Autoblog

Blackprints Kickstarter campaign looks to put profiles on your wall [w/video]

John Neff — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 14:15:00 EST

UPDATE: This Kickstarter campaign has been shut down due to copyright disputes over the original images used to create the Blackprints.

We enjoy highlighting artists who turn their brushes, lenses or whatever medium they fancy towards the four-wheeled things in life. San Francisco-based artist Sabrina Chun has done just that with her series called Blackprints: Car Designs Reimagined, which is currently enjoying an overabundance of funding on Kickstarter.

In the series, Chun has taken eight iconic autos and created inverse black-and-white profile views of each. The cars include the Porsche 911, '67 Mustang GT500, Shelby Cobra, Lamborghini Countach, Volkswagen Microbus, Ford Model T and pop culture icons like the Ecto-1 from Ghostbusters and the DeLorean from Back to the Future.

The prints will be available in two sizes, mini (6x9 inches) and jumbo (24x38 inches), and they're printed on 80-pound card stock made of recycled paper using environmentally friendly soybean-based ink and solvent. What's more, this is some very reasonably priced art; a pledge of just $34 or more will get you all eight mini prints, while a pledge of $139 or more scores you all eight jumbos.

If you'll indulge us donning our art critic hats for a moment, what we like about Chun's Blackprints is not only the fact that she's chosen eight excellent cars to feature, but the works will hang equally well on the wall of a garage or living room. They seem so simple, but you'll soon lose track of time staring at features you've never noticed before that only reveal themselves in the light of Chun's negative spaces.

Take a closer look in our gallery above or in the video below.

Continue reading Blackprints Kickstarter campaign looks to put profiles on your wall [w/video]

Blackprints Kickstarter campaign looks to put profiles on your wall [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 03 Apr 2013 14:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Petrolicious sets its lenses on the outrageous Lamborghini Countach

Zach Bowman — Tue, 09 Oct 2012 18:30:00 EST

Filed under: Classics, Coupe, Performance, Europe, Lamborghini, Design/Style

It's easy to forget just how insane the Lamborghini Countach was when it debuted in 1971. While the rest of the world was still focused on producing sports cars with flowing, organic body lines, Lamborghini pulled back the sheets on fiendishly-low Countach with it's razor-sharp panel creases and plethora of vents and ducts. Very simply, there had never been anything like this car on the road before. Maybe that's why it holds onto our imaginations so rabidly. It's more than having owned the poster. It's knowing that in spite of all the machine's flaws, the Countach is something special.

James Chen, the owner of Axis Wheels, knows that fact all too well. As a life-long fan of the Countach, he finally realized a childhood dream when he bought the machine you see above. The crew from Petrolicious recently caught up with Chen to discuss what it is that sets the Countach apart. With plenty of gorgeous cinematography and a soundtrack punctuated by the V12's exhaust note, the clip is well worth your time. Check it out below.

Continue reading Petrolicious sets its lenses on the outrageous Lamborghini Countach

Petrolicious sets its lenses on the outrageous Lamborghini Countach originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 09 Oct 2012 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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eBay Find of the Day: 1987 Lamborghini Countach 5000 QV is a 1,200-mile time warp

Dan Roth — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 15:30:00 EST

Filed under: Classics, Auctions, Lamborghini

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 $130,000, 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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Valentino Balboni picks his favorite Lamborghini Countach

Noah Joseph — Tue, 10 May 2011 17:01:00 EST

Filed under: Classics, Coupe, Performance, Lamborghini

Valentino Balboni and the four Lamborghini Countaches - Click above for high-res image

We've seen a lot of creative comparison tests over the years. Most of them involve new cars compared against other new cars. But for its latest retrospective, Inside Line has gone a decidedly different route, comparing the various renditions of the Lamborghini Countach against each other. And they brought along Lamborghini's veteran test driver Valentino Balboni for an inside line of his own.

Now if you think the Murcielago lasted a long time, well... it did. Eight years, in fact. The Diablo before it lasted eleven. But the Countach was around for an astonishing sixteen years - an incredibly long lifetime for any car. And over the course of the three decades it remained in production, the Countach spawned numerous derivatives, from the original production LP400 through the wide-body S and the Quattrovalvole through to the straked 25th Anniversary edition.

As the Countach ages from the chintzy and cartoonish to the iconic and historic, choosing which one stood out as the finest example was undoubtedly a difficult task, but someone had to do it. Follow the link to see what they found. It's worth the read.

