Nurse, the Paddles

Flogging a dead horse? Ah, but what a dead horse: the thoroughbred Aventador is jolted back to life as a Countach tribute

- Georg Kacher

WHAT THE HECK. LET'S GO FOR IT. Can this car really reach 200 km/h in eight seconds flat? Hit 100 km/h in a time-warp 2.8 seconds? Exert enough stopping power to send your eyeballs out on stalks? Open the W g-force floodgates and flush the brain from one side of the skull to the other?

Yes, it can. It asks the driver to commit and rewards that commitment with a fantastically thrilling experience.

And just look at it. The limited-edition Countach LPI 800-4, based on the discontinued Aventador, is not one of Sant'Agata Bolognese's more over-the-top specials, but pays neat homage to Marcello Gandini's bedroom-poster favourite.

The comeback Countach's appearance is all about stylishly understated sex appeal. Understated? Well, yes, in a supercar context it is significantly lower key than some alternatives and the neat design work by Mitja Borkert and his team disguises just how big it is: even wider than Lambo's Urus SUV and 440 millimetres longer than an Audi R8.

All 112 have been sold. What the buyers get f for their €2.4 million (Rs 20 crore) is a 6.5-litre V12 engine, with a 48-volt electrical system to power an electric motor. Together, the petrol and electric power units give a maximum of 814 hp and 720 Nm. They drive all four wheels through a seven-speed automatic transmission.