RE: PH Heroes: Lamborghini Countach
Discussion
Square vans are simple compared to a car you can't see any extremity on. I hired a Vito and found it easy to drive and reverse but havs scuffs on my Mondeo Mk IV due to being unable to see where the back might be. I imagine the mirros on the Countach don't give much of a rear view bar the intakes.
LuS1fer said:
Square vans are simple compared to a car you can't see any extremity on. I hired a Vito and found it easy to drive and reverse but havs scuffs on my Mondeo Mk IV due to being unable to see where the back might be. I imagine the mirros on the Countach don't give much of a rear view bar the intakes.
Exactly, plus vans have massive mirrors to help.St John Smythe said:
LuS1fer said:
Square vans are simple compared to a car you can't see any extremity on. I hired a Vito and found it easy to drive and reverse but havs scuffs on my Mondeo Mk IV due to being unable to see where the back might be. I imagine the mirros on the Countach don't give much of a rear view bar the intakes.
Exactly, plus vans have massive mirrors to help.Tell you what, when I go home I'll try to reverse in to my parking space without looking behind me or checking the mirrors. If an Elise needing a new rear clam is in the classifieds tomorrow you'll know how it went.
Think my parents spent a fortune on Athena posters in the 80's to adorn my bedroom wall. At the Coventry festival of motoring the other week the sporting bears were doing passenger rides for charity.
I was dubious due to all the never meet your heroes stuff and some bad press reviews on TG and some classic car mags. Anyway my wife stumped up and off I went for a ride, all I can say is epic. I'm 37 but nt ashamed to say I giggled. Like the 14 year old school boy that had the posters.
IMHO the best supercar ever
I was dubious due to all the never meet your heroes stuff and some bad press reviews on TG and some classic car mags. Anyway my wife stumped up and off I went for a ride, all I can say is epic. I'm 37 but nt ashamed to say I giggled. Like the 14 year old school boy that had the posters.
IMHO the best supercar ever
Quite simply the first supercar I ever saw on the street. A Black 500QV roared down the street and came to a slow stop at the lights right in front of me. I froze, I stood there just staring, the whole world stopped and I had no idea what on earth I was looking at. Logical thinking led me to believe it the driver had to be the richest man on earth or a king, because the car was so far removed from the reality of the traffic beside and behind it this would be the only thing that made sense. The brain couldn't take it all in for that short time it was sat at the lights. It was an occasion, a complete, total show-stopper and I remember that day so clearly. Every sighting of a supercar since has an event to savor.
On the 1st of August, I would wait patiently for the brand new Ferrari's to come down our road and park up, they seemed like they cost hundreds of millions of pounds and so far out of reach then. Sightings of the only offering from Lamborghini were so rare then, when you saw them it was a very special moment. I remember one being parked on one of the squares behind Oxford Street. Black Anniversary, wingless with a plate that read something like "2 OTT or 02 OTT". There was also one parked in what I think was a small dealer behind the Dorchester, just opposite the rear of the hotel perhaps? Small space, almost liked likr an estate agent's office window IIRC, with a Countach parked right up front facing the street. I sat there for hours one evening just taking this thing in, wondering how on earth I could get my hands on it. Stunning, all iterations of it, even the Anniversary in the right colour which was the biggest middle finger salute to anyone and everything of all time.
Absolute legend and rightly deserves its place in automotive history as a legend.
On the 1st of August, I would wait patiently for the brand new Ferrari's to come down our road and park up, they seemed like they cost hundreds of millions of pounds and so far out of reach then. Sightings of the only offering from Lamborghini were so rare then, when you saw them it was a very special moment. I remember one being parked on one of the squares behind Oxford Street. Black Anniversary, wingless with a plate that read something like "2 OTT or 02 OTT". There was also one parked in what I think was a small dealer behind the Dorchester, just opposite the rear of the hotel perhaps? Small space, almost liked likr an estate agent's office window IIRC, with a Countach parked right up front facing the street. I sat there for hours one evening just taking this thing in, wondering how on earth I could get my hands on it. Stunning, all iterations of it, even the Anniversary in the right colour which was the biggest middle finger salute to anyone and everything of all time.
Absolute legend and rightly deserves its place in automotive history as a legend.
[quote=Justices]Quite simply the first supercar I ever saw on the street. A Black 500QV roared down the street and came to a slow stop at the lights right in front of me. I froze, I stood there just staring, the whole world stopped and I had no idea what on earth I was looking at. Logical thinking led me to believe it the driver had to be the richest man on earth or a king, because the car was so far removed from the reality of the traffic beside and behind it this would be the only thing that made sense. The brain couldn't take it all in for that short time it was sat at the lights. It was an occasion, a complete, total show-stopper and I remember that day so clearly. Every sighting of a supercar since has an event to savor.
quote]
I love this, and totally agree on everything except that last point. Maybe I spent too long working in the City or maybe I see too many here in Singapore but to me, the 599's, the 911 turbo's, the Maclaren's, even the Gallardo's just don't have the visual oomph that these cars had.
