The Lamborghini Diablo is a high-performance mid-engined sports car that was built by Italian automaker Lamborghini between 1990 and 2001. It was the first Lamborghini capable of attaining a top speed in excess of 200 miles per hour (320 km/h). After the end of its production run in 2001, the Diablo was replaced by the Lamborghini Murciélago.
At a time when the company was financed by the Swiss-based Mimram brothers, Lamborghini began development of what was codenamed Project 132 in June 1985 as a replacement for the Countach model. The brief stated that its top speed had to be at least 315 km/h (196 mph).
The design of the car was contracted to Marcello Gandini, who had designed its two predecessors. When Chrysler bought the company in 1987, providing money to complete its development, its management was unimpressed with Gandini’s designs and commissioned its design team in Detroit to execute a third extensive redesign, smoothing out the trademark sharp edges and corners of Gandini's original design, and leaving him famously unimpressed. In fact, Gandini was so disappointed with the "softened" shape that he would later realize his original design in the Cizeta-Moroder V16T.
The Diablo was presented to the public for sale on January 21, 1990, at a base price of $240,000 at the Hotel de Paris in Monte Carlo during the second Lamborghini Day.[2] Power came from a 5,709 cc (348 cu in), 48-valve version of the existing Lamborghini V12 featuring dual overhead cams and computer-controlled multi-point fuel injection, producing a maximum output of 499 PS (367 kW; 492 hp) and 580 N·m (428 lb·ft) of torque. The vehicle could reach 100 km/h (62 mph) in slightly under 4 seconds, with a top speed of over 333 km/h (207 mph). The Diablo was rear-wheel drive and the engine was mid-mounted to aid its weight balance.
adjustable seats and steering wheel, electric windows, an Alpine stereo system, and power steering. Anti-lock brakes were not initially available, although they would eventually be used. A few options were available, including a custom-molded driver's seat, remote CD changer and subwoofer, rear spoiler, factory fitted luggage set (priced at $2,600) and an exclusive Breguet clock for the dash (priced at $10,500).
The Diablo was the fastest production car in the world for the 1991 model year,[6] having a top speed of 333 km/h (207 mph), which exceeded the 324 km/h (201 mph) of the previous title-holder, the Ferrari F40. The Diablo held the title until the release of the Bugatti EB110 in 1991, which claimed a top speed of 343 km/h (213 mph).
The Diablo VT was introduced in 1993. Although the VT differed from the standard Diablo in a number of ways, by far the most notable change was the addition of all wheel drive, which made use of a viscous center differential. This provided the new nomenclature for the car (VT stands for viscous traction). The new drivetrain could direct up to 25% of the torque to the front wheels to aid traction during rear wheel slip, thus significantly improving the handling characteristics of the car.
The Diablo SV was introduced in 1995 at the Geneva Auto Show, reviving the super veloce title first used on the Miura SV. The SV was based on the standard Diablo and thus lacked the four-wheel drive of the VT. A notable feature of the SV was an increase in horsepower to 517 PS (380 kW; 510 hp), which, paired with the two-wheel drive layout, could cause loss of traction during hard driving. Interestingly, despite its higher power output, the SV was priced as the entry-level model in the Diablo range, falling below the standard Diablo by a small margin. An adjustable rear spoiler was installed as standard equipment and could be color-matched to the car body or formed from carbon fiber.
The second generation VT coupé and roadster received the same cosmetic and mechanical upgrades as the SV model, including the open headlamps, restyled interior, 537 PS (395 kW; 530 hp) engine, and ABS; little else was changed from the previous generation. All US-spec VT models, coupé and roadster alike, shared the same unique front and rear fascias as seen on the original VT Roadster, along with the vertical painted rear brake ducts that had debuted on the SE30 model; these cosmetic variations were available as options on rest-of-world VT coupés.[20]
A special run of twelve Diablo VT's was produced exclusively for the United States market in 1999 and called the Alpine Edition. As the Diablo had been utilizing Alpine stereo equipment since its inception, this very limited production was intended to showcase and celebrate the Lamborghini/Alpine connection.
After campaigning the Diablo SV-R for four years in the Diablo Supertrophy, Lamborghini launched a completely new car for the 2000 season. Just as the SV-R was a race-ready SV, the Diablo GTR, introduced at the 1999 Bologna Motor Show, converted the already