2022 Lamborghini Countach confirmed as limited-run hybrid V12 hypercar

New 803bhp special edition borrows Sian drivetrain and design cues from 1970s original

This is the all-new Lamborghini Countach LPI 800-4, and 50 years after the first appearance of the original, the 2022 version is a limited-run hybrid V12 special. Revealed at The Quail during Monterey Car Week in California, just 112 models will be built, with prices starting at £1.7 million … before taxes.

The Italian supercar maker says the new Countach has been designed as a modern ‘descendant’ of the 1974 model, rather than an imitation.

There’s no denying the retro touches on the 2022 model are appealing, including a shallow glasshouse which mimics that of the original. There’s also distinctive ‘Periscopio’ lines which run from the roof to the rear deck, trapezoidal rear light housings, black NACA intakes along the flanks, and deep side gills, all of which draw inspiration from the original icon.

The LPI 800-4 is powered by a hybrid-assisted 6.5-litre V12 borrowed from the Sian hypercar. While the combustion element produces 769bhp, it’s supplemented by another 34bhp delivered by the 48-volt electric motor; the latter helps sharpen the throttle response even further.

Mirroring the Sian, the new Countach’s electric motor is powered by a supercapacitor; this pumps out three times more power than a lithium-ion battery of the same weight.The powertrain’s combined 803bhp is sent to all four wheels via a seven-speed single-clutch gearbox. The resulting performance means 0-62mph in 2.8 seconds, and a top speed of 221mph.

Lamborghini says the new car benefits from what it calls the most advanced chassis technology available. The monocoque chassis and body panels are made from carbonfibre, contributing to a dry weight of just 1,595kg. Behind the ‘telephone dial’ wheels — a reference to the dramatic wheels of the later Countach LP5000 — there are carbon-ceramic brakes. Track-focused Pirelli P Zero Corsa tyres complete the picture.

Inside, the new Countach’s cabin will feature 3D printed air vents, plus bespoke comfort seats and a square motif on the dashboard.. Above the driver’s head there’s also a photocromatic glass roof, which changes from opaque to transparent at the push of a button.

“The first Countach has been present in our Centro Stile as a model for some years now,” Lamborghini’s chief designer Mitja Borkert, said. “Whenever I look at it, it gives me goose bumps and it serves as the perfect reminder for me and the entire design team to design every future Lamborghini in a visionary and futuristic way.”

Borkert added: “The first Countach shaped the Lamborghini design DNA like no other car; the new Countach translates that unconventional and edgy character into the future.”

And the new Countach was further praised by Lamborghini President and CEO, Stephan Winkelmann.

“The Countach LPI 800-4 is a visionary car of the moment, just as its forerunner was,” he said. “The Countach LPI 800-4 pays homage to the 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.

“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’.”