Countach and LM 002: the Lamborghini V12 shows to be milti-purpose

This year, Lamborghini is celebrating its V12, the legendary 12-cylinder engine that for nearly 60 years has equipped the most iconic models of the House of Sant’Agata Bolognese and that, in its final evolution as a “pure” internal combustion engine, will go out of production when the last Aventador Ultimae[1] is produced in late 2022. 

 

 

 

 

Even before its official unveiling at the Geneva Motor Show in March 1971, the LP 500 had astonished the world with its extreme, futuristic appearance. In fact, the exclamation in Piedmontese dialect “Countach”, used to underscore the extraordinary nature of what had just been witnessed, was added to the car’s name just a few days before its official presentation, after a Carrozzeria Bertone technician had seen it under production and couldn’t contain his surprise. Introduced as an “idea car” to see whether the public would be interested in such an advanced and extreme car, it was equipped with the 60° #v12 engine that had already performed so well on previous transverse rear mid-engine Lamborghinis.

 

 

This time, however, the engine was mounted in the rear-longitudinal position, a new technical solution at Lamborghini, and the displacement was increased from the traditional 4 liters to about 5 (4971 cc) for 440 hp. LP 500 was so successful that, even before the end of the Geneva show, Ferruccio Lamborghini had decided to put it into production. The LP 500 remained a one-off, modified several times during the grueling road tests conducted by test driver Bob Wallace over the next three years, and was then destroyed in the crash tests required for homologation on March 21, 1974.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Quattrovalvole version was the first to be officially homologated for and imported to the United States, where, however, its carburetors were replaced by electronic fuel injection. The opening of this market allowed new sales volumes, and the Quattrovalvole was produced in 631 units up to 1988, when it was replaced by the Countach 25 Anniversario, so named to celebrate the 25 years since the founding of Automobili Lamborghini. The 25 Anniversario adopted improved aerodynamics, some body panels made of composite material, and a more luxurious interior, while retaining the mechanics of the Quattrovalvole. Incredibly, demonstrating the excellence of the Countach design, still innovative after 17 years of production, the 25 Anniversario was the series with the highest production numbers at 658 units. The last Countach, Grigio Metallizzato (metallic gray) with gray interior, rolled off the assembly line on July 4, 1990, and went straight to the MUDETC, the company museum in Sant’Agata Bolognese.

 

 

 

Durante “gli anni Countach” la dirigenza intuisce che possa esistere un mercato per una vettura fuoristrada, con finiture di lusso, di grandi prestazioni. La LM 002, utilizza la meccanica della Countach, nella versione da 5,2 litri con potenza ridotta di 20 cavalli per poter utilizzare carburante meno raffinato senza accusare problemi, girata di 180° e spostata in posizione longitudinale anteriore, viene poi aggiunta la trasmissione a quattro ruote motrici, completa di blocco del differenziale centrale e di marce ridotte. Rimane, come sulla Countach, un telaio tubolare, mai visto prima su un mezzo fuoristrada, solitamente usato solo ed esclusivamente sulle vetture da corsa o sulle sportive più raffinate. Nasce così una vettura straordinaria, capace di veleggiare in autostrada a medie da berlinetta sportiva e di affrontare percorsi fuoristrada estremamente impegnativi. La LM 002 è, di fatto, la vettura che crea il mercato per i SUV sportivi ed è la mamma, quantomeno spirituale, dell’odierna Lamborghini URUS. Verrà prodotta, in numeri pressochè equivalenti con alimentazione a carburatori prima ed a iniezione poi, facilmente riconoscibili tra loro per la diversa “gobba” sul cofano, molto più pronunciata sui modelli a carburatori.