In the history of Lamborghini, the Countach stands out as one of the most important cars for both the fans and the company.
After its introduction in 1966, the Lamborghini Miura became a widely acclaimed car. Everyone with a drop of oil in their blood was talking about it. By the year 1970, however, newer competitors such as Ferrari Daytona were introduced to the market. The Miura was showing its age. Ferruccio Lamborghini, the founder of the Lamborghini Automobiles, saw the need to create a new beast.
Designed to be a successor to Miura, the Countach was Lamborghini’s masterpiece produced to dominate the realm of supercars once again. Just like how Miura did in its prime years.
And to say Lamborghini created one of the most iconic automobiles of an era with the Countach wouldn’t be an overstatement. There was only one car that could compete with the fame and the ruthlessness of the Countach; the Ferrari Testarossa.
Heroes Of The Past
Both Lamborghini and Ferrari have an invaluable reputation in making fast cars with big engines. Though the first Lamborghini supercar was introduced to the market decades later Ferrari started producing supercars, Lamborghini was able to make a lot of noise from day one and compete with other big names on the market.
Thanks to Lamborghini's radical design language and the dangerous reputation it gained from the start, the Lamborghini quickly became an iconic supercar.
Although Lamborghini introduced the Countach to the market in 1974 (and continued its production line up until 1990), it is generally considered as a supercar from the 80s. The Ferrari Testarossa, on the other hand, was actually a supercar from the 80s (introduced in 1984, a decade later the Countach).
Both cars, in terms of concept and design, would heavily inspire future generations of cars; the Countach with its aggressive angular design language and the Testarossa with its iconic side strakes and rear taillights.
Battle Of The V12s
The Countach is one of Lamborghini’s longest-running cars. Produced over 16 years, it received various upgrades. But it essentially was a mid-engine V12 rear-wheel drive. The specs for the engine vary from a model to another. The Countach 5000 QV model, for instance, was able to produce as much as 449 horsepower and reach the top speed of 185 mph.
The Testarossa also came with a 12-cylinder engine. While Ferrari would refer to it as a “flat-12” engine, it is technically correct to refer to it as a V12. Yes, the pistons are horizontally opposed in the Testarossa’s 12-cylinder, but the engine isn't what is classified as a flat or boxer engine. It is basically a 180-degree V12.
The original Testarossa, the model that was produced from 1984 to 1991, was able to produce 385 horsepower and reach the top speed of 180 mph.
Those numbers do not seem so impressive today when there are Dodge Challengers with double that amount of hp. But retrospectively speaking, both of those cars were at the top of their class.
The transmission systems in both the Countach and the Testarossa were 5-speed manuals that delivered the power to the rear wheels only.
Though the two cars never officially put into a test against each other, it is possible to conclude based on the specs that the Countach was slightly faster and more aggressive.
It is also evident from the Grand Tour’s drag race between the Lambo and the Ferrari that the Countach can prove its dominance in theory as well as in practice.
Countach vs Testarossa; Interior
The Testarossa was announced a full 10 years after the Countach. Although their interiors are not vastly different, the Testarossa’s interior is slightly more modern-looking.
The Countach delivered more of a racecar feel to its driver. The driving experience associated with the Countach was rather described as “dangerous” and “scary” compared to its rival; and that’s the charm of the Lambo, don’t you think?
Unlike today, driving a Lambo required skill and courage back in the 80s. Owning a Lambo was one thing, driving it was another. That’s why when someone showed up in one, they were also the star of the scene; they were a Lambo Driver!
The Faces of Mid-engine V12s
The Lamborghini Countach, similar to the Ferrari Testarossa, makes one of the most dominant and iconic faces of 12-cylinder supercar engineering. Some may even argue that if it wasn't for the Countach, Lamborghini couldn't survive.
In a lot of ways the Countach is similar to its competitor, the Testarossa. The distinctive features that differentiates it with the Testarossa, however, are what makes us believe it to be the most Iconic supercar of the 80s.