Lamborghini rarely does retro design, but when the old car they take reference was the most avant-garde design in the 1970s, or even in the entire automotive history, why not? Almost 50 years on, Countach is still reckoned as the definitive Lamborghini with its space-age shape penned by Marcello Gandini. It was the poster car in the childhood of many billionaires today. That's why Lamborghini is recreating a Countach to please them.

The new Countach is designed base on the Aventador underpinnings, of course. As the latter has already introduced its final incarnation, the Ultimae, Lamborghini has time and capacity to do a special edition like this. It won't be cheap, of course. Some 112 cars will be built, with delivery starting from next spring. Each costs €2 million before tax, and most have been sold.



Invitably, the new body has to keep the silhouette of Aventador, as it is bounded by the same roof line, windscreen and windows. However, Lamborghini reshaped its front end like the orginal car. The sides use NACA ducts and hexagonal wheel arches to pay tribute to the original. The tail design is remarkably close to the original LP400, too. That said, fans of the classic model can still tell a lot of differences: the lack of pop-up headlamps, the oversized NACA ducts are not real NACA ducts, and the door windows not only lack split windows but they are not as inclined as the original design. Fans of later Countaches may also be disappointed with the lack of trademark rear wing. As good the new car models on the old one, it is still a modern car, with softer curves and surfaces that fail to replicate the wedge of the classic.



The new car is named Countach LPI 800-4, in which the number 800 represents its horsepower and the I is the Italian for hybrid. Its powertrain is taken from Sian, with the V12 rated at 780hp and a supercapacitor-supplied, 34hp electric motor is incorporated in the gearbox, taking the total output to 814hp. At 1595kg dry, it is 70kg heavier than an Aventador SVJ, but it quotes identical acceleration times, i.e. 0-60 in 2.7 seconds and 0-124 mph in 8.6 seconds. Top speed is lifted from 217 to 220.5 mph, the highest ever for Lamborghini.

After this car, the Aventador series will come to the end, so will the line of naturally aspirated V12. The next generation V12 model will be turned to plug-in hybrid, guaranteeing even more power but also more weight. And then? Most likely all-electric. The name Countach represents excitement and drama. With electrication coming, it seems that Lamborghini will be hard to reproduce another Countach in the future.

The S in Type S probably stands for Swan song. It is the last batch of the second generation NSX, which has been around since 2016. 350 units of Type S will be produced in the final production year of NSX. Considering the lukewarm sales performance of the car, we don't expect to see a replacement in the near future.

The Type S offers stronger power and a retuned chassis, good enough to lap Suzuka circuit 2 seconds quicker than the outgoing car. Its 3.5-liter twin-turbo V6 features higher flowing fuel injectors, higher performance intercoolers and new turbochargers, which lift peak boost pressure slightly from 1.05 to 1.1 bar. As a result, the V6 alone has its output boosted from 500 to 520 hp, and torque increases from 406 to 443 lbft. In addition to electric motors, the combined output is raised from 573 to 600hp and torque from 476 to 492 lbft, all are SAE figures.

Besides, Honda claims the electrical system gets more efficient, boosting 20 percent battery capacity and 10 percent battery power. Mind you, the battery on the old car is only 1.3kWh, so we had better to forget about EV range.

The 9-speed twin-clutch gearbox has been tuned, featuring faster gearshifts. Likewise, the adaptive dampers are retuned, the front and rear tracks are widened slightly, and new Pirelli P-Zero rubbers offer 6 percent more grip. Outside, the restyled nose enables more cooling to radiators. Tweaked air splitters and spoilers improve downforce, and the roof is now made of carbon-fiber.

If that's not enough, you may pay an extra $13K for Brembo ceramic brakes (which save 26kg) and a carbon-fiber engine cover. However, the latter is only a cosmetic panel, as the Type S uses the same glass hatch as the standard car.