Journal: Which Eighties Poster Exotic Do You Prefer?

Which Eighties Poster Exotic Do You Prefer?

By Petrolicious Productions
March 13, 2013
20 comments

If you were a boy growing up in the mid-eighties, there’s a 99% chance you had a poster of one of these cars on your bedroom wall. An entire generation spent sleepless hours, culminating into months and maybe even years, staring at 27″ x 41″ prints of these earthbound spaceships—all wide-hipped, vented, intake’d and wedge-shaped. Like me, you may even have had both on your wall, but you definitely had a preference. Which one you dreamt about as a 4th grader likely determines your adulthood allegiances as well. Are you a Maranello man or a Sant’Agata guy?

First up is the Countach, the car which arguably defines the word “supercar”. This particular example is a 25th Anniversary 1989 model, featuring a fuel-injected quattrovalvole version of the venerable Bizzarrini-designed V12, whose heritage dates back to the very first Lamborghini, the 350 GT. Wearing a rather fussy, but very period-appropriate body kit designed by none other than Horacio Pagani, it still evokes a feeling of childlike wonderment all these years later. It’s simply, wheeled insanity.

Next is the thinking kid’s alternative supercar, the lovely Testarossa. Though far more conservative in its approach than the outlandish Countach, it was still far from conventional. Equipped with a centrally-mounted, longitudinal 180° V12 that is commonly, though incorrectly, referred to as a “boxer”, it featured opposing pistons mounted to a common crankpin, in contrast to a true boxer which have separate pins for each piston, thus creating the “boxing” motion. The Redhead is said by many to be the sweeter of the two to drive, with light and delicate controls in contrast to the Countach’s truck-like interfaces—a more cerebral experience relative to the visceral and animal-like Lambo.

Which eighties poster exotic do you prefer?

1989 Ferrari Testarossa

Click here for the Testarossa details.

Petrolicious Testarossa Video

1989 Lamborghini Countach

Click here for the Countach details.

Petrolicious Countach Video

Join the Conversation
Related
0 0 votes
Article Rating
Subscribe
Notify of
20 Comments
newest
oldest most voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Leon Prinsloo
Leon Prinsloo
6 years ago

For me I had a poster of a black 512BBi and the 308GTB.

LP750-4 SV
LP750-4 SV
6 years ago

When I was 10 I had the quintessential Alpine Stereo poster of a red Lamborghini Countach on my bedroom wall. I don’t have the poster anymore but I now have this;

puppyknuckles
puppyknuckles
11 years ago

When I was about 8 years old I was obsessed with the Countach. I drew pictures of it so often that my mom took one of my drawings and had it put on a sweatshirt at the mall. I thought I was the coolest person in the world wearing that thing. I think I still identify with Lamborghini over Ferrari today. Somehow though… if we’re just trying to fulfill childhood fantasy? Give me a Delorean.

Nate Turnage
Nate Turnage
11 years ago

I didn’t have either one of these on my wall. I did, however, have a poster of the [url=”http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:VectorW2silver.jpg”]Vector W2[/url] on my wall.

Jim Bauer
Jim Bauer
11 years ago

Countach all day, no question. If someone gave me a free Testarossa, I would be looking for someone to trade me a Countach ASAP. I dont Think the Testarossa can even hold a candle to it in styling. Countach looks classic, and insane, and iconic all at the same time. Testarossa just looks dated, with little wheels.

Luc Bonachera
Luc Bonachera
11 years ago

Born in the mid-seventies, I had a Countach poster, 1:18 model Testarossa and Porsche wallpaper in my bedroom. Can it be any worse?..

Between these two, I would choose the Testarossa today, still love it.

ben hengst
ben hengst
11 years ago

+1 to the 959. I also remember there was a poster with all the porches.

Brian Nerlson
Brian Nerlson
11 years ago

The Testarossa is so much cleaner of a automobile. I think that any one with good taste and auto knowledge would always pick a Ferrari over a Lamborghini.

Jason Kambitsis
Jason Kambitsis
11 years ago

I had a poster of a 944 Turbo at the end of my bed. It always felt more attainable.

Edwin Verhaagen
Edwin Verhaagen
11 years ago

I had a poster of a 288 GTO above my bed. Now I have a picture of a 1600 Giulia GTV which also feels more attainable… 😉

Ryley Bastian
Ryley Bastian
11 years ago

While aging Ferraris don’t usually rev my engine, there’s something about the Testarossa (I guess you could call it the Testarossa presence that it has, as referenced in your video.) Lambos are cool, I love the Countach, but it’s not as… exciting, or soulful as a TR. Plus those side vents are my guilty pleasure.

Andre C  Hulstaert
Andre C Hulstaert
11 years ago

Well, if I have to choose between these two: The Testarossa without an hesitation. I never liked, like the styling of the Lambo’s too angular. What I REALLY prefer is the AC Daytona coupe and the Ferrari 25o GTB4, but these are of an older generation.

John Wiley
John Wiley
11 years ago

Testarossa, but deja vu? [url=”http://www.classicandperformancecar.com/features/octane_features/287482/lamborghini_countach_v_ferrari_testarossa.html”]Octane Magazine Countach v Testarossa 12-2012[/url]

Derek Scott
Derek Scott
11 years ago

The Countach wins simply because it’s an original. I see the Boxer and Testarossa as reactive cars: Ferrari’s responses to Lamborghini doing what it does best: outrageous, brutal, statements. I think everyone was a bit disappointed that the Daytona was so conventional when it came out after the Miura had wowed everyone so thoroughly with its innovative mechanical characteristics and spectacular styling. The Boxer was Ferrari’s first mid-engined flagship and while a good car, neither it nor the Testarossa had the sheer arresting power on the public as the Countach. Ferrari’s 288, F40, F50 etc. prove that they can do outrageous too, but their flagship “standard production” 12-cylinder cars have always been more sophisticated, grown up cars and their mid-engined flat-12 cars read retrospectively as though they lost their way for a bit. That said, any carb’d Boxer and 512 TR/M are very fine cars that will come into their own as collector cars eventually, in the same way that Daytonas and Countaches have.

We like old cars because they represent a divergence from the way we do things now. Few cars embody that more explicitly than the Countach, which is why, despite (because of?) its flaws, it is one of the most significant cars ever made.

Michael Hinckley
Michael Hinckley
11 years ago

Lambo has more drama but Testarossa wins.

Terrence Dorsey
Terrence Dorsey
11 years ago

Porsche 928 and 959.

Christopher Gay
Christopher Gay
11 years ago

Yes, Porsche 959 Gruppe B.
Actually, a blueprint drawing of a 956, but I guess that’s a different category altogether.

Inigo Loy Colmenar
Inigo Loy Colmenar
11 years ago

Farrah Fawcett’s poster!

Xander Cesari
Xander Cesari
11 years ago

The Testarossa may not have a boxer but it certainly isn’t a V12. I believe the term you’re looking for is flat 12.

Matthew Lange
11 years ago
Reply to  Xander Cesari

Actually 180 degree V12 is considered a correct term for the engine although Flat 12 is also correct.

As to which I prefer, it’s easy the Testarossa (although in later 512TR form preferrably). At 6ft 2″ I’m not freakishly tall but I have tried and I cannot fit in a Countach comfortably enough to be in any postion to drive it more than a couple of miles.

Petrolicious Newsletter