See a Murcielago here in Singapore or a Zonda and you nod an appreciative "Now there's a proper supercar". See one of the others burp past and I don't.
To me the Countach and the Pantera are the original badass schoolboy-poster supercar. So interesting that the purist collector wants the slim body, wingless version where so many people here want the bulges and the wings.
Well, I've now bought my dream car (The Top Trump from my pack of cards, aged 8) a Pantera GT5. It's the full caffeine version with Bulges, wing and 345 section Pirelli's. Add in the 471 bhp/466 lbft 393ci engine that's just been fitted and there you have it, my idea of heaven. I'm done.
Tom
quote]
I love this, and totally agree on everything except that last point. Maybe I spent too long working in the City or maybe I see too many here in Singapore but to me, the 599's, the 911 turbo's, the Maclaren's, even the Gallardo's just don't have the visual oomph that these cars had.
See a Murcielago here in Singapore or a Zonda and you nod an appreciative "Now there's a proper supercar". See one of the others burp past and I don't.
To me the Countach and the Pantera are the original badass schoolboy-poster supercar. So interesting that the purist collector wants the slim body, wingless version where so many people here want the bulges and the wings.
Well, I've now bought my dream car (The Top Trump from my pack of cards, aged 8) a Pantera GT5. It's the full caffeine version with Bulges, wing and 345 section Pirelli's. Add in the 471 bhp/466 lbft 393ci engine that's just been fitted and there you have it, my idea of heaven. I'm done.
Tom
tch911 said:
I love this, and totally agree on everything except that last point. Maybe I spent too long working in the City or maybe I see too many here in Singapore but to me, the 599's, the 911 turbo's, the Maclaren's, even the Gallardo's just don't have the visual oomph that these cars had.
See a Murcielago here in Singapore or a Zonda and you nod an appreciative "Now there's a proper supercar". See one of the others burp past and I don't.
To me the Countach and the Pantera are the original badass schoolboy-poster supercar. So interesting that the purist collector wants the slim body, wingless version where so many people here want the bulges and the wings.
Well, I've now bought my dream car (The Top Trump from my pack of cards, aged 8) a Pantera GT5. It's the full caffeine version with Bulges, wing and 345 section Pirelli's. Add in the 471 bhp/466 lbft 393ci engine that's just been fitted and there you have it, my idea of heaven. I'm done.
Tom
And this is where the term "supercar" becomes tricky. Diablo, Zonda, Murci SV, Enzo, F40, F50, 288GTO.. these are SUPERcars for me. The ones that make you do silly things, make silly sounds, spin around in the street shouting expletives. They fill you with excitement and unease like seeing a wild lion, wondering if you could possibly pat it on the head, but knowing that someone somewhere had their hand bitten off and got a jolly good mauling for daring to try. The Gallardos, Ferrari V8s and the others, it's tough to call them sports cars because they are far more than that, they deliver supercar performance but maybe because you know mistakes will ultimately be tolerated, safety is assured even when talent runs out and that they are far more visible, arguably reliable and accessible than any of the big, bad supercars from the 80s and 90s, they just don't elicit the same feeling. Naturally I look, I have to, I have no option, no matter how many of them I've seen. But they don't do for me what the big, bad, heavy-hitting SUPERcars do. More so over here in HK and even more so in Singapore when you appreciate that we are paying double and you nearly triple (not to mention your insurance premiums there) for the pleasure.See a Murcielago here in Singapore or a Zonda and you nod an appreciative "Now there's a proper supercar". See one of the others burp past and I don't.
To me the Countach and the Pantera are the original badass schoolboy-poster supercar. So interesting that the purist collector wants the slim body, wingless version where so many people here want the bulges and the wings.
Well, I've now bought my dream car (The Top Trump from my pack of cards, aged 8) a Pantera GT5. It's the full caffeine version with Bulges, wing and 345 section Pirelli's. Add in the 471 bhp/466 lbft 393ci engine that's just been fitted and there you have it, my idea of heaven. I'm done.
Tom
That GTS is stunning by the way. Congratulations!
alexpa said:
It's not what you do
It's how you do it.
Be anything you want to be
It's not what you got
It's how you use it
You be you
And I'll be me
It's just a matter of st-aaaaaaaaaaaaa-AAAAAAAAA-AAAAAAAAAAA-yle
You can't fake it...
Mile after mile
Feeling free
If you got the sooooooo-OOOOOOOOOOOOO-ooooooooul
you can make it
Move-em out
Let 'em roll
From sea to shining sea
Ball
Cannonball
CANNONBAAAAAAAAAAAAALL
Singing it in my head thats how it sounds. I think I can trace my love of cars back to the noise that Lambo makes in the starting sequence. It's how you do it.
Be anything you want to be
It's not what you got
It's how you use it
You be you
And I'll be me
It's just a matter of st-aaaaaaaaaaaaa-AAAAAAAAA-AAAAAAAAAAA-yle
You can't fake it...
