1991 Lamborghini Diablo

The Lamborghini Diablo took its origins and original architecture of the Countach, defined by Paolo Stanzani in 1971. Its engine still resided at the rear central position longitudinally, and the gearbox and its lever protrudes into the cabin. The twelve-cylinder engine was similar to the Countach 'Quattro Valvole' of 1985, but modifications made it more docile. The 5.7-liter displacement of the Diablo exceeded that of the 5.2-liter unit powering the Countach 25th Anniversary. It was more powerful and flexible, and fitted with an electronic injection system developed in-house, using parts from Weber-Marelli and a catalytic converter. Its 492 horsepower exceeded that of the Testarossa by 122 horses.

The multi-tubular steel frame architecture was sourced from the Countach but with a larger and stronger central cage, front and rear sub frames were designed to absorb violent shocks, and the central beam was made of composite material. It had a 15cm longer wheelbase which allowed Marcello Gandini to design a smoother and longer form while remaining true to the design language of its predecessors. Gandini, who had designed the Espada, Countach, and Miura, managed another tour de force with the Diablo. Introduced on January 21st of 1990, the Diablo was a long-overdue replacement for the Countach, which had been on sale in various guises since 1974.

The Diablo was endowed with creature comforts not traditionally associated with Lamborghini products or with supercars, including power windows and mirrors, and air conditioning. Steering remained unassisted on early examples, as did anti-lock brakes. Optional equipment included a custom-molded driver's seat, rear spoiler, factory fitted luggage set, an exclusive Breguet clock, and a remote CD changer and subwoofer.

The Diablo remained in production from 1990 to 2001 with 2,884 examples built during that time, including 401 examples built during its inaugural year. Development had begun in June of 1985 under the codename Project 132. At the time, the company was financed by the Swiss-based brothers Jean Claude and Patrick Mimran. Chrysler acquired the company in 1987 and funded the project to completion, adding design input along the way. Their design team in Detroit was commissioned to create the third redesign of Gandini's original design, 'softening' the shape and removed many of the sharp edges and corners. Gandini's original design was later realized in the Cizeta-Moroder V16T.

The name 'Diablo' continued the company's tradition of naming its cars after breeds of fighting bulls. The source of the Diable was a ferocious bull raised by the Duke of Veragua in the 19th century.

During its production lifespan, numerous modifications were made including several prototypes. The first prototype was introduced at the Geneva Motor Show in 1992, a 'roadster' version that demonstrated what an open-top version might look like. The Diablo VT was introduced in 1993, adding an all-wheel driving system that used a viscous center differential, responsible for the 'VT' portion of the name (viscous traction). Additionally, the VT added front air intakes below the driving lamps, larger intakes in the rear arches, four-piston brake calipers, power steering, and a more ergonomic interior with revised electronically adjustable dampers.

The Diablo SE30 also arrived in 1993 as a limited-production special model in honor of the company's 30th anniversary. Modifications to the engine boosted output to 523 horsepower. It used magnesium intake manifolds, a free-flowing exhaust system, a tuned fuel system, and adjustable stiffness anti-roll bars. The power glass side windows were replaced with fixed Plexiglas, reducing the vehicle's overall weight. Non-essential amenities were removed including the power steering system, air conditioning, and stereo. Race-like features included carbon fiber seats with a four-point race harness, and a fire suppression system.

Unique design elements applied to the SE30 included special magnesium alloy wheels, SE30 badging, a new metallic purple paint color, rear cooling ducts with a vertical body-colored design, slats covering the narrow rear window of the engine lid, the addition of a larger spoiler, and the front fascia wearing straked brake cooling ducts and a deeper spoiler. The raging bull emblem usually residing on the front of the luggage lid was relocated to the nose panel between the front indicators.

Lamborghini produced 150 examples of the SE30 models and approximately 15 were converted to 'Jota' specifications. The 'Jota' was a factory modification kit designed to transform the SE30 (essentially the street-legal race car) into an actual circuit racer. Approximately 28 Jota Kits were produced. Along with exterior revisions, the engine was tuned to produce nearly 600 horsepower and 471 lb-ft of torque. The rear-view mirror was removed, the engine lid was revised, and two ducts protruded from above the roofline directing air into the intake system.

The Diablo SV arrived in 1995 and revived the Super Veloce title introduced on the Miura SV. Introduced at the Geneva Motor Show, the Diablo SV was devoid of the four-wheel-drive system of the VT, with its engine tuned to produce 510 horsepower at 7,100 RPM and 580 Nm of torque at 5,900 RPM. Standard equipment included an adjustable rear spoiler, black tail lamp surrounds, dual front fog lamps, additional front brake cooling ducts, larger-diameter front brakes with larger 18-inch front wheels, and repositioned rear fog and reverse lamps (similar to the setup of the SE30). The engine lid was also similar to the SE30 Jota.

A United States-only special edition of the Diablo SV was introduced in 1998 and limited to just 20 examples. It was called the Monterey Edition and came with the SE30/VT Roadster style of air intakes in front of the rear wheels. Several of the Monterey Edition cars wore vibrant colors.

In December of 1995, Lamborghini introduced the VT Roadster which used an electronically operated carbon fiber Targa top that was stowed above the engine lid while not in use. Along with the roof system, the VT Roadster had relocated brake cooling ducts which were moved inboard of the driving lamps, and the rear ducts used the vertical painted design used on the SE30. The quad rectangular driving lamps were replaced with two rectangular and two round units, and the front bumper was revised.

The roof panel resting above the engine lid meant that additional cooling vents were needed, along with larger air vents. Initially, 17-inch wheels were standard, growing to 18-inches by 1998, the same time engine output increased to 530 horsepower thanks to a variable valve timing system. Approximately 200 examples were built from 1995 through 1998.

1999 introduced a second generation of the VT and VT Roadster and the Diablo SV. The Diablo GT was introduced in 1998 and 80 examples were built. The Diablo VT 6.0 and VT 6.0 SE wore significant styling changes both on the inside and outside. Approximately 40 examples were SE models built from 2000 to 2001.

by Daniel Vaughan | Jun 2021