“How Badass Were These Guys?”

Mr. Pohl, how would you define the Lamborghini brand?

Lamborghini is likely the most emotional brand ever. It’s an uncompromising statement. This also means that I don’t feel like driving my Lamborghini every single day. I have to be in the right mood for it. It’s always the same: When you drive up to or past people in a Lamborghini, it involuntarily evokes a response. Either they are appalled and let you know it, or they celebrate you. It’s almost as if you feel offended when somebody ignores you. That says quite a lot about the brand itself.

And people are always looking at you . . .

Exactly. Especially when you get out of the car. People are watching your every move. You should be confident about what you do and how you come across. And that’s what the brand is essentially about, in my opinion. Lamborghini is a highly emotional brand, and it’s awesome to drive. Irrespective of the technical differences among the individual models and their characters. A Huracán, for instance, with its V10 engine, is, apart from the lack of space, quite suitable as a daily driver. It’s an easy ride. You can drive it mercilessly, of course, but when you hit its limits on the racetrack, its good nature shows, I would say. The Aventador, on the other hand, is wicked. The sequential gearbox is vicious! To me, it always feels as if you’re trying to ride on a dragon. The first few moments aren’t really fun. You can always waver, somehow. That’s also Lamborghini. It’s a statement all by itself.

What was your first contact with the brand?

My first contact was a golden Miura from the late 1960s that I had in my Matchbox car collection in the early 1970s. At a scale of 1:24. I also had the same model in purple. These two were my absolute favorites.

Do you still have them?

I do, but they’re quite worn and don’t look so nice anymore.

Besides a Miura, you also drive a Countach. How did that come about?

That’s a good question. Actually, I found the Countach had too many spoilers and planks. It wasn’t my style, really. My first memories go back to red Countachs in the 1980s. I found them quite challenging. And the pimp image wasn’t my thing either. When I was in a position to afford these kinds of cars, I found the Countach quite okay, but preferred not to own one. That was because I had never seen a Periscopio before. I don’t know why I never came across it, not even online. But when I first laid eyes on it, I knew I had to have it.

And you were content?

[laughs] I was elated! And about one and a half years later I was positive that I also needed a Periscopio. I really regretted not having bought it when I had the chance. So I started to research and ultimately found it again. Then I bought it.

How does it feel to drive it in daily life?

Having driven a Periscopio doesn’t give you the right to judge others. Cars that old do have their individual quirks and flaws. Mine, for instance, has a problem starting up when the engine is hot. When the engine is running, it runs smoothly. But don’t try to start it again once it’s been warmed up. If that happens, you have to play around to get it going again. So I wouldn’t say it’s a car for every day. It’s got quite a spacious trunk, though. You can actually use it for shopping.

And when you’re taking it for a sporty drive?

It’s surprisingly fit in this regard. There is very little load change in turns. And the gearbox purrs so beautifully, especially when it’s still cold. This mechanical, buzzing sound is quite something. And when it’s warmed up, it runs very smoothly. That’s great fun!

Where do you go when you feel like taking the Countach for a drive? Stuttgart?

No, it’s not so much fun in the city. I prefer taking it out into the Swabian Alb, driving down winding country roads at medium speed. The car also does great on the autobahn, it performs well under pressure. But I have to say that I haven’t pushed it to its limit. I’ve revved it up to 6,000 rpm, though it peaks at 7,500. According to my GPS, I hit 230 km/h, but the speedometer said 260. Back in the day, they used to be more generous in this regard. [laughs]

Do you see the characteristics of the Countach in any recent models?

If we’re honest, Lamborghini hasn’t made a new car since the Countach that has had a similarly formative impact on the brand. To me, the Miura is still the most beautiful car that has ever been designed. Interestingly, Lamborghini made a complete U-turn afterwards and presented another ultra-avantgarde vehicle, the Countach, right after that. In my garage, the two models are parked right next to each other, and every time I see them, I think: “I can’t believe it! They made these totally different cars one after the other. How badass were they back then?” In my opinion, the Aventador with its aspirated V12 engine is in the direct lineage of the Countach. And most likely it’s also the last of its kind: scissor doors, a longitudinally mounted V12 engine. It’s clearly still got the wedge shape, but it’s technically advanced. You can see all the details, including the air intakes, that you find in the Countach. The same is true for the Huracán, slightly adapted and with a ten-cylinder engine. Only the Urus doesn’t follow in the lineage. I honestly don’t see any resemblance at all. But I’m also not the SUV type and wouldn’t buy a Urus. It’s for a different clientele.

→ Read the full story in ramp #54 "California Dreaming".