The definitive supercar is making a comeback… of sorts. Lamborghini was planning to unveil its re-imagined Countach at the upcoming Pebble Beach Concoursd’Elegance, but images of the Aventador-based special edition were leaked on the internet overnight. Take a look!

The St’Agata-based marque has launched some of the most evocative nameplates in the motoring world, but even though it sells more performance SUVs (the Urus) than mid-engined super- and hypercars these days, Lamborghini and arch-rival Ferrari made “supercar” part of the automotive lexicon in the Seventies and Eighties – long before Koenigsegg, McLaren, Pagani, Porsche and others either existed or had the audacity to build such models.

Although the Miurawas the world’s first supercar, theCountach is the most iconic Lamborghini model. The wedge-shaped supercar, which defined the brand for two decades, was superseded by the Diablo in 1990.

Although Lamborgihi’s subsequent mid-engined supercars have all featured similar proportions and styling drama to the Countach, its name has remained dormant. Until now.

Despite the brand underdoing challenges, including how to disengage from its legacy V12 engines, Lamborghini is looking to the past to secure its future. And that means a Countach revival.

Lamborghini has teased some new Countach images after confirming the nameplate’s return earlier this week. Although details on the new car are mostly cryptic, it will feature some of the last naturally-aspirated V12s assembled by Lamborghini. The LPI800-4 badging suggests the Countach will produce 800 metric horsepower (589 kW) from its 6.5-litre V12 engine. All four wheels will be driven via a 7-speed automated manual gearbox.

It’s not an all-new car, but a special-edition naming exercise using the Aventador architecture. However, its design elements hark back to the heyday of 1980s supercar design, including a sharply-plunging nose, square headlamps, cooling louvres over the 3-quarter lights and narrow rear screen, air intakes atop the rear fenders, elaborate side intakes, as well as a pinched rear deck with 6 hexagonal LED tail lights, a kicked-up diffuser and 4 exhaust tips.

Reviving a name with the gravitas of Countach is a gamble for Lamborghini and something that would have been unthinkable a few years ago.

But in a time of significant disruption for the Italian supercar industry, Lamborghini shows no holy cows exist anymore, to secure the future of the raging bull brand.

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