Few exotic machines achieved bedroom poster status over the decades, and one of the most present in boys' rooms throughout the '70s, '80s, and '90s was the Lamborghini Countach.
The model first came out in 1974, with Bertone's Marcello Gandini behind the design of the LP500 prototype and Paolo Stanzani leaving his mark on the production variant.
Serving as a successor to the Miura and preceding the Diablo in Lambo's stable of pure automotive history, the Countach came out in multiple versions throughout the years. At the end of its life cycle, the Sant'Agata Bolognese marque launched the 25th Anniversary Edition. This is considered to be the most refined variant ever, as Lamborghini certainly had the time to improve everything.
On top of that, it was also the brand's fastest model at the time, being clocked at only 4.7 seconds from zero to sixty mph (0 to 97 kph). That might not mean anything these days, yet you should remember that it was developed in the 1970s. The Countach 25th Anniversary Edition came with a 5.2-liter naturally aspirated V12 engine that was mated to a dog-leg gearbox with five speeds and pure rear-wheel drive.
Photo: Screenshot Youtube | Tedward
According to the official spec sheet from back in the day, the 25th Anniversary Edition of the Lamborghini Countach had 449 brake horsepower to play with. It translates to 455 metric horses or 335 kilowatts. The thrust was rated at 369 pound-feet (500 Nm), and the supercar had a 185 mph (298 kph) top speed. If the numbers seem familiar, they're shared by the 5000 Quattro Valvole and by the Evoluzione prototype.
Alongside the iconic Miura and the Diablo, Murcielago, and Aventador that followed, the Countach has helped shape Lamborghini as the exotic car manufacturer we all know. In the modern day and age, the company's flagship supercar has gone hybrid. The model is called the Revuelto and retains the naturally aspirated V12 recipe, although with electric assistance from three motors, backed up by a 3.8 kWh battery pack.
The 1,001 hp produced enables the 0-62 mph (0-100 kph) in just 2.5 seconds, allowing it to hit 124 mph (200 kph) in under seven seconds. The Revuelto's top speed is 217 mph (350 kph), and it can also travel on battery power alone for short periods.
Lamborghini's future certainly looks bright, and it has its prosperous past to thank for it. But since we've ventured far from the original topic of this story, we'd better get back in the saddle and tell you that if you were looking for a reason to take a break, this is it. By this, we mean the video embedded below, which is over 24 minutes long and provides a pure POV driving experience of the Countach 25th Anniversary, sprinkled with helpful information.
After a series of unfortunate events put an end to Cristian's dream of entering a custom built & tuned old-school Dacia into a rally competition, he moved on to drive press cars and write for a living. He's worked for several automotive online journals and now he's back at autoevolution after his first tour in the mid-2000s. Full profile
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