One of the most enduring replicas on the scene today is the venerable Lamborghini Countach clone. Even with the much more slippery design of the Lambo Diablo available in kit car form, the Countach still seems to have legions of admirers. Fans flock to shops like Exotic Illusions that specialize in Countach clones to get their share of Italian exotica. The example you see here is a turnkey raging bull created for a customer in Maryland. The Dickson City, Pennsylvania, builder turns out these beautiful replicas on a steady basis in either a stock-wheelbase version or a more authentic stretched chassis version, both of which are built, of course, on the ubiquitous Pontiac Fiero platform.
Exotic Illusions offers two models of the Countach (replicas of the 5000S and the 25th Anniversary), with either model available in the stock Fiero 98-inch wheelbase or the stretched version. The company’s Eurosex 1000 is a replica of the Lambo 5000S, while the 2500 replicates the Anniversary model introduced in 1988.
Exotic’s affable owner, Demitrios Koroneos (aka The Mad Greek) backs up the quality of his kit and turnkey work by offering a personal guarantee that if a customer is not 100 percent satisfied with the car when he picks it up, his deposit will be refunded. He also guarantees that the car will be complete according to the contract, and the back-ordered parts excuse used by some other kit car companies will not be an issue. Judging by the Greek’s turnkey cars we’ve seen, we can’t imagine any unhappy customers.
The stunning redhead 2500 you see here is a good example of Exotic Illusion’s turnkey work. It features smooth bodywork, straight seams, a proper stance, and systems that operate as they were intended to without any fiddling. The company typically goes the extra mile by detailing areas that are often hidden. The engine compartment, for example, was sparkling clean without a hint of rubbing compound residue. The engine was nicely detailed and color-coordinated. The interior was comfortable, neatly done, and void of any loose carpeting or stray staples. We are always amazed at the car builders who arrange with us to have their cars photographed for feature stories only to show up with manufacturing debris littering the carpets, polishing residue in the door-jambs, wires carelessly routed in the engine compartment, and other such detailing missing. Demitrios always shows us his cars in the same condition he delivers them to his customers—completely ready.
Befitting a car with the kind of looks the Countach has, this one is powered by a healthy Chevy 350 small-block residing in the midengine position. It is coupled to a Fiero Getrag five-speed tranny through an adapter kit and has beefed-up axles to accommodate the added power. The engine is fed by a Holley 750-cfm carb and has an ACCEL ignition system.
The interior of this bull is standard Exotic Illusions fare accomplished in a handsome camel leather. The dash is fitted with a full complement of VDO instruments.
Exotic offers several packages on all its kits, including a Stage I kit that sells for $9,500 and comes with a hand-laid fiberglass body, hardware, and the labor and parts required to prepare your Fiero chassis for the new bodywork. Prepping the chassis involves cutting off the roof, trimming the framerails, and welding in steel reinforcements. Exotic also offers other Stage packages depending on how much work you want to do yourself. You can also buy the basic Eurosex 1000 kit starting at $5,500 with the 2500 model adding an additional $3,000. The basic body package includes the complete body, front spoiler, rear wing, scoops, inner liners, and hood and decklids. Exotic Illusions pre-hangs all the doors, decks, and pop-up headlights to lessen the most difficult part of building a Countach, and the company offers a hardware package ($1,500) that includes a front frame section, support rails and uprights, side filler panels and original Lambo aluminum grilles, louvers, door props, latches, and strikers.
Exotic Illusions is also a virtual one-stop parts shop for Lambos, offering items like authentic curved-glass windshields, lighting assemblies, wiper assemblies, wheels, and more. The company will also custom-cut windshields for other brands of Countach kits.
It’s obvious, after looking at this car, that after more than 13 years of building Countach clones, the Exotic Illusions crew knows a thing or two about building Lambo replicas and helping to keep them among the most enduring kit cars on the market.