Discover The Unknown With Zino by Davidof

For those of you whom seek to discover the unknown, Swiss luxury tobacconist Davidoff has just the smoke for you. The family owned company founded more than a century ago, has re-launched the brands Zino cigar line, named for Davidoff’s eponymous founder, Zino Davidoff. Promising a Central American taste profile, the Zino line promises three formats suitable for “every occasion.”

“The new Zino brand is inspired by people who celebrate a lifestyle and state of mind driven by experiences, open-mindedness and an unwavering curiosity,” says Edward Simon, CMO at Oettinger Davidoff AG. “Zino Davidoff himself was a restless pioneer of the tobacco world and, when he set out to learn and gather experiences around the globe, he was only 19 years young.”

“While creating the new Zino cigar brand, we aimed to suit Zino Davidoff’s sense of discovery and spirit to live in the moment, and are very excited about the result. The blend of the new Zino Cigars is sure to
please those who look for earthy taste profiles with spices and some sweetness.”

With the relaunched range including three different models; including the Toro (50 x 6”); the Robusto (54 x 5”); and last but not least, the Short Torpedo (52 x 4 inches). The range, which is crafted to appeal to the tastes of “occasional aficionados” boasts a blend of fillers from Nicaragua, the Dominican Republic, and Honduras. The medium bodied cigars are said to emit tastes of cream, fresh peppers, and milk coffee through a Nicaraguan binder and Ecuadorian wrapper

The packaging of Davidoff’s Zino line is particularly prominent, wrapped in a boastful yellow motif and available in in a cabinet box of 25 and four count freshpacks. A particular highlight of the freshpack is the ability to keep the cigars humidified for several weeks without a humidor, according to Davidoff. The Zino Cigar line which just made its return to the market this year is already catching the eyes of enthusiasts seeking handmade cigars with unusual taste profiles.

Images courtesy of: © Oettinger Davidoff AG 2021

An Interview with Chef Takeo Yamazaki of YOSHI

Chef Takeo Yamazaki has made YOSHI one of Monaco’s premiere dining establishments by pushing aside restaurants like Nobu, with his innovative approach to Japanese Cuisine. Yoshi’s selections of maki, nigiri, sashimi, and classic hot dishes bridge the gap between eastern and western flavors. The fruits of these efforts have resulted in YOSHI becoming the only Michelin Star Japanese restaurant in the region since 2010.

Located within the Hotel Metropole Monte Carlo, Yoshi’s exceptional cusine is complimented by a fine drink selection and a sober atmosphere. A menu of sakes and green teas were hand selected by the sommelier. YOSHI’s elegant dining room was designed by Didier Gomez and the menu of fresh local produce is served alongside a view of a Japanese-inspired garden. 

To learn more about Yoshi, we spoke with Chef Takeo on how YOSHI continues to wow their loyal following of patrons.

What is the inspiration behind YOSHI?

“My inspiration comes from my mentor Joël Robuchon who was in love with Japanese culture and gastronomy. We realised at the time that there was no great Japanese restaurant in the Côte d’Azur and we started to work on the concept of Yoshi.“

How do you balance traditional dishes while incorporating modern techniques?

“My passion is blending  traditional Japanese dishes with French delicacies. For example, adding Foie gras or caviar to an otherwise typical Japanese dish. You can use the Tataki, Agemono and tempura techniques and incorporate products that are European and make it a great plate.“

“So, I would say I use traditional techniques but with products that are not usually included in Japanese gastronomy. A great example of this is our wasabi puree which is a side dish that really pleases our guests. It’s interesting to integrate a very traditional Japanese product into a very popular dish like mashed potatoes.”

What elements do you believe set Yoshi apart from all of the other Japanese restaurants on the Riviera? 

“YOSHI has an amazing design with a Japanese style garden so it sets the tone when you enter. It is as if you were in Japan. YOSHI is also an intimate restaurant, which allows us to cater to our guests in a very personalized way. We are the only Japanese restaurant on the French Riviera to have been awarded a Michelin star since 2010 and this star still shines since we obtained it.“

What is the greatest challenge to maintaining a menu that appeals to both Western and Eastern palates?

“It is challenging; however, when we opened YOSHI, it was more of a challenge. Nowadays our clientele is well travelled and their palates have adapted to Japanese cuisine. They would be keener now to taste a traditional dish without having to adapt it to western palates. However sour flavors and gelatinous textures are still difficult for most Europeans.“

Have you always had a passion for European and Japanese flavours? 

“Yes, because I love to travel and find my inspirations through these moments where I go taste different restaurants around the world. It’s funny to see now that it’s common that Western dishes are reinvented into Japanese styles where Japanese ingredients get new foreign treatments and foreign ingredients get Japanese treatments, respectively.”

In a previous interview, you stated that if you were not a chef, then you would be an interior designer. With this in mind, how do you believe Yoshi’s remarkable design contributes to the overall dining experience?

“Yoshi is an experience and the design by Didier Gomez plays a big role in the contribution of our overall reputation. Visual presentation is an absolutely essential ingredient – it’s as much a part of the dining experience as the actual taste of the food.”

Images courtesy of Hotel Metropole

A Charitable Endeavor: The Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance

The 70th Annual Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance has raised an impressive $1.75 million for local charities. The event’s storied association with automotive history has made the event what some call the definitive Concours. This year’s Best of Show winner was a 1938 Mercedes-Benz 540K Autobahn Kurier owned by The Keller Collection at The Pyramids in Petaluma, California. This particular 540K was joined by 38 former Best of Show winners at the Pebble Beach Golf Links’ lawn. “This Best of Show winner embodies so many sensational features—styling, speed, and performance. Unveiled at the Berlin Auto Show and built to rule the new German Autobahn in 1938, this rare automobile is truly an example of beautiful German design,” said Concours Chairman Sandra Button. The 540K, which was restored in 2006, faced significant competition from ‘Joanie & Scott Kriens’ 1937 Bugatti Type 57S Corsica Drophead Coupé; the 1966 Ferrari 365 P Pininfarina Berlinetta Speciale shown by RQ Collections; and Jonathan & Wendy Segal’s 1956 Maserati A6G Zagato Coupé.’

Origins of the 540K’s design begin in the 1920s with the introduction of motorways across Germany. The translation for Autobahn Kurier is Highway Kurier, the model was celebrated upon its release for revolutionary engineering and elongated design elements with nods to the legendary Silver Arrow Grand Prix cars. According to the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, Mercedes produced just two 540K Autobahn Kuriers. This particular example owned by The Keller Collection is the only surviving of the two produced, though most astonishingly is the fact that The Keller example includes its original equipment. The Best of Show award to the 540K, follows two previous wins for the Keller Collection at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. The Keller Collection have claimed ‘a 1986 win with their 1936 Mercedes-Benz 500K Special Roadster and a 2001 win with their 1930 Mercedes-Benz SS Erdmann & Rossi Roadster.’ “It’s my Triple Crown,” said Arturo Keller. “This is the only remaining car of its kind, and I am the second owner from new. It’s a very special car, and we are very happy.” This 540K marks the ninth win for Mercedes-Benz at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, effectively tying the marque with Bugatti for the most Best of Show wins at Pebble Beach.

After raising $1.75 million this year, the Pebble Beach Concours will have now provided over $32 million to charitable causes since its inception. Via distributions made through the Pebble Beach Company Foundation these proceeds will benefit more than 95 local organizations which work to better the lives of over 10,000 children in Monterey County. The 71st annual Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance will honor the Lincoln and Talbot-Lago Grand Sport on Sunday, August 21st, 2022. For more information on the Pebble Beach Concours visit www.pebblebeachconcours.net

Images courtesy of: The Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance

A 350 Acre Luxury Horse Farm Heads to Auction Next Week

One of America’s most prominent Arabian equestrian farms is scheduled to be sold by Platinum Luxury Auctions without reserve on November 12th. Located just half an hour from Fayetteville, North Carolina, the 350 acre property includes an 11,000 square foot red-brick Georgian mansion. The property, called Butler Farm was previously listed for sale at $8 million USD, and includes amenities such as a 30,000+ square foot equestrian training facility.

