Lamborghini Countach

The Countach made its public debut at the 1971 Geneva motor show. The design of the ultra low two seater sports car took the world by surprise. Its most captivating parts were of course the scissor doors, swinging up and forward. Over the years these famous doors have become Lamborghini�s trade mark right up to the latest Murcièlago.The projected 5.0 litre V12 would be longitudinally positioned at the rear. This engine lay-out by the way was reflected in the prototype�s designation: LP 500 or Longitudinale Posteriore five litre. To improve weight distribution, the five-speed gearbox would be rather unconventionally mounted ahead of the engine, virtually between the seats. This meant that the driveshaft had to go all the way underneath the engine to the final drive. The proposed solution was to let it run in its own tunnel right through the engine�s sump. This in turn raised the engine position (and with it the centre of gravity) forcing the carburettors to be repositioned horizontally to fit under the bonnet. Fuel would be stored in two fuel tanks.Another unique feature of the Lamborghini Countach development story is the fact that it had been designed around the then new Pirelli P7 tyre. Development of the latter got however behind and the new tyres would not appear before 1978. That is why the prototype and the first generation of road cars stood on rather modest 7.5x14 and 9.5x14 cast magnesium Campagnolo wheels shod with Michelin 205/70 and 215/70 respectively.The 5.0 litre V12 project was abandoned after the engine exploded during tests. Instead Lamborghini reverted to a more reliable 4.0 litre version based on the Miura power plant. Still with four camshafts and six horizontal two barrel carburettors, the V12 delivered 375 bhp at an incredibly high 8,000 rpm and 368 lb ft of torque at 5,500 rpm. The prototype�s futuristic but very un-Lambo interior was done away with and replaced with a more traditionally styled leather-clad dashboard and seats.

price $118 000 USD
engine V12 valvetrain DOHC 2 Valves / Cyl
displacement 4754 cc / 290.1 cu in
bore 85.5 mm / 3.37 in stroke 69.0 mm / 2.72 in
compression 9.2:1
power 279.6 kw / 374.9 bhp @ 7000 rpm
hp per litre 78.86
bhp per litre bhp/weight
torque 409.5 nm / 302.0 ft lbs @ 4500 rpm
drive wheels Mid Engine / RWD
body / frame Aluminum
width 2000 mm / 78.7 in
height 1070 mm / 42.1 in
transmission 5-Speed Manual
top speed 300.0 kph / 186.4 mph
0 - 60 mph 5.6 seconds