LP5000S

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dinkel

Original Poster:

26,886 posts

257 months

Wednesday 13th July 2005
quotequote all
Dinkel's dreamcars: Lamborghini Countach LP5000S review.


1983 Lamborghini Countach LP5000S


Side impact: the classic Bertone en profil. Rims are only 15" and the 6 double Webers are mounted on both sides of the V12 to keep the silhouette low.


Pirelli notes down all the Countach P-Zero orders and produces all those tires for one year.

A short story: almost a year back I started the Miura thread.
http://pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?t=114955&...
On page 1 Phil James described his Lambo Espada and a few months later I enjoyed his cars pics - taken by Matthew Howell - from Octane Magazine's (01-05) Glam Shock pages. Around that time PH-member Klassiekerrally mailed me about his friend, who had an S3. He showed me some Espada pics and - one leads to another - he invited me to experience the car in the real world. I just couldn't wait to be his passenger in that luvly piece of Italian V12 fourseater. But that was a bit too optimistic. Due to enginetroubles the Espada's V12 wouldn't run proper. But hey - an '83 Countach LP5000S was available. Wasn't that my poster on the wall in 1983?

Inside a supercar
And here we are. The proud owner sure has a nose for mint classics. Behind his garagedoor a gorgous S1 4.2 E-type is safely cocooned. And the even more desirable Lamborghini Espada S3 is openend up to fix a too high compression rate. Her white leather interior is a huge contrast to the LP5000S functional and black cockpit. Where the spacious Espada offers perfect seats, surround view and a comfy ride, the Countach has a tight fit bare essential sit-and-be-quiet interior. My 1.86 cm not really mini-me only just fit with a flat hand distance head to roof and a flat hand distance right ear to roll-bar. Square lines dominate and just a few round clocks are present to give you the essential info. The seat secures my body and prevent me from moving about. I buckle up and slam down the legendary scisserdoor which cut me off from the outside world.

Sound and vision
The driver turns the ignition key and the magnificent and dark growling powerhouse spits all brutal evil from the four fist thick exhaustpipes. Those six big double 45mm Webers won't offer Ferrari smoothness here. What's to come can be predicted. The engine was still warm from a little brunchspot hoon. Still the 5000 needs a bit of building up oilpressure for a minute or so. After that she's ready to move her white Bertone body. The 15" wheels and the extreme stiff suspension offer a sensational tight ride. That afternoon my head and right ear never touched the leather.

Everything says 'go forward' and that's exactly what happends. The engine doesn't protest switching gears at about 2500 rpm. But she's ready and awake to raise hell. The spade in the bucket pops and bangs spit flames from the tail. It's a shame really all the aural fireworks are there for those who are passed or try to keep up. Because without noticeing this supercar drives at double speed. An eye on the speedo really says 75 and we're just cruising a bit . . . The rural road is lingering in front of us. And the engine feels very OK. It Sounds very OK too: loud with a capital L. All the thundering rasps and overtones make clear this is the business. Time to step on it. There's so much torque for this 1480 kg car you really don't need to switch gear much.

And that's what we'll do: although speeds between 60 and 115 mph make clear this wasn't a one-finger on the steer job the ride is remarkable solid and relaxing. The car seems perfectly controlable and doesn't waste any of the drivers input. Hard braking slows down without any fading and a hard stepping right foot gives pace a chance. And what pace! The growling 6.5k rpm soundtrack is hammering and fuels power to those big 345mm wide P-Zeroes. There is no body-roll, no vibration and absolutely nothing that indicates we're driving an inch from the limits. Only once we stepped a few inches aside. The rough tarmac made the Countach slide because of some heavy braking. But all happends in such a predictable manner. You don't have to guess anything. It's happening and you'll feel and sense it. Even as a pessenger I felt what was going on.

Cozy
After a while I felt completely at home in this small place. With the comforting mechanical whining of the gearbox under my left arm and my rightleg resting at the wheelcase, the extreme beefy 12 doing her job just a few inch behind me and the landscape blurring away it just felt so easy. We discussed some Lambo history, engine characteristics and - off course - the present experience. It sure was a most enjoyable ride.

At any speed all what comes under the wheels gives information in an ultra direct manner. The contact is very intense and physical. Inside the fragrance of oil and gas make clear this car is not for hairdressers. I never had the feeling the Countach was going anywhere the driver didn't want. And wanting where to go is not an easy piece. The clutch is heavy, the gearchange needs a muscle and the small steeringwheel is sensitive. Power delivery is smooth in a linear sense but the carbs have a soul of their own. Thrust is raw and brutal offering acceleration in a layered kind of way. Compared to nowadays cars it's all down to the 70s technique here. A nowadays GTi has similar performance with all the comfort and the gadgets. But just standing in front of this magnificent white beast from outer space - the classic supercar of all supercars - and she'll make you clear there once were other cars.

