On the Countach.
Stanzani knew the big V12 would inevitably made the rear end heavier than the front, thus resulting in excessive oversteer and difficult handling. To make Countach more balanced, he created a new idea - placing the gearbox and clutch in front of the engine, that is, in the wide central tunnel between the driver and the passenger. There was another advantage: the linkage between shifter and gearbox was vastly shortened so that gearshift became more precise and effortless.
Nevertheless, there were some drawbacks. The output from the gearbox was transmitted back to the rear axle via a drive shaft locating underneath the engine, inside the sump. Inevitably, the engine had to be raised for a few inches to accommodate the drive shaft. As a result, center of gravity was raised, too.