UPCOMING CARS FROM JAY'S GARAGE:
Suzuki GSX R1000 Coming July 6!
MainThe GarageThe CarsVideosPhotosArticlesGamesCommunityThe Tonight Show
1986 Lamborghini Countach LP5000S QV

1986 Lamborghini Countach LP5000S QV Photo Gallery
 

There are many legends as to how the Countach got its name. But when Ferruccio Lamborghini first beheld its lowdown exotic beauty, he knew that only this Piedmontese word, the equivalent of a wolf whistle, would do justice to the most beautiful car he'd ever seen. In creating the successor to his gorgeous Miura, Marcello Gandini was given full freedom to design a car with emphasis on styling over practicality, and the resulting prototype dropped every jaw in Geneva when introduced at the 1971 Auto Show. Sleek, angular and visually arresting at 42.1 inches high, the Countach remains one of the lowest cars ever built, its width prompting the design of its trademark scissoring doors.

An old Italian mechanic once told Jay that the secret to Italian cars is to let the fluids warm up before you drive.

Although the Countach became an icon of automotive design almost immediately, chief engineer Paolo Stanzani has his work cut out for him; although the car looked aerodynamic, it really wasn't. In order to offset the weight of the traditional Lamborghini V12, Stanzani made his name by pointing the mid-mount engine to the rear with the output shaft and gearbox at the front, and the driveshaft running through the engine's sump. Thus the linkage between shifter and gearbox was greatly shortened, resulting in precise and effortless shifting. The prototype had issues with the frame, venting and visibility, so it was 1974 before the first Countach rolled off the line, with many, many changes to follow over the 19 years of its production.

There's no doubt that Jay lusted after the Countach from the moment he first laid eyes on it. So when he first got his hands on the car's fifth model, a 1986 LP5000S QV (LP stands for Longitudinal Posteriore and QV stands for Quattro Valvole), it immediately became his daily driver. This is Jay's favorite iteration of the Countach, perhaps because it has the mightiest engine, a 445 hp, 5.2 liter V12, not quite but almost capable of its promise of 200 mph. The four-valve cylinder head and the repositioning of the Countach's six two-barrel Weber carburetors helped achieve the extra power, and made this engine a gem. To date, Jay has put over 70,000 miles on his Countach, which he claims is far more dependable than it looks.

RELATED LINKS
More Video

1986 Lamborghini Countach LP5000S QV Photo Gallery
More
YOUR GARAGEUpload a photo and share specs of your ride.
More
More
Related Articles
Jay Leno's Garage - Ceramics Class Porsche has made a really worthwhile contribution to the supercar genre. The Carrera GT's multiplate clutch is lighter and smaller than any comparable unit.
Jay Leno's Garage - For The Record Just out for a drive--in a Porsche Carrera GT on the high banks of Talladega Superspeedway.
An Art Form Lost Owner's manuals once were more than a collection of warnings and cautions. They used to enhance ownership.
An Under-Appreciated Classic: the Mazda Cosmo Sport 110S A strange, pistonless engine in a strange-looking sports car proves to be an irresistible combination.
More
Copyright NBC Studio, Inc. 2009
All Rights Reserved. The Tonight Show.
Main | The Garage | The Cars | Videos | Photos | Articles | Games | Community | The Tonight Show | Privacy & Terms of Use | NBC.COM