Mile after mile
Feeling free
If you got the sooooooo-OOOOOOOOOOOOO-ooooooooul
you can make it
Move-em out
Let 'em roll
From sea to shining sea
Ball
Cannonball
CANNONBAAAAAAAAAAAAALL
Athena posters gave the countach a deserved wider worshipping audience than most cars of the 70's and quite right too.
The Countach & the Lancia Stratos prototypes were simply shocking compared to mainstream cars like all of British Leyland's, for instance especially in their pooh palette of colours. Well Done Gandini & Bertone for having the vision to take us spectacularly into the future at full throttle. Who voted 9? You should be ashamed of yourselves, I wanted to vote 11 to redress the balance!
The Countach & the Lancia Stratos prototypes were simply shocking compared to mainstream cars like all of British Leyland's, for instance especially in their pooh palette of colours. Well Done Gandini & Bertone for having the vision to take us spectacularly into the future at full throttle. Who voted 9? You should be ashamed of yourselves, I wanted to vote 11 to redress the balance!
I have a cunning plan to buy Harry Metcalfe's Countach when he gets fed up with it-loved his latest piece in Evo where he went to Pirelli to make some P7's for it, it also has my initials JAR on the number plate so surely it must be my fate to own it eventually...now where did I put my PPI claim form?
Car magazines 3 Lambo's driven back to blighty from Sant Agata was pure genius, shame the current one is wanting.
Mel Nichols, LJK Setright and George Bishop-I salute you for giving me Lamborghini fever. Can Pistonheads borrow, a Countach and recreate the Athena posters? Are they still available?
Mel Nichols, LJK Setright and George Bishop-I salute you for giving me Lamborghini fever. Can Pistonheads borrow, a Countach and recreate the Athena posters? Are they still available?
Justices said:
And this is where the term "supercar" becomes tricky.
It is a question of relativity. In the 60s and 70s we had some iconic and smooth designs which were largely safe and sensible "big GT" designs and then came the Countach and tore up the design book.Today, we have so many wannabe sports car manufacturers all trying to get sales and play relatively safe and incorporate design cues from their dull and boring sh*tboxes that very few attain the relative "Wow!" factor. With legislation and safety requirements, I'm not sure they ever will again.
Even now, the Espada remains the best looking 4 seat supercar ever made IMHO.
TobyLaRohne said:
alexpa said:
It's not what you do
It's how you do it.
Be anything you want to be
It's not what you got
It's how you use it
You be you
And I'll be me
It's just a matter of st-aaaaaaaaaaaaa-AAAAAAAAA-AAAAAAAAAAA-yle
You can't fake it...
Mile after mile
Feeling free
If you got the sooooooo-OOOOOOOOOOOOO-ooooooooul
you can make it
Move-em out
Let 'em roll
From sea to shining sea
Ball
Cannonball
CANNONBAAAAAAAAAAAAALL
Singing it in my head thats how it sounds. I think I can trace my love of cars back to the noise that Lambo makes in the starting sequence. It's how you do it.
Be anything you want to be
It's not what you got
It's how you use it
You be you
And I'll be me
It's just a matter of st-aaaaaaaaaaaaa-AAAAAAAAA-AAAAAAAAAAA-yle
You can't fake it...
Mile after mile
Feeling free
If you got the sooooooo-OOOOOOOOOOOOO-ooooooooul
you can make it
Move-em out
Let 'em roll
From sea to shining sea
Ball
Cannonball
CANNONBAAAAAAAAAAAAALL
VladD said:
That's track 1 on my driving album, which fortunately I have on my phone and am listerning too now while I work (sic).
you have a driving album?...do you keep driving glove in your glove box too? 
It's ok, I'm a bit like that too,(the music not the gloves bit)...cant start a journey in the corvette without Back in Black blasting out
Tenko said:
Say these at the italian car and bike show , Brought back many happy memories of childhood
pagani1 said:
I have a cunning plan to buy Harry Metcalfe's Countach when he gets fed up with it-loved his latest piece in Evo where he went to Pirelli to make some P7's for it, it also has my initials JAR on the number plate so surely it must be my fate to own it eventually...now where did I put my PPI claim form?
Don't you dare! If he sells it on it'll stop appearing in the mag! Edited by BarbaricAvatar on Wednesday 5th September 12:32
I remember probably 22 years ago going on a road-trip with my dad.
Him driving an MG BGT, me a big car enthusiast aged just 8 or 9.
A white Countach passed us on the motorway...
Nothing more to it than that, but not many cars can etch themselves in your mind like that.
(A Ferrari F430 spider cruised past my work yesterday no more than 20ft from my desk, and today I couldn't remember it any clearer than that Lambo)
Him driving an MG BGT, me a big car enthusiast aged just 8 or 9.
A white Countach passed us on the motorway...
Nothing more to it than that, but not many cars can etch themselves in your mind like that.
(A Ferrari F430 spider cruised past my work yesterday no more than 20ft from my desk, and today I couldn't remember it any clearer than that Lambo)
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