Discussion
Been asked by a couple of people on here and a quite a lot of people to say what i think of the Countach QV which I still own.
I have driven a lot of high performance and exotic cars over many years and try not to approach them with rose tinted specs!
The reviews especially by May and Clarkson from Top Gear are not very accurate. They have an entertainment program to make and reviews of anything must be taken in that context.
these cars were hand built, so they all do vary quite a lot. there were only about 1900 made, of which about 200 came to the UK in total and of which 80-90% still exist.
Of the QV's there were 470 none side skirted like mine and 140 with the side skirt, generally called the 88.5 model.
The QV is generally accepted as being the best of the Countach range, but everybody has an opinion!
My car like most of them was hardly used in it's life only having covered 12000km when I bought it. It was originally bought by the Late Sir Fred Fraser the house builder form northern Ireland. I have pics of him with his car. I spoke to him about the car and got quite a lot of information about it.
He sold it to a friend of his sons who used it essentially as a static display in his truck showroom, before selling it to the people I bought it from.
I have done about 7000km with it since I got it in oct 2007. The car is massively better and looser with use.
I had to have a new clutch kit fitted when I bought it £4500 plus vat and fitting! It is significantly lighter than other countach's and deflects the comments made by May and Clarkson.
What's it like to drive?
Well, difficult! You have to get into the right mindset. You need slim shoes!
visibility to the rear is bad, especially for parking. I don't do the sitting on the cill thing!
The problem is guessing where the rear is when reversing, which has resulted in me dinging it three times! sob.
Whilst the car is wide, you adapt to it but it is not a car to hustle down a narrow country road.
Performance wise it is still exceptionally quick even by modern standards.
firstly it has a minimum of 455bhp and usually more if kept well in tune.
Secondly it is very light compared to modern supercars. It is a fiberglass tub over a steel tube frame with aluminum panels and a steel roof! About 1500kg. There are no catalysts or complex engine management controls to dilute the performance.
It is quick in any gear. 65mph first, 90 second, 125 third, and a top speed without the wing of probably 180-185mph.
At knockhill taking things fairly easy and braking early, I get to 8000rpm in third being about 125mph by the end of the main straight.
However as it's a 5.2 V12 it has power at all times and revs. Much less peaky than say a Ferrari v8 in 360 or 430. It can be savagely fast mid gear, and in reality as fast mid range as nearly anything i have driven, including a heavily chipped Audi RS6.
the power at the top end is very good, but i have never had the car above 160mph. It does seem to accelerate very easily to higher speeds. One has to be very careful with it on UK motorways, as literally brushing the accelerator too hard can push you to illegal speeds in a second ( as I found out last year, 82mph on stretching my leg in front of a camera)
the ventilation is awful hence why we drive with windows open
the heating is fine even in mid winter and snow!
Driving position in none Anniversary cars is fine. The anniversary had different seats which rob an inch of head space
Ride is very good, due to thick tyres and complain suspension and much nicer than most modern 'supercars'
these are not cars for shy people! Everywhere you go, you get stared at and photographed, well the car not me as I'm ugly! ( according to my daughters)
I am always happy to chat to people and explain about the car. It is always a talking point when you stop. Other road users tend to be very courteous to me when on the road and am allowed to pull out etc nearly every time. However a lot of old cars have the same courtesy extended.
Anything else people want to know? Just ask
Hope you find this interesting!
Paul
I have driven a lot of high performance and exotic cars over many years and try not to approach them with rose tinted specs!
The reviews especially by May and Clarkson from Top Gear are not very accurate. They have an entertainment program to make and reviews of anything must be taken in that context.
these cars were hand built, so they all do vary quite a lot. there were only about 1900 made, of which about 200 came to the UK in total and of which 80-90% still exist.
Of the QV's there were 470 none side skirted like mine and 140 with the side skirt, generally called the 88.5 model.
The QV is generally accepted as being the best of the Countach range, but everybody has an opinion!
My car like most of them was hardly used in it's life only having covered 12000km when I bought it. It was originally bought by the Late Sir Fred Fraser the house builder form northern Ireland. I have pics of him with his car. I spoke to him about the car and got quite a lot of information about it.
He sold it to a friend of his sons who used it essentially as a static display in his truck showroom, before selling it to the people I bought it from.
I have done about 7000km with it since I got it in oct 2007. The car is massively better and looser with use.
I had to have a new clutch kit fitted when I bought it £4500 plus vat and fitting! It is significantly lighter than other countach's and deflects the comments made by May and Clarkson.
What's it like to drive?
Well, difficult! You have to get into the right mindset. You need slim shoes!
visibility to the rear is bad, especially for parking. I don't do the sitting on the cill thing!
The problem is guessing where the rear is when reversing, which has resulted in me dinging it three times! sob.
Whilst the car is wide, you adapt to it but it is not a car to hustle down a narrow country road.
Performance wise it is still exceptionally quick even by modern standards.
firstly it has a minimum of 455bhp and usually more if kept well in tune.
Secondly it is very light compared to modern supercars. It is a fiberglass tub over a steel tube frame with aluminum panels and a steel roof! About 1500kg. There are no catalysts or complex engine management controls to dilute the performance.
It is quick in any gear. 65mph first, 90 second, 125 third, and a top speed without the wing of probably 180-185mph.
At knockhill taking things fairly easy and braking early, I get to 8000rpm in third being about 125mph by the end of the main straight.