Professional equestrians will benefit from a facility that include “offices, recreational areas, 66 stalls (plus 6 additional wash/grooming stalls), a dedicated breeding barn with 4 certified isolation stalls, a halter-schooling barn with open training area, a mare/isolation barn, 4 total arenas, and 2 large pasture shelters.” To house the farm’s much needed staff are 2 separate groom’s apartments in the barn’s upper-level living quarters. They include a 3-bedroom unit with 1 full bathroom and a separate 1-bedroom, 1-bathroom unit. 

The main Georgian residence includes just 4 bedrooms and 3.5 bathrooms, with highlights such as a two story foyer with marble flooring imported from Turkey. From the foyer guests can access a plethora of living spaces, including the parlor, formal dining room, and large living room that opens to an elegant terrace. On the main level there is a sumptuous guest suite with sitting area and a spa like bath. In addition to the main residence, Butler Farm includes a 5,000 square foot billiards room with elegant French doors that open to a rear courtyard, which is ideal for entertaining. The impressive property offers a plentiful supply of water via 6 deep wells, capable of caring for both livestock and the farm’s 10 ponds, 5 of which were professionally designed. An open air pavilion on site is the perfect backdrop for a family reunion or large gala.

The property is said to have been tediously maintained and enjoys technological features, such as video surveillance, as well as automated lights and irrigation. The beautifully landscape grounds benefit from a grand entrance and driveway lined with Crepe Myrtle trees. A bronze splash fountain surrounded by custom landscaping fronts the barn beside elegant bronze horse statues, modeled after actual, champion horses raised on-site.

 Image Credit: Hodge & Kittrell Sotheby’s International Realty

Where Timeless Design Meets Harmonic Perfection The Beosound Emerge

For those of you who desire a rich and powerful audio experience, few stereos can compete with the design and sound quality of the Beosound Emerge. Designed for Bang & Olufsen by Benjamin Hubert of Design Agency Layer, the Beosound Emerge is a slim compact home speaker well suited for a variety of spaces.

“The vision for Beosound Emerge was to create the slimmest speaker possible that could still deliver full range, ultra-wide sound despite its size through its revolutionary driver configuration. Whether placed on a bookshelf in the bedroom or a tight corner of the kitchen, Beosound Emerge’s slim design allows you to extend your music to a new room or complement an existing speaker in the same area without taking up extra space”, says Christoffer Poulsen, Senior Vice President and Head of Product Management at Bang & Olufsen.

Built to last, the Beosound Emerge can be described as a marriage of noteworthy craftsmanship combined with a superfluous audio experience. The perfect object d’art to decorate the home or office of someone with a passion for design, craftsmanship, and music; the Emerge delights all the senses. The principal design inspiration for the Beosound Emerge was a book to allow for the speaker to look discretely at home on a modern bookshelf. A principle design element of the Emerge are its side panels, which wrap around the speaker like the boards of a book.

Incorporating warm materials inspired by modern interior decor was a core philosophy behind the Beosound Emerge’s design. With a range of material options including oak wood, woven Kvadrat, pearl blated aluminum, and black anthracite among others, the use of high quality materials is a hallmark of Bang & Olufsen’s product vision. This fundamental approach is also quite apparent in the way the Beosound Emerge is controlled. Located on top of the device is an interface with soft touch activated buttons; here the user can control the volume through a sensory circular interaction or easily pause their music or change the track

“As a studio, we like to build long-term partnerships with the brands we work with and Beosound Emerge is our second collaboration with Bang & Olufsen. The super slim speaker has been designed to minimise the physical footprint and maximise the audio output as a response to the real estate in people’s homes being at an unprecedented premium. At LAYER, we believe that technology should enable happiness but doesn’t necessarily need to be an expression in its own right, so it was equally important for us to create a new architectural format with a strong sculptural sensibility and a more domestic material palette that will stand out in the saturated audio market while seamlessly fitting into the home”, says Benjamin Hubert, founder of LAYER.

The Beosound Emerge also benefits from a host of multi-room functionalities with a built-in microphone for voice control along with the ability to support Apple Airplay 2. One of the great appeals of the device is that its built to last. Bang & Olufsen equipped the Beosound Emerge with a replaceable connectivity module. This advancement allows for the already well-equipped speaker to be updated with physical hardware advancements to ensure the product’s longevity. Available internationally as of this Fall, the Beosound Emerge is priced
from 599 Euros.

