Throughout the 1980s, it was Willy Koenig who offered the most outrageous modified cars available. He was the one who stuck huge wings onto Jaguars, Ferraris and Mercedes, often fitting massive wheels and loud bodykits while he was at it. You’d think that trying to make a Lamborghini Countach more eye-catching was something of a lost cause, but Koenig wasn’t going to be put off by the car’s already ‘distinctive’ looks.
The first Koenig Countach was produced early in 1983, and while the company’s offerings frequently sported at least one turbocharger, this one didn’t. In fact aside from a more free-breathing exhaust (which was claimed to liberate an extra 30bhp) there were no mechanical modifications – the focus was merely on the cosmetics.
The first exterior alteration was to the rear wing, with the optional Lamborghini item being ditched in favour of a Koenig one. It was well known that the factory spoiler reduced the car’s top speed, which is why Koenig’s wind tunnel-tested one was fitted instead. Not only did this increase downforce, but it also allowed the car to do an extra 6mph; it was just a shame it looked so naff…
While the brakes and suspension were left standard, 20mm wheel spacers were fitted to fill the wheelarches out a bit and also to widen the track to improve the handling, although it wasn’t as if the Countach was especially lacking in this department. What was lacking was rear visbility, which was why Koenig fitted a new design of wing mirror, which was also more aerodynamically efficient. To top it all off there were new side skirts, which visually lowered the car while also adding to its air of tastelessness. Still, some owners thought it all looked very cool.
As the 1980s progressed Koenig got more adventurous with his Countach modifications. Although he’d offered retrimmed interiors from the outset, these got more and more ambitious. The advent of high-end in-car hi-fi meant he could offer stereo, video or telephone installations where the sky was the limit. He also continued to offer his exhaust systems and reprofiled camshafts to increase the available power – but if this wasn’t enough he started to offer a turbocharger installation that produced up to 750bhp. Based on the 5000 QV model, this saw the top speed rise to a claimed 214mph. Which wouldn’t have been a frightening experience at all, honestly.