Valentino Balboni picks his favorite Lamborghini Countach originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 10 May 2011 17:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: 60 Minutes takes on Lamborghini, circa 1987

Aaron Richardson — Sat, 12 Mar 2011 20:02:00 EST

Filed under: Classics, Coupe, Performance, Europe, Videos, Lamborghini

1987 Lamborghini Countach - Click above for video after the jump.

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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Video: Lamborghini Murcielago production end honored with V12 parade

Jeff Glucker — Mon, 29 Nov 2010 19:25:00 EST

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Videos, Lamborghini

Click above to watch video after the jump

After nine years and 4,099 examples produced, the Lamborghini Murciélago has reached the end of its production cycle. A new V12-equipped Lambo is on the horizon, but before that beast roars to life the Italian automaker decided to take its resident raging bull for one more lap through Sant'Agata Bolognese.

Not content to trot the Murciélago out alone, Lamborghini also lined up a 350 GT, Miura, Countach and Diablo to escort the Super Veloce. Baby-brother Gallardo also gets in on the parade action by means of the local polizia. The whole affair was captured on video and, while it might not be action packed, it is packed with beautiful and exotic examples of Lamborghini's history.
Hop the jump to watch the Murciélago take on final victory lap through its hometown.

[Source: YouTube]

Continue reading Video: Lamborghini Murcielago production end honored with V12 parade

Video: Lamborghini Murcielago production end honored with V12 parade originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 29 Nov 2010 19:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Lo Res Project builds Lamborghini Countach with fewer triangles

Zach Bowman — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 11:30:00 EST

Filed under: Technology, Lamborghini, Design/Style

United Nude Lo Res Project Lamborghini Countach - Click above for gallery

Whereas the videogame and CGI worlds are obsessed with ever higher polygon counts to help replicate the smoothness and texture of real life objects, a group of designers at United Nude (great name) has started a project by the name of Lo Res to explore design in the opposite direction. The group takes typical objects like a shoe, a chair, glasses or a Lamborghini Countach, scans them into a computer and then renders them with ever decreasing numbers of triangles.

The result is a kind of computer-aided abstract take on whatever object has struck their fancy. If the group likes the finished product well enough, they'll even go to the trouble of having the object built in true-to-life size like they did with the Lamborghini Countach. Unfortunately, it doesn't look like you can hop in the Lo Res Countach and go for a ride, but you could certainly hang it on your wall as a piece of fine art.

Gallery: United Nude Lo Res Project Lamborghini Countach

[Source: United Nude via Engadget]

Lo Res Project builds Lamborghini Countach with fewer triangles originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 09 Aug 2010 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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How Uplifting: Tokyo home elevates Lamborghini Countach right into living room

Noah Joseph — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 18:58:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Japan, Lamborghini, Design/Style

KRE House by Takuya Tsuchida - Click above for image gallery

Remember Holger Schubert? He's the Brentwood, California resident who won awards from Maserati and Architecture Digest magazine for his innovative garage set-up that placed his classic Ferrari 512BB in a living room-style garage. Unfortunately, his myopic neighbors put the architectural feat at risk with their disapproval of his driveway ramp. But another homeowner across the Pacific has commissioned a similar arrangement that is drawing attention.

Renowned Japanese architect Takuya Tsuchida was approached by a client to build a house on a 2,000-square-foot plot in suburban Tokyo with some very specific instructions. One, there had to be an atrium running up the middle of the house with a potted tree occupying the center. Two, there had to be a nine-car garage on premises to house the owner's car collection. And three, he had to be able to see his prized ponies from the living room.

Sounds complicated enough, but Tsuchida didn't disappoint. His solution was to fit the garage with an elevator platform that can raise one of the cars right into the living space: in this case, a Lamborghini Countach Anniversary Edition, although we can spy what looks like a Diablo GT peering through the opening as well. Sure beats the knickknacks we've got piling up in our fantasy living room. Oh, and the rest of the house looks pretty nice, too. Thanks for the tip, Pat!

Gallery: KRE House by Takuya Tsuchida

[Source: What We Do Is Secret via today and tomorrow]

How Uplifting: Tokyo home elevates Lamborghini Countach right into living room originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 01 Apr 2010 18:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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VIDEO: Mythbusters tests skipping Lambo from Speed Zone, a.k.a. Cannonball Run 3

Jonathon Ramsey — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 19:26:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Videos, Lamborghini, Pontiac

Mythbusters car skipping test -- Click above to watch video

In the movie Speed Zone, familiarly known as Cannonball Run 3 and ripe for an award for one of the most incredible ensemble casts ever, the opening sequence ends with a Lamborghini Countach eluding the police by skipping over a lake. You know, like a rock.

Mythbusters' new gearhead Kari Byron wanted to see if that could really be done, so they tested the stunt out on a scale model Lamborghini over an appropriately scaled body of water. Then they tested the stunt again with a full-sized car - Pontiac Fiero, not a Countach - over a real pond, and the results made us go something along the lines of "That's awesome."

Follow the jump for the videos, which are broken up into a couple of segments. The scale model Lamborghini segment is cut short - they want you to watch the show - but the final test of the Pontiac Fiero Water Skimmer Edition is at Mythbusters.

