THEY SHOULD'VE RACED - BY Dean Keylock
IIt was a 1985 Lamborghini Countach 5000S Rosso Corsa with black leather interior and it was a right hand drive, which made it extremely rare. There was 25000 Km’s on the clock and the keys had been handed to me. I squeezed the chrome doorknob and the seemingly giant door swooped up into the air on its hinges assisted by a gas shock. I negotiated my way into the car noticing that the angle at which I was sitting was not at a right angle to the steering wheel nor the pedals rather it was facing a couple of degrees towards the still open door. I put the Keys into the ignition and turned it to position I, a clicking sound could now be heard from the fuel pump in the engine bay behind me. Swinging the motor once, twice, three… the big 12 pot sprung to life with an enthusiastic growl, I just sat there enjoying the burbling motor for a moment as the juices began to flow. As the Lamborghini’s engine slowly calmed itself I reached up and pulled the door closed, there I was, ready for my first ride in a Countach. Digging in the clutch, from the askance-seating position, let you know right away that this car wasn’t made in Taiwan and was no toy. Dogleg 1st gear, into the metal gate, ease out the clutch, and squeeze the accelerator. 1-2-3000 revs 4-5, metal churns itself into life as the brutle forces of the Countach hurtles the car forward. I push the clutch down and pull the gear lever out of it’s gate, move it up to the entrance to second gear and momentarily wait for the huge gearbox to allow me to slot it into second. Clutch out and I’m pushed back into the seat as the Lamborghini’s Speedometer climbs past the 100 km/h mark. I take my Foot off the accelerator and the big engine brakes the car’s forward momentum, touch the brake pedal I ease the car off to a stop at the robot. I make my way to the on ramp of the highway and slowly the super car starts warming it’s self up. The Motor becomes smooth, the gearbox starts easing its stiffness and the car starts to feel a bit more usable, the dramatic feeling has by no means lessened. I turn onto the on ramp in second gear ease the accelerator downward, the change into 3rd is easier than the 2nd gear and the Lamborghini settles into a rumble as it climbs to 120, 130 km/h. I’m over the legal speed limit now, as 4th and 5th gears come quickly. My foot is at the top of the accelerator pedal and the speedometer is bobbing around the 160 km/h mark as I begin to push my foot down. The Lamborghini feels at home now, 200 km/h comes and goes as the exhaust note turns into a high pitched wine. As I complete the 46 km trip to my meeting point it feels like no time has passed but I ease off and pull into the One Stop. I park the big Lamborghini next to the 1985 Ferrari Testarossa, which looks equally as impressive as the Countach in fly yellow. As I greet my competition we both hear the distinctive sound of a Turbo howl. The 1985 Porsche 930 Turbo comes into sight and looks aggressive in a dark brown gold with its widened wheel arches and squat stance, it parks along side the Countach.
Fuel tanks are filled, Oil levels are checked, tyres are pumped, water levels and brake fluids. The course is just over 360 km’s and includes a hill climb, a straight stretch of highway, a mountain pass, a quarter mile run, and finally a top end run. The three cars are stock standard, as they were offered by their respective manufacturers when new and have all been serviced and checked by their respective workshops.
The Lamborghini is still at operating temperature when I roll up to the start line. I’m not out of the blocks first as the Porsche immediately pulls away from the two V12’s and the Ferrari seems more nimble than the Lamborghini as I follow it down the National road. I settle into a comfortable 250 km/h tucked in behind the Ferrari which appears to be closing in on the Porsche when the road rises slightly. The Lamborghini is happy on the straight road, of which we have another 90 km’s. At 250km/h I can feel that there’s still about another 50 km/h in the Lamborghini. The car feels glued to the road and big engine is very in tune with itself, I’m biding my time now, the Ferrari in front of me is also maintaining the 250 km/h. I ease the throttle south and as I close in on the yellow Ferrari he increases his pace to match mine. We edge closer to the 300 km/h mark and we’ve moved up to the Porsche now, as he I’m sure has also increased his pace to the maximum. The Porsche driver can do nothing to stop the two bigger super cars from passing him but the straight roads are ending as we find some shallow sweepers. I‘ve backed off the pace now and following the Ferrari through narrower roads that have shallow curves to the right and then the left. The Porsche is on my tail now and it seems like the Lamborghini has more torque than the Ferrari through the corners yet not enough to overtake the Ferrari. As the three cars concertina round the shallow corners we start to climb the mountain pass, the road has become a dual lane and the corners have become sharper with up hill straights between them. The Lamborghini’s brakes are hard and require extensive force to slow the car down in time for the approaching corners. I’m catching the Ferrari on the straights but he seems to be quicker into the corners. We hit a steep rise and I manage to power past the Ferrari, the Ferrari is right on the Lamborghini’s tail and I can see the Porsche right behind the Ferrari. We go over the pass and begin descending I’m been pushed by the Ferrari now and the brakes are a becoming a handful coming down into the sharp corners. I have to let the Ferrari pass, fearing I might over heat the brakes. We’ve covered half the distance now and I would like to finish the course even if I’m not the fastest. The Porsche seems to be battling on the corners as well although it’s acceleration in between the corners seems to be second to none. The road straightens and we can give the brakes a well-deserved rest as the speed of the three cars again increases. I’m feeling at home inside the Countach now comfortable with the way it feels on the road and the engine is happy to take me back up towards the 5th gear red line. ……………To be continued