Dinkel, june 2005

Edited by dinkel on Wednesday 22 June 12:06

maserati3200gt

1,576 posts

233 months

Wednesday 13th July 2005
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Lovely Looking Car !

bad_roo

5,187 posts

236 months

Wednesday 13th July 2005
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I would love to see a Countach being driven in anger at the Nurburgring.

klassiekerrally

2,543 posts

254 months

Wednesday 13th July 2005
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This one won't be
The owner (a friend of mine) has bought it with the cilinderheads removed. He completely rebuilt the engine himself!
Since he had the engine out, he completely restored the enginebay.
And the rear suspension as well.

For a few weeks the ignition module almost died. Original replacement costs about € 2500,-!!!
He had a after-market piece installed for about € 250,- (!) and the Countach now REALLY goes like stink...
Dinkel, it seems you have to have another go in it!

dinkel

Original Poster:

26,886 posts

257 months

Thursday 14th July 2005
quotequote all
The Espada first?


Interiour is basic and practical. Look at those speakerholes: beautifull designed but completely useless.


This V12 is one of the best sounding engines and a classic. Notice the ram-air intakes.


I think the Countach is the first true modern supercar.

Edited by dinkel on Monday 7th May 19:27

klassiekerrally

2,543 posts

254 months

Thursday 14th July 2005
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I guess that can be arranged

guydw

1,651 posts

282 months

Thursday 14th July 2005
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I love the Countach - I am definately going to buy one at some point ....

bosscerbera

8,188 posts

242 months

Thursday 14th July 2005
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Nice one Dinkel!

Alex M

1,453 posts

236 months

Thursday 14th July 2005
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Great story Dinkel, it made me feel as if I had driven the Countach as well...

anonymous-user

53 months

Thursday 14th July 2005
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Give pace a chance.

wizzpig

2,039 posts

227 months

Thursday 14th July 2005
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That's some nice work there Dinkel

Still, one of my all time favourites, and an object of desire right up there with Sam Fox and Linda Lusardi (sp?) throughout my school years. Best served in red or white too methinks. Black is nice too though.

"..the red Lamborghini has vanished, but there's a red one behind us honkin' it's horn, er, correction, it's passin' us, and it's got a couple of great looking chicks in it...."

Splodge S4

1,519 posts

236 months

Friday 15th July 2005
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wizzpig said:
That's some nice work there Dinkel

Still, one of my all time favourites, and an object of desire right up there with Sam Fox and Linda Lusardi (...."


Your right, i think the Lamo has aged better though.

klassiekerrally

2,543 posts

254 months

Friday 15th July 2005
quotequote all
Just got back from a short trip with the Countach.
As a passenger that is.
You know what's the funniest of it all?
All the people watching, making pictures, almost falling of their bikes, following you for miles in their euroboxes and encouraging the driver to press the loud pedal by making wild gestures.
It's terrifying in what manner and how fast highly illegal speeds are reached. You really have absolutely no clue how fast you go untill you look at the speedo...
This car can't be beaten by any other car (or anything else) if your talking about presence.
You could put a Koenigsegg next to it, but people wouldn't notice it I guess...

dinkel

Original Poster:

26,886 posts

257 months

Tuesday 24th February 2009
quotequote all
Bump. Toms beastie on Jalopnik:

http://jalopnik.com/tag/lamborghini-countach-5000s...

Thanx Wim.

countachman

1,284 posts

210 months

Tuesday 24th February 2009
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I am loving the thread, so good to hear that people are still so keen on the car, I am looking forward to driving it next month. D

Kylie

4,391 posts

256 months

Tuesday 24th February 2009
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dinkel said:
Bump. Toms beastie on Jalopnik:

http://jalopnik.com/tag/lamborghini-countach-5000s...

Thanx Wim.
Thanks for this I got my daily fix lick I love following tear down and re builds such as these. smile

dinkel

Original Poster:

26,886 posts

257 months

Wednesday 25th February 2009
quotequote all
THAT car is an absolute cracker. The owner does all the work himself.

Besides this Countach he has a one-owner Espada S3 and a convertible E-type S1. He restores XK-Jags to a point which will make you drool.

dinkel

Original Poster:

26,886 posts

257 months

Monday 12th September 2011
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dinkel

Original Poster:

26,886 posts

257 months

Tuesday 15th January 2013
quotequote all
Octane read:

Lamborghini Countach vs Ferrari Testarossa

The world has changed a lot since the mid-1980s, more than those of us of a certain age would like to think. Roads are more clogged, speed limits are lower and more numerous, much of the population adopts a higher moral tone when fast and thirsty cars are involved. All of which alters the way we see cars such as the Lamborghini Countach and the Ferrari Testarossa, the twin peaks (limited-run hypercars excepted) of 1980s supercardom.

Read on here.

- registration needed -

dinkel

Original Poster:

26,886 posts

257 months

Friday 29th March 2013
quotequote all
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a2vcT1bq2XA&lis...

1986 Lamborghini Countach - Jay Leno's Garage: An Italian exclamation of astonishment! The hottest supercar of the 1980s.