[Source: Mythbusters]

Continue reading VIDEO: Mythbusters tests skipping Lambo from Speed Zone, a.k.a. Cannonball Run 3

VIDEO: Mythbusters tests skipping Lambo from Speed Zone, a.k.a. Cannonball Run 3 originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 29 Dec 2009 19:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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First Drive (Kinda): 2010 Lamborghini Gallardo LP550-2 Valentino Balboni... with Valentino Balboni!

Jonny Lieberman — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 12:31:00 EST

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Europe, Lamborghini, First Drives

2010 Lamborghini Gallardo LP550-2 Valentino Balboni - Click above for high-res image gallery

It was eleven in the morning on a typical Thursday when my phone rang. "How'd you like to drive the Lamborghini Gallardo LP550-2 Valentino Balboni in Beverly Hills at 3:00 pm... with Valentino Balboni?" Aside from screaming "YES!!!" at the top of my lungs, all sorts of thoughts started to crowd my brain. What should I wear? Should I shave? Do I address him as Valentino? Mr. Balboni? Your majesty? And most of all, am I worthy? Normally at car events, you wind up talking to a bunch of MBA-types and, no offense, but really, who cares? You drink too much, brag too much, dress how you like - it simply doesn't matter. But this was Valentino Balboni. Respect is demanded. Then I got a text message from Drew Phillips, our resident ace photographer. "No flip flops." Right.

It's believed that Valentino Balboni has driven 80% of all Lamborghinis ever made.

In case you're not sure what all the drama is about, Valentino Balboni spent four decades as a test driver for Lamborghini. In fact, for several of those years he was the test driver. Not only has Balboni been at the helm of every prototype Lamborghini since 1973, but most of their production cars got a quick lap around the streets of Sant'Agata with Valentino at the helm, just to make sure they were up to Lamborghini snuff. Still not clear as to why the man's such a big deal? It's believed that Valentino Balboni has driven 80% of all Lamborghinis ever made.

Balboni was instrumental in the development of the Gallardo, Lamborghini's most successful model of all time with over 9,000 sold. Lamborghini has just released a very special and very limited edition of the Gallardo, dubbed the LP550-2 Valentino Balboni, after their own living legend. Just 250 will be produced and all are rear-wheel drive - a first for Lamborghini in nearly a decade. But how did this car come to be? I was lucky enough to spend ninety minutes in a Lamborghini Valentino Balboni with Valentino Balboni asking him exactly that. Plus a whole lot more - click on the jump to read all about it.

Gallery: First Drive: 2010 Lamborghini Gallardo LP550-2 Valentino Balboni

Continue reading First Drive (Kinda): 2010 Lamborghini Gallardo LP550-2 Valentino Balboni... with Valentino Balboni!

First Drive (Kinda): 2010 Lamborghini Gallardo LP550-2 Valentino Balboni... with Valentino Balboni! originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 26 Aug 2009 12:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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VIDEO: Jay Leno and the Lamborghini Countach

Alex Nunez — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 19:31:00 EST

Filed under: Classics, Performance, Videos, Supercars, Lamborghini, Celebrities

Click above for a gallery of Countaches through the years

The Lamborghini Countach is the poster child for the modern Italian supercar. Literally. If you're of a certain age (and there are a few of us here at Autoblog who are), you probably had a series of Countach posters on your bedroom wall throughout your formative years. Put simply, the Countach was awesome. Still is, too. The clean-looking LP400 cars, as shown above, are simply gorgeous. Successive updates added visual muscle, but the basic goodness remained the same. (And yes, the 25th Anniversary car's cheese-slicer grates are an abomination.)

While the Countach is capable of being outperformed by a number of modern, far less exotic sports cars, none of them carry its overwhelming wow factor (or the excellent bold oblique lamborghini logo) Roll up in a Z06 or 911 Turbo today and no one will bat an eyelash, despite their being world-class machines. Arrive in a Countach, however, and you have an event on your hands. That's just how it is. Always was. Always will be.

Jay Leno, no surprise, has a Countach -- a nicely-worn, red, carbeurated '86 Quattrovalvole that once served as his daily driver and now has 70,000 miles on the clock. Obviously, he loves it, and it's the subject of the Jay Leno's Garage video we've got embedded after the jump. Jay gives a brief history of his car, which includes nuggets such as his deletion the rear wing because he thought it was stupid. (And really, it is. These cars look so much better without it.) Make sure you watch the whole thing. If you bail early you'll miss the ending. And really, who wants to miss Countach burnouts?

Gallery: Lamborghini Countach

[Source: Jay Leno's Garage]

Continue reading VIDEO: Jay Leno and the Lamborghini Countach

VIDEO: Jay Leno and the Lamborghini Countach originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 07 Dec 2008 19:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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