Lamborghini commemorates its glorious V12 engine

This is a tale, and celebration of an epic piece of engineering. This year, Lamborghini will be celebrating its iconic V12 engine which is nearly 60 years old, with the story of two Lamborghini models that featured the engine and were at the opposite spectrums of each other. The V12's swan song will be in the Aventador Ultimae which is to be produced in late 2022, after seeing service in legendary models such as the Countach and LM 002

So what made the Countach legendary? For starters, it was one of those cars which made it to the bedroom walls of many around the world after it was unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show back in March 1971.

The name 'Countach', was an exclamation in the Piedmontese dialect underscoring the extraordinary nature of what had just been witnessed. It was equipped with the venerable V12, displacing 4 litres and producing 370bhp at 8000 rpm at the time.

The Countach was considered a rapid automobile at the time. However, its evolution did not cease at the first iteration, with an LP-400S version coming along. The LP 400S boasted a modified level of frame and chassis, making it a novelty of the time period along with super low profile Pirelli P7 tires which help to improve the stance of the already aggressive looking car.

Then came the Countach LP-5000S which came with an enlarged V12 to 4.8-litres. After 323 units of the LP-500S were produced, it was replaced by the Quattrovalvoe model which again increased displacement to 5.1-litres and adopted four valves per cylinder thus the name 'Quattrovalvoe' which translates into four valves. This time, the V12 pushed out 449bhp at 7,000rpm.

The Countach's story ended with the 25 Anniversario, the series with the highest production numbers at 658 units. At this point, the Countach had stayed in production for 17 years which is a remarkably long time for a car even to this day. If anything, this was a testament to the popularity of the model.

The next Lamborghini in this story is a very different beast, albeit still featuring the same V12 engine. Enter the Lamborghini LM 002, a macho looking off-road Lamborghini that possessed the 5.2-litre version of the Countach's engine. A four wheel drive transmission was added, complete with a central differential and low gears.

It was also had the title of being the first off road vehicle to have a tubular chassis, something exclusively seen only on racing and highly advanced sports cars. This made the LM 002 extraordinarily capable of cruising on the highway and taking on the hardest off road routes.

Lamborghini's V12 is surely one of the most storied engines ever produced, seeing service in some of the most outlandish cars ever produced. With the onset of the electrification of cars and ever tightening emission regulations, the mighty Lamborghini V12 engine is certainly on its last lap.

With that said, do take a moment to appreciate the sound of the V12 the next time an Aventador tears down the streets of Orchard road. The song of the V12 might very well be a relic of the past and like all good things, must come to an end one day.