However as it's a 5.2 V12 it has power at all times and revs. Much less peaky than say a Ferrari v8 in 360 or 430. It can be savagely fast mid gear, and in reality as fast mid range as nearly anything i have driven, including a heavily chipped Audi RS6.
the power at the top end is very good, but i have never had the car above 160mph. It does seem to accelerate very easily to higher speeds. One has to be very careful with it on UK motorways, as literally brushing the accelerator too hard can push you to illegal speeds in a second ( as I found out last year, 82mph on stretching my leg in front of a camera)
the ventilation is awful hence why we drive with windows open
the heating is fine even in mid winter and snow!
Driving position in none Anniversary cars is fine. The anniversary had different seats which rob an inch of head space
Ride is very good, due to thick tyres and complain suspension and much nicer than most modern 'supercars'
these are not cars for shy people! Everywhere you go, you get stared at and photographed, well the car not me as I'm ugly! ( according to my daughters)
I am always happy to chat to people and explain about the car. It is always a talking point when you stop. Other road users tend to be very courteous to me when on the road and am allowed to pull out etc nearly every time. However a lot of old cars have the same courtesy extended.
Anything else people want to know? Just ask
Hope you find this interesting!
Paul
Modena Scotland said:
Good read Paul!
We must get the QV and SV together soon.
Agreed. Nice little write up Paul and it was one of my great pleasures enjoying an all too brief lap with you last year. Perhaps again this!We must get the QV and SV together soon.
Mass, I think I may have past you on George Street last Sunday? I was in the Maser and it was only when talking to DJ (Elise) that he mentioned you'd got one. Arancia? (if I've spelt it right?!) - if so, looked superb.
Hi there
Havent been invited back to the Knockhill event! Am sure I didn't blot my copybook that much! More than happy to take you for a proper run this time. It would be great to know I had a clear track though as i spend most of my laps looking out for other cars as I have the oldest car on the circuit and possbily the least suitable! Mind u, Mass this year may have the SV and wont be terrorising everyone in the exige! I enjoyed sliding the old car on the kerbs and going flat out in first second and third. The brakes have been overhauled although not convinced they are better! Biggest problem is the braking as it is in general quite bad for the performance.
Hope to get a run in the masser too! Or at least you can video me this time and the flames coming out the exhaust!
Paul
Havent been invited back to the Knockhill event! Am sure I didn't blot my copybook that much! More than happy to take you for a proper run this time. It would be great to know I had a clear track though as i spend most of my laps looking out for other cars as I have the oldest car on the circuit and possbily the least suitable! Mind u, Mass this year may have the SV and wont be terrorising everyone in the exige! I enjoyed sliding the old car on the kerbs and going flat out in first second and third. The brakes have been overhauled although not convinced they are better! Biggest problem is the braking as it is in general quite bad for the performance.
Hope to get a run in the masser too! Or at least you can video me this time and the flames coming out the exhaust!
Paul
Modena Scotland said:
Andy, I don't really plan to track the SV all that much as the paint will get pebble dashed. May be I will track it at Carlo's track day.
The 360 was part exchanged. Still have the CR & SLR for tracking.
Are you coming to SIDC day?
Should be there with the evo 7 hopefully, trackscotland was the first day out after it was rolled last year, seemed to be going quick enough The 360 was part exchanged. Still have the CR & SLR for tracking.
Are you coming to SIDC day?
although we don't get invited up to carlo's trackdays as they are usually for his customers. Might need to run into you sometime then :P the diablo is still on my list to have a go in, been in a countach,murcielago and a gallardo.
Edited by AMD87 on Thursday 12th March 20:48
Hi Andrew
i can't make this saturday as am going south for the AGM of the charity, HUSH the UK Ecoli charity of which I am still chairman. Sorry for the obvious plug, but research and public awareness in this field are still things I care about even after all these years!
The Countach and Diablo aren't really track friendly cars in narrowish circuits like Knockhill. Are great in fast open roads.
Have drivne an SV before and it's an awesome car. Faster than a countach, but perhaps a bit more twitchy and sudden on the limit.
Am looking forward to meeting up and having a nice back to back drive in them. Still remember the SV. 80-130mph in 8 seconds in 5th and being pushed back into the seat every time i accelerated and I mean pushed back! Great car. Mass hope your paying attention!
Paul
i can't make this saturday as am going south for the AGM of the charity, HUSH the UK Ecoli charity of which I am still chairman. Sorry for the obvious plug, but research and public awareness in this field are still things I care about even after all these years!
The Countach and Diablo aren't really track friendly cars in narrowish circuits like Knockhill. Are great in fast open roads.
Have drivne an SV before and it's an awesome car. Faster than a countach, but perhaps a bit more twitchy and sudden on the limit.
Am looking forward to meeting up and having a nice back to back drive in them. Still remember the SV. 80-130mph in 8 seconds in 5th and being pushed back into the seat every time i accelerated and I mean pushed back! Great car. Mass hope your paying attention!
Paul
I love old anything really.... so much more character than modern cars.Love the write up Paul.
I'm sure Mass wont mind, link to the pics of his new chariot after detailing:-
http://www.360complete.net/#/lamborghinigallery/45...
Stunning car, something else out on the road too!!
Cheers
Ally
I'm sure Mass wont mind, link to the pics of his new chariot after detailing:-
http://www.360complete.net/#/lamborghinigallery/45...
Stunning car, something else out on the road too!!
Cheers
Ally
360 detailing said:
Love the write up Paul.
I'm sure Mass wont mind, link to the pics of his new chariot after detailing:-
http://www.360complete.net/#/lamborghinigallery/45...
Stunning car, something else out on the road too!!
Cheers
Ally
Wow! I'd love to see that! Am I allowed to ask if it's a Edinburgh or Glasgow car?I'm sure Mass wont mind, link to the pics of his new chariot after detailing:-
http://www.360complete.net/#/lamborghinigallery/45...
Stunning car, something else out on the road too!!
Cheers
Ally
Gassing Station | Scotland | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff