Big Lamborghinis from Hot Wheels have historically been a mixed bag. Some, like the mainline Aventador, are well proportioned and nearly perfect Hot Wheels models. Others, like the mainline Murcielago, just look a bit off – riding a bit too high and being a bit too flat. Others are let down by their color choice, like the white Centenario with a red base. Still others achieve legendary status, like the Murcielago LP 670-4 SV, which has seen only three releases since its debut in 2011. With that history in mind, I never know what to expect when a new big Lamborghini hits the Hot Wheels scene.
Enter: the new Lamborghini Countach, and first impressions are…actually pretty good! The color choice, though a bit boring, is the press color used by Lamborghini and therefore a logical choice for this model’s first outing. The casting is quite well-detailed and does an excellent job of capturing the car’s decidedly retro proportions. In fact, the biggest flaw I see with the casting is the lack of wing mirrors, though I can understand why the Countach’s mirrors would be hard to accurately reproduce in diecast.
The 1:1 Countach is based on the Aventador, and that must be the case for the Hot Wheels version too because this model shares the Aventador’s wheel problems. I know staggered wheel setups are somewhat of a Hot Wheels design signature, but come on! The front wheels on this Countach are half the size of the rears, and I certainly don’t remember ever seeing a Countach with 13’s on the front…
Oddly, it appears that Hot Wheels decided to downsize the wheels across the board for this model. The back wheels on the Countach are the same size as the front wheels on the Aventador, which is absolutely perplexing. Perhaps the Hot Wheels team was looking for an excuse to use their new extra-small Real Riders? I’d like to see what the Countach looks like with the wheels from the Aventador swapped on, but the peculiar shape of the Countach’s wheel arches would probably prevent those larger wheels from fitting.
Wheel criticisms aside, this is actually a really good model! The front end is very low and angular, with Countach printed on the black bar across the front. The headlights are a part of the window section, though I would have liked to see Hot Wheels take a cue from MiniGT and print detailing on top of the clear headlights. Otherwise, the only flaw I can find on the front end is the air intakes right above the splitter, which are a little taller on the real car and appear just a bit scrunched here.
This model certainly honors the original Countach’s wedge-shaped design! I love the big air intakes behind the doors and the very 80’s-looking wheel arches. When was the last time you saw a car with non-round wheel arches?
The back is really the highlight of this model for me. The rear lights are incredibly distinctive on the Countach and its pronounced LED hexagons are well replicated here. Hot Wheels actually manages to make the lights a bit three dimensional while getting full coverage on the printed detailing…perhaps some of the best detailing we’ve seen from Hot Wheels in recent years. The slightly awkward bumper section is well replicated here too, looking like an extra shelf in the back just like it does on the real car (this is where 80’s design doesn’t really fit with modern safety standards).
The red interior is a nice touch as well, once again matching the spec of the press car. I also really like how clearly you can see the deployable spoiler at the back!
In the end, we are left with a bit of symbolism. Not to get too poetic, but the 1:1 Lamborghini and this Hot Wheels model are both a mixed bag of excellent design work hamstrung by attempts to honor the tradition of their past design elements. Whether it’s odd, shelf-like rear bumpers or badly proportioned staggered wheel setups, the new Countach is just so close to perfection. At least the Hot Wheels isn’t hamstrung by safety standards…all it needs is a wheel swap (and perhaps a more interesting color).
diecastleno.com 
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