1987 Lamborghini Countach 5000qv on 2040-cars

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Lamborghini teaser previews rebirth of original Countach LP500

Lamborghini's Countach revival at last month's Monterey Car Week perhaps didn't quite make the splash the company was hoping for. Many critics skewered the reskinned Sian as a retro cash grab, leaving Acura's vague announcement of a new Integra at the same time to generate far more excitement on the interwebs. Now Lamborghini's teasing the return of another Countach, but we think this one will face sunbstantially less ire. Lamborghini posted a mysterious teaser to social media yesterday, but kept coy on what exactly it was. The teaser's text merely said, "50 years ago it paved the road to the future. Now it's back on the road," accompanied by a roaring V12 soundtrack. No image of the car is actually shown, but we do get footage of craftsmen crafting a fantastic bucket seat that looks like the love child of Irving Harper and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe sofas. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. This is almost certainly a re-creation of the driver's perch of the original Countach LP500 concept that debuted on March 11, 1971, at the Geneva Motor Show. The yellow Gandini wedge would go into production in 1974 and sear itself into the imaginations of adolescents around the globe. However, this isn't a straightforward restoration project from Lamborghini's Polo Storico restoration center. After the show rounds, the Countach LP500 concept was used as a test mule, its 5.0-liter V12 reportedly destroyed and replaced with a four-liter closer to the production LP400's. Ultimately, according to Lamborghini, the concept gave its life in a 1974 crash test in order to homologate the production car. As the car was scrapped, it's technically not possible to restore the original. So, is Lamborghini re-creating the Countach LP500 concept? That part remains to be seen, but whatever it is, it'll likely be a better homage to the legend than the LPI800-4.

2025 Lamborghini Urus SE gets 788-horsepower PHEV system

Lamborghini is diving deeper into the electrification pool by releasing a plug-in hybrid variant of the Urus called SE. Unveiled at the 2024 Beijing auto show, the battery-electric SUV gets nearly 800 horsepower as well as a series of visual and technology updates inside and out. The Urus SE isn't the first plug-in hybrid member of the Lamborghini range; the 1,001-horsepower Revuelto claimed that spot. However, its importance shouldn't be understated: The Urus is the best-selling Lamborghini by a significant margin. The same approach to design that shaped the Revuelto permeated the Urus, and the Italian brand stresses that electrification is a way to offer enthusiasts more performance. Don't worry, there's still a V8 at the core of the system. It's a re-engineered version of the familiar, 4.0-liter twin-turbocharged eight that has powered the Urus since its inception, and it develops 611 horsepower and 590 pound-feet of torque on its own. It works jointly with an electric motor that's integrated into the eight-speed automatic transmission and linked to a 25.9-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery pack stuffed under the trunk floor. The drivertrain's total output checks in at 788 horsepower at 6,000 rpm and 699 pound-feet of torque from 1,750 to 5,750 rpm. Lamborghini quotes a 0-to-62-mph time of 3.4 seconds, a 194-mph top speed, and up to 37 miles of electric-only range. Electrification adds weight, and Lamborghini hasn't revealed how much the Urus SE weighs, but it points out that the model offers a better power-to-weight ratio than the existing Urus S. That's in spite of a new electric torque vectoring system that splits the drivetrain's output between the front and rear axles as needed and a limited-slip rear differential that provides what the brand calls "on-demand oversteering." Several visual changes set the SE apart from other members of the Urus range. Starting at the front, Lamborghini fitted smoother-looking headlights with matrix LED technology, a redesigned grille, and a new hood. Out back, the rear lights are now connected by a mesh-like piece of trim that echoes the Gallardo, according to company design boss Mitja Borkert. Too soon? Not quite; time flies, and the V10-powered Gallardo (which spearheaded Lamborghini's modern range of entry-level supercars) has already celebrated its 20th birthday. While these changes may sound small, they add up.

Former Ferrari F1 chief could be new Lamborghini CEO

The word on the street in Bologna is that Lamborghini is in for a changing of the guard. Current CEO Stephan Winkelmann is tipped to step down after 14 years at the helm in Sant'Agata, likely to move to another role at Audi. And in his place, the German automaker is anticipated to appoint Stefano Domenicali. Domenicali was formerly the head of Scuderia Ferrari, rising through the ranks at Maranello to succeed Jean Todt as team principal in 2008. He resigned in 2014 to be replaced first by Ferrari US chief Marco Mattiacci and then by Marlboro man Maurizio Arrivabene as the team has struggled to find its form again. Shortly after leaving Maranello, Domenicali took up a new position at Audi, where he was rumored to be working on the company's anticipated foray into Formula One with Red Bull. But after that program was shut down in the wake of the diesel emissions scandal, Domenicali is now tipped to move back to Italy to take over the supercar business. Stefano would be the second Domenicali to head an Italian performance brand under the VW/Audi umbrella, joining Ducati CEO Claudio Domenicali (they not believed to be related). The move would also be a particularly emphatic gesture to Sergio Marchionne. The Fiat Chrysler Automobiles chief has previously lost top lieutenants to Volkswagen, most notably Luca de Meo, who headed up VW brand's passenger car marketing department before taking over at Seat. While previous Ferrari chiefs Todt and Montezemolo came up through the racing department, Marchionne assumed the chairmanship in Maranello and brought in outside talent instead. Meanwhile Winkelmann has been in charge of Lamborghini since 2005, when he was appointed by Audi to run the company it had just acquired a few years prior. Under the tenure of the German-Italian executive, Lamborghini sales have risen from 1,600 units per year to over 2,500 last year. The introduction of the forthcoming Urus crossover, birthed under Winkelmann's leadership, is expected to more than double that overall figure. Given his success in transforming Lamborghini, it isn't likely that the Volkswagen Group will simply show Winkelmann the door. Word has it that he'll receive another posting at Audi, potentially taking over the growing Quattro GmbH division in Neckarsulm. The division is responsible for all of Audi's RS models as well as the R8 – the latter of which Audi sells as many units as the entire Lamborghini division does in a year.