10 Discontinued Vehicles We NEED to See Revived as EVs!
1. Lamborghini Countach & Ferrari Testarossa
When considering what vehicles best carry the pioneering spirit of change, one cannot help but think of the magnificent Italian sports cars of Ferrari and Lamborghini. By the 1980s, the Ferrari Testarossa and Lamborghini Countach were unlike anything before, or since. Though we can’t help but notice how many electric supercars and hypercars take styling cues from the classic sportsters.
Pininfarina designed the Testarossa that was produced from 1984 to 1991. With a potent mid-mounted Ferrari flat-12, the Testarossa was took its racing roots to inform its ferocious speed.
Lamborghini also employed a rear mid-engine, RWD, and a raging V12 under the hood. From 1974 to 1990 the scissor-door Countach was as slinky as it was formidable.
What makes the 1980s-era Ferrari Testarossa and Lambo Countach so sublime? One reason is how both embraced the excess of the era with zeal. The Countach in their decadently sexy style and wild prowess. Fast, vibrant, and dynamic; the cars crackled with energy and attitude. Practical? No thanks. The Testarossa and Countach were the ambodiement of id in car form.
And yes, sometimes they were just a little too much. Which was exactly the point in pushing the limits.
Marrying cutting-edge style with engines that are basically works of art, these performance-oriented supernovas come alive on the road. Having experienced firsthand how it feels to be behind the wheel (in Italy no less) I can confirm that it is an experience that is wholly euphoric, weird, breathtaking, and so perfectly impractical. It can bring even the most seasoned motor heads.
Were Ferrari and Lamborghini to announce today that they were re-releasing the Testarossa and Countach as an electric car, it would probably sell out before I could even finish typing this sentence. Both are irrepressible displays of the apex of Italian auto design. Given that this is our dream car, we’d love to see Ferrari and Lamborghini possibly work together on developing an electric platform that can make and take the power that both were built to master.
Given how fast electrification is coming, we look at this change with more optimism. Considering the vehicles that already have a hybrid or all-electric variant, as well as the new rides coming down the line; it feels more tangible and accessible. But bringing back some favorites from the past is an exciting trend we hope continues. Driving an electric Lambo Countach would definitely encourage us to turn and face the strange.
Photos: Ford, GM, Lexus, Jaguar, Honda, Mitsubishi, Ferrari, Lamborghini