Countach Evoluzione

The Lamborghini Countach Evoluzione was the first prototype for a Countach successor. The special thing about it was the curb weight of only 980 kg. This was possible because the car was largely made of carbon fiber reinforced synthetic resin . In addition, no paintwork was used to save weight. The engine comes from the Countach, but develops 360 kW at 7500 rpm. The maximum speed is 330 km / h; it accelerates to 100 km / h in 4.2 seconds.

Countach L150

The L150 project was a redesign of the Countach with temperature-controlled slats instead of the large air openings, an aerodynamically better-shaped front of the car and flared fenders integrated into the side. The only prototype built is now in a private collection in Japan. It has a 5.2 l V12 engine that develops 335 kW (455 hp) at 7000 rpm.

Motor data

model Displacement Engine type power Max. Torque compression Mixture preparation
Study LP500 4971 cc V12 328 kW (446 hp ) 448 Nm at 5750 rpm 10.5: 1 Carburetor
LP400 3929 cc V12 276 kW (375 hp) 361 Nm at 5000 rpm 10.5: 1 Carburetor
LP400S 3929 cc V12 261 kW (355 hp) 356 Nm at 5000 rpm 10.5: 1 Carburetor
LP500S 4754 cc V12 276 kW (375 hp) 418 Nm at 4500 rpm 9.2: 1 Carburetor
LP5000S QV
25 Anniversary 		5167 cc V12 335 kW (455 hp) 500 Nm at 5200 rpm 9.5: 1 Carburetor
LP5000S QV
US version 		5167 cc V12 309 kW (420 hp) 9.5: 1 Injection system
1 × Bosch K-Jetronic per cylinder bank
Evoluzione 5167 cc V12 360 kW (490 hp) 9.5: 1 Carburetor
LP500 Turbo S prototype 4754 cc V12 549 kW (748 hp) 876 Nm at 4500 rpm 7.2: 1 charged with 2 turbochargers

Driving performance, consumption, weight

model Top speed Acceleration from 0 to 100 km / h Average consumption per 100 km Empty weight
LP500 prototype 300 km / h 5 s --- liters 1130 kg
LP400 309 km / h 5.4 s --- liters 1065 kg
LP400S 292 km / h 5.9 s --- liters 1200 kg
LP500S 300 km / h 5.4 s 26 liters 1480 kg
LP5000S QV 295 km / h 4.9 s 20-30 liters 1490 kg
25 Anniversary 295 km / h 4.9 s 20-30 liters 1590 kg
Evoluzione 330 km / h 4.2 s 20–50 liters 980 kg
LP500 Turbo S prototype 333 km / h 3.6 s --- liters 1515 kg

Test values

Measured values ​​from car, motor and sport :

LP 400 LP 500S LP 5000 QV
0-60 km / h 3.0 s 2.8 s
0-80 km / h 4.1 s 3.8 s
0-100 km / h 5.4 s 5.2 s 4.8 s
0-120 km / h 7.2 s 7.2 s
0-140 km / h 9.4 s 9.3 s 8.1 s
0-160 km / h 11.8 s 11.0 s
0-180 km / h 16.0 s 14.5 s 13.0 s
0-200 km / h 18.7 s 17.8 s 17.0 s
1 km with stand. begin 24.3 s 24.0 s 24.1 s
Top speed 288 km / h 293 km / h 298 km / h

Production numbers

LP500 LP400 LP400S LP500S Quattrovalvole 25 Anniversario Evoluzione L150 LP500 Turbo S.
1 piece 150/157 pieces 237 pieces 321 pieces 610 pieces 657 pieces 1 piece 1 piece 2 pieces
Lamborghini Countach kit car

Kit car

The Lamborghini Countach was very popular as a template for kit car manufacturers in Great Britain. The manufacturer Prova Designs alone produced over 1200 kits from the LP400S series between 1986 and 1999. The kit is said to have been so good that Ferruccio Lamborghini - he approved of the replica - described it as "better than the original". The manufacturers Mirage Countach (70 units LP400S), Panache Cars (60 units LP400), Brightwheel (25 units LP400S) and Silhouette Cars (23 units LP500S) produced small quantities of different models , so that not only in Great Britain far more replicas than real Countach were to be found on the streets.

literature

Web links

Commons : Lamborghini Countach  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ The pure lesson: Lamborghini Countach. www.radical-classics.com, pp. 3–4 , accessed on August 22, 2015 .
  2. ↑ Tobias Grüner: The new league of super athletes. (No longer available online.) Motor Presse Stuttgart , October 5, 2013, archived from the original on February 21, 2014 ; Retrieved February 7, 2014 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.motor-klassik.de
  3. ↑ The most beautiful cars in the world, Vann / Maxeiner, 1985
  4. ↑ 1 of 2, the Lost Countach Turbo ... March 5, 2018, accessed January 11, 2019 .
  5. ↑ Markus Stier: Warning, the cops are coming! Lamborghini Countach LP 5000 QV, Turbo S, LP 400. In: Motor Klassik. December 26, 2012, accessed on December 26, 2010 (online version of the article in issue 10/2010).
  6. ↑ Auto, Motor und Sport 15/1975
  7. ^ Auto, Motor and Sport 15/1983
  8. ^ Auto, Motor and Sport 18/1985
  9. ↑ Steve Hole: AZ of Kit Cars . Haynes Publishing, 2012, ISBN 978-1-84425-677-8 , p. 200
  10. ↑ See Steve Hole: AZ of Kit Cars . Haynes Publishing, 2012, ISBN 978-1-84425-677-8