The Lamborghini Countach remains the Kleenex of supercars. Its bombastic wedgy shape was so overexposed in the 1980s, it’s a wonder it didn’t wind up in therapy. As the decade wore on, the Countach picked up more and more plastic surgery, but even so, mid-1980s examples have an unmatched blend of swagger and silliness. And if you’re going for a car transported straight out of Tony Montana’s seething dreams, don’t you want to find the best one?

This black beauty offered for auction is a 1987 Lamborghini Countach 5000 Quattrovalvole with just 1,200 miles on the odometer. Countach 5000 QVs benefitted from the car’s characteristic V12 being bored and stroked to 5.2-liters, along with the addition of four valves per cylinder (hence the name).

U.S. market cars were unfortunately marred by federal bumpers, which this car also sports. Swing that scissor door up, and you suddenly forget about the silly appendages. Besides, the period-perfect gold phone-dial wheels and tan Connolly leather interior draw your eyes, and a little time with a socket wrench would net you a sleeker, bumperette-free silhouette, anyway.

Current bidding on eBay Motors sits at 0,000, which means this Countach is about the same price now as it was when it first left Sant’Agata – fitting for a car that presents as new as this one. Of course, the reserve price isn’t met, so who knows what the seller is hoping to get out of the sale. While we might prefer the design purity (and comparative rarity) of earlier LP400 models, even Countach detractors have to step back and admire this car. It’d be hard to fight the urge to drive this thing everywhere – even milk runs would become an experience.

eBay Find of the Day: 1987 Lamborghini Countach 5000 QV is a 1,200-mile time warp originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 15 Dec 2011 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Cars have come a long way since 1987, when 60 Minutes sent its dour, gray-suit-clad crew from New York to Italy to have an extended look at the Lamborghini Countach. If nothing else, we’ve become jaded to how much car the Countach actually was, distracted by the fact that its brakes could have been sharper, its road manners more civil and its huge V12 less temperamental.

Yes, this video has made the rounds in years past, but it’s time to revisit it again. We love that Morely Safer gets squired around by a young-looking Valentino Balboni, who takes him to 180 mph on Italian public roads around Sant’Agata. We love that David E. Davis, Jr., then of Automobile Magazine fame, still looks much the same as he does today, waxed mustache and all. The video is strictly non-P.C., and that’s what makes it so good.

From Lamborghini factory drivers terrorizing public roads (they didn’t even have a test track), to its head of marketing breathlessly comparing the Countach to a “beautiful virgin,” the 60 Minutes feature reminds us what Lamborghini should be. If, like some of us, you remember watching this the night it originally aired, clicking past the jump will make for a welcome trip back in time.

[Source: CBS]

Continue reading Video: 60 Minutes takes on Lamborghini, circa 1987

Video: 60 Minutes takes on Lamborghini, circa 1987 originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 12 Mar 2011 20:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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When General Motors first announced that Americans would once again be able to get their power-hungry hands on a turbocharged Buick, enthusiast minds immediately leapt to visions of a modern day Grand National. Now, however, it’s clear that the new Regal Turbo isn’t exactly the second coming of old-school forced-induction glory. That hasn’t stopped the crew at Inside Line from lining the two up on the quarter mile and sharing their exploits with the world. The editors chose an ’87 Grand National as the representative of the old-school set, and predictably, it puts the new-age Regal CXL Turbo in its place without breaking a sweat down the quarter mile.

Even so, the 2011 Regal Turbo managed to pull off wins in both the slalom and skid pad as well as brake tests, but both results are of little surprise given that the new Regal Turbo has the benefit of over 20 years of technology on its side. You can head over to Inside Line for the full skinny on how both vehicles performed under the scrutiny of IL testing. Hit the jump to check out the quarter-mile video, too. Thanks for the tip, Brandon!

[Source: Inside Line]

Continue reading Video: IL pits 2011 Buick Regal Turbo against 1987 Grand National

Video: IL pits 2011 Buick Regal Turbo against 1987 Grand National originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 04 Jan 2011 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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