Images courtesy of: Bang & Olufsen

Discovering ASKA With Guy & Maki Kaplinsky: The Innovators of The Flying Car of The Future

Have you ever dreamed of owning a flying car? Well, Los Altos, California based start up ASKA is working on bringing that dream to life. Founded by husband and wife duo, Guy & Maki Kaplinsky, ASKA is working hard to deliver their flying cars to customers by 2026. Priced from $789,000 USD, The ASKA™ is defined as ‘an electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing (eVTOL) drive and fly vehicle.’ The thought behind the idea is a solution for individuals who need to work in the city, but have the flexibility to live in a more remote suburb. The Aska is said to allow owners to reside around 100 miles from an urban area and travel ‘into the city in 30 minutes or less!’ Guy Kaplinsky believes this will allow individuals to enjoy nature and affordable housing, while subsequently improving their quality of life.

“It’s taking people to the next level of flying,” says Guy. “A lot of people came from the automotive industry because they want to be in the air, but they like the convenience of the car. It’s like a project for you. You have to go to the airport, park your car, go fly, and then when you land you need to arrange another car, [such as] a taxi or go rent a car. It’s okay for the weekend, but [not] if it’s [on] a daily basis, [while] looking for or [going to] work. [It’s fine if] you want to be 10 miles away from your work, but if you want to be 50, 100, [or] 150 miles [away] and still be within 30 [minutes] to 1 hour, that’s the solution. Because you get there, get to your car [and] go someplace that you can takeoff [from]. You can takeoff from wherever a helicopter or an aircraft [can], so if you takeoff vertical it’s taking more energy, but if you go forward on the runway you can save up to 60-70% of the energy.”

“We introduced what we call ‘ASKA on The Fly’,” says Guy. “It’s a time share program so you don’t need to buy. Until now we were collecting pre-order, people want to own that [for] $789,000. There is [a] $5000 pre-order payment which is deposited in an escrow account, and 100% refundable after 1 year, [and] you get the option to receive one share in the company. That is for limited edition, so you can customize the interior and exterior. [There] is a new program where people just pre-order and say they want it from Tuesday to Wednesday, and you buy 50 hours, 20 hours, 250 hours a year and we maintain that for you. You book ASKA, and get the vehicle .”

Although a pilots license is required to operate the ASKA, requisite training for customers is included in the base price. Customization is also an important element at ASKA, clients will be able to configure their own personalized interior as well as selecting exterior colors. For those who are hesitant to commit to a nearly $800,000 full purchase can enjoy ASKA’s new timeshare/partial ownership service that makes the vehicle available to a wider audience of potential users. ASKA On The Fly is said to become the future online platform for summoning your ASKA through a web based portal if you decide to opt for partial ownership. A hallmark of this service will be the ability to access 24 hour booking data. Through this platform customers will be able to either pick up the vehicle at a central location or have it delivered to their home via VIP service. Another highlight of partial ownership is that a service team takes care of both maintenance and cleaning to ensure that your ASKA is always ready for use.

“We target consumers,” states Maki. “Through various designs, we have the same mission to drive, to fly, vertical takeoff and landing and short takeoff and landing. ASKA can make Air Mobility possible without relying on new infrastructure. ASKA can use the existing landing strips, parking spots, charging stations and gasoline stations; and that is how we are different from other eVTOLs. We are very excited to introduce ASKA to the luxury area of aircraft and cars. Hopefully this is going to be an exciting addition to their collection.”

“Its [weight] is about 5,000 pounds, and can fly up to 250 miles with the weight of 4 passengers,” says Guy. “And if with less people [you can have a greater range. Also, the selection of the batteries is the key issue for us to select the batteries that [are] very safe. So we went more into the direction of existing batteries that we know are safe to use. We don’t want to stress the batteries, [which] is why we are not yet ready for full electric because of safety issues. Because it’s [for] a consumer, you need a private pilot license, you need to learn 40 hours training and the cost for the training is included in the price. It’s very easy to fly, just like [piloting] a drone.”

An air mobility learning center is a cornerstone element of ASKA show room in Los Altos, at this location events are held through out the year for those who have joined the Founder’s Club by placing a $5,000 deposit for their future ASKA. Founders Club members meet every 3-5 months either at the showroom or online to learn about updates around the air mobility industry. According to ASKA, the deposit is held in an escrow account and becomes refundable after one year.

Michelin Starred Yoshi reopens for Lunch at the Hotel Metropole Monte Carlo

As of today, the Hotel Metropole Monte Carlo has reopened Yoshi for lunch service. The restaurant is the only Japanese eatery on the Côte d’Azur to have been awarded a Michelin star since 2010. Behind the kitchen’s helm is Chef Takeo Yamazaki, who offers patrons a fresh, healthy and modern menu with traditional flavors, adapted to Western palates. Takeo Yamazaki joined the Metropole Monte Carlo 13 years ago as the Head Chef of Yoshi and within two years received a Michelin Star for his cuisine that mixes the best of Eastern and Western flavors.

A highlight of the experience at Yoshi is the welcoming atmosphere designed by Didier Gomez, who worked extensively to marinate a selection of fine materials, such as ebony wood, stone and silks. Complementing the fine interiors of Yoshi are Japanese inspired gardens crafted by landscape architect, Jacques Messin. The garden’s design language was instituted to perfectly augment Chef Yamazaki’s simplistic, yet refined sunrise cuisine. Yoshi’s open kitchen and sushi bar allows guests to admire the artfully crafted maki, sashimi, nigiri, as well as fish or meat cooked with a teppanyaki grill. Highlights of the menu include EBI SHINJO (shrimp balls with kombu) and GHINDARA (black cod marinated for 72 hours). Yoshi’s celebrated cuisine is accompanied by fine Japanese sake, whiskies and green teas.

Yoshi’s hours are from Tuesday to Saturday, from 12:15pm to 2:00 pm and from 7:30pm to 11:00pm. To book your table at the best Japanese restaurant on the Riviera, call +377 93 15 13 13 or email yoshi@metropole.com

A Classic Mercedes-Benz takes Best of Show at the 2021 The Quail

A 1938 Mercedes-Benz 540K Special Roadster has been dubbed “Best of Show” at the 2021 The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering. This particular 540K Special Roadster was selected from an array of more than 200 entrants. The “Best of Show” winner was said to have been selected “for its design, engineering, sophistication and presentation.” The pristine vehicle underwent an eight year restoration following its 1986 acquisition by current owner, K. Heinz Keller from a private collector in Colorado.

The Quail is heralded as one of the automotive world’s premiere lifestyle affairs. This year attracted crowds of enthusiasts, including industry leaders like Stephan Winkelmann and celebrities such as F1 Driver Jenson Button, all of whom lined the fairways of Quail Lodge & Golf Club. Three featured classes captured the imagination of spectators including the 50th Anniversary of the Alfa Romeo Montreal, Automotive Couture-French Cars Featuring the 50th Anniversary of the Citroën SM, and our personal favorite, Cars of Curiosity. The latter introduced unique automotive feats like a 1978 Lamborghini Urraco P2000 and the ultra rare 1957 Fiat 600 / Eden Roc. 

Gordon McCall, The Quail’s Master of Ceremonies and Director of Motorsports brought fourth unique happenings including a Fireside Chat between Formula World Champion Jenson Button and Philip Kadoorie on their mutual passion for cars and racing. The event also played host to several new vehicle debuts, including the Lamborghini Countach LPI 800-4 and the U.S. premiere of the Lotus Emira. Most surprisingly though, was the Bentley display which showcased special Mulliner introductions like the coach-built Bacalar and continuation Blower Car Zeros.

Aside from the Best of Show award, the following accolades were given to some of the many spectacular automotive creations on display including the Spirit of The Quail to a 1902 Indian Single Cylinder, Hagerty Drivers Foundation & Preservation Award to a 1969 Ford Bronco “Big Oly”, Octane Editor’s Choice Award to a 1957 Fiat 600 / Eden Roc, ArtCenter College of Design Award to a 2015 McLaren/Lanzante P1 HDK, and lastly the Car Park Concours de Quailegance Award to a 1962 Land Rover S2A 109 Dormobile.

The 19th annual The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering is set to take place on August 19, 2022. For more information, visit the event website, and The Quail on Facebook and Instagram.

Image Credit: Rolex

Mecum’s Auction Sells Over 57 Million Dollars During Monterey Car Week

The Mecum’s 2021 ‘Daytime Auction’ in Monterey is said to have been the most successful to date with sales of $57.4 million and an 80% sell through rate. Since 2009 Mecum’s has held their annual Monterey auction at the Del Monte Golf Course as a celebrated precursor to the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance. From August 12th through the 14th, 519 vehicles crossed the auction block. Of the 411 cars sold, the highest grossing was a 2014 Ferrari LaFerrari with just 131 miles (Lot S75) that achieved $3.41 million. Additional highlights consisted of two unique Porsches and a Duesenberg. The two Porsche hypercars, included a 2015 918 Spyder Weissach (Lot S97) which achieved $1.6 million and a 2004 Porsche Carrera GT (Lot S69) that sold for $1.21 million. The Duesenberg at $2.37 million was a particular highlight, a Model J Murphy Convertible Sedan (Lot F49).

Runners up to the impressive 2014 LaFerrari included the CSX3045 (Lot S92), a rare Semi Competition Cobra just one of 29 built, at $2.86 million, a Ford Special Project, Codename: Daisy—a 2004 Shelby Cobra Concept car (Lot S105) at $2.64 million, and a 1966 275 GTB/6C Long Nose (S78) that sold for $2.64 million. Additionally, motorcycles represented a significant portion of the sales. A 2022 Triumph Scrambler 1200 Steve McQueen Edition motorcycle (Lot S115) was sold for $55,000 with proceeds going to benefit the Boys Republic non-profit youth-treatment community. The bike’s base price was just $16,400. Prominent motorcycle sales also included a 1953 Vincent Black Shadow (Lot F14) at $148,500 and a 1914 Harley-Davidson Model 10F Two Speed (T161) which achieved $101,200.

Two significant private collections were sold off at the Monterey Mecum’s auction. They included Big Al’s Collection of 84 cars, motorcycles, and engines with combined sales of $12.05 million, in addition to the Don Wallace Collection of six collector cars at $2.2 million.

Mitja Borkert’s All New Lamborghini Countach

To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Countach, Lamborghini Design Director, Mitja Borkert, reinterpreted the iconic super-car. the new Countach LPI 800-4 was debuted at The Quail: A Motorsports Gathering during the 2021 Monterey Car Week. The model which honors the original Countach project LP112 with a limited run of 112 units, all of which have been spoken for. The LPI 800-4 is a true testament to Borkert’s forward thinking ideology which remains thoroughly devoted to Lamborghini’s DNA and core philosophy. 

“I feel like the first fan of the brand,” says Mitja. “So I am always trying to stay [as] the little boy that’s fascinated with our brand. Sometimes, I am walking around the company and take a look at the finishing line, what are the colors and the cars that the customers have chosen. So, I am trying to stay fresh in terms of fascination for the brand. Being at Lamborghini, it’s not hard thing to stay fascinated, but being [here] means arriving in the morning, passing by the museum and then you see the Countach, for example. When entering our design center I have placed a Countach model that we have rebuilt ourselves, and some years ago Marcello Gandini came to visit us and he signed the model. The Countach means so much to me because it is the starting point of our design DNA, you can see and feel all of our creations.”

“The Countach LPI 800-4 is a visionary car of the moment, just as its forerunner was,” says Automobili Lamborghini President and CEO Stephan Winkelmann. “One of the most important automotive icons, the Countach not only embodies the design and engineering tenet of Lamborghini but represents our philosophy of reinventing boundaries, achieving the unexpected and extraordinary and, most importantly, being the ‘stuff of dreams’. The Countach LPI 800-4 pays homage to this Lamborghini legacy but it is not retrospective: it imagines how the iconic Countach of the 70s and 80s might have evolved into an elite super sports model of this decade. It upholds the Lamborghini tradition of looking forward, of exploring new design and technology avenues while celebrating the DNA of our brand. It is a Lamborghini that innately expresses the marque’s enduring and emotive power: always inspirational and thrilling to see, hear and most of all drive.” 

The new Countach’s design is only matched by its advanced and forward thinking powertrain. The LPI 800-4 boasts 770 horsepower delivered via a ‘V12 hybrid engine with 48 v e-motor and supercapacitor technology delivering 780 cv from thermal unit and 34 cv from electric one.’ According to Lamborghini the mission of the new Countach was to combine the vehicle’s celebrated and iconic design with 21st century tech. Retaining a v12 engine was a critical element of the new Countach, and now combined with an electric powerplant the LPI 800-4 is capable of a top speed of 220 miles per hour and a not to sixty two mph time of just 2.8 seconds. These impressive performance feats are thanks in part to a dry weight of just over 3,500 lb delivered through the use of a monocoque chassis and body panels made from carbon fiber. 

“There is this design language of the Countach that started 50 years ago with the concept car LP500 in Genève 1971, and with the new Countach we are celebrating the design DNA,” says Mitja. “That is also the very reason why we did the Countach, because usually we are not doing original cars and we are not bringing back an old model. It was the intention from us to create the Countach of the twenty-first century: a car that is using the technology of today. This is what the Countach is about, plus in terms of design it is a car where I said ‘I want to have the most beautiful version of the Countach in general’. So, I wanted it to be from the beginning as a car that is very puristic, very clean, almost with a design language that is human when you look at the car it has some muscular shape on the rear fender. We took inspiration of course from the previous versions of the Coutach, but for me I am finding out three models that I like so much as the LP500, the LP400 Periscopio, and the Quattrovalvole.

The biggest challenge I would say is [that] when the Countach was born in 1971, the car industry in general was not yet developed enough in terms of aerodynamic. Because we remember this from the cars at the time, it was the starting point where the engineers understood the importance of aerodynamics. So, the first versions of the Countach were driving fast, but there were no wings integrated into the basic shape of the car to create what we call today [as] downforce. In the end of the day, all the challenges that Lamborghini and Marcello Gandini had on the interpretation from the concept car were the same challenges I also had with the new car.”

The all new Countach incorporates elements from all five previous generations of the Countach which spanned over nearly 20 years of production. Interestingly enough the Countach is one of few Lamborghini models that’s name is not associated with a bull. The Countach is often referred to as the forefather of modern supercars thanks in part to it’s popularity as an automotive poster. The most notable elements of the LPI 800-4 are adapted from the LP 400 and LP 500 versions. These elements include an aggressive hood and long rectangular grille. The iconic scissor door have also been integrated into the design of the new model. One of our personal favorite features of the LPI 800-4 is the carbon fiber rear diffuser a quad exhaust system.  

According to Lamborghini the new Countach’s power delivery system is entirely unique in mild-hybrid technology, as the LPI 800-4 powertrain creates “a direct connection between electric motor and wheels, preserving the pure V12 behavior.” The electric motor’s supercapacitor is said to deliver three times more power than a lithium-ion battery that is the same weight. Another innovative element were the new model’s moveable air vents, which were produced via 3D printing. Inside the car forward thinking features include a photocromatic roof which by the touch of a control goes from solid to transparent. Connectivity and Apple CarPlay are managed through the center consoles 8.4 inch HD touchscreen with a selection of features such as a ‘Stile’ button that explains the car’s design philosophy.

“We have a beautiful selection of the most iconic colors of the Countach,” notes Mitja. “We would also like for it to stay with the glossy color on that car. Basically, we have a selection of colors that are very close to the classical colors that you would know from the famous posters, and we always have a contemporary version of those colors. We try on the Countach to stay with the colors that are existing.”

The particular example which was on display during Monterey Car Week was finished in Bianco Siderale paint, which honors Ferruccio Lamborghini’s own Countach LP 400 S with a hint of pearlescent blue. Interior of the new Countach was completed in a red and black interior with throw back elements like geometric stitching that pays homage to the bold shapes of the 70s and 80s. This example sported 20” (front) and 21” (rear) wheels in the ‘telephone’ style of the 1980s wrapped in P Zero tires. Owners who will start recieving examples in the first quarter of 2022, were able to choose from a selection of intersting and unique paint colors such as Giallo Countach and Verde Medio.

“There is always the challenge to provide something completely different for the interior,” says Mitja. “For the Countach, we wanted to have a design that was much more elegant. The Sián is more radical because the general design theme is more like a modern jet fighter kind of Lamborghini, and the Countach from the exterior was the dream to have something very puristic, and that’s why I wanted to have an interior that is on the lining of the elegance of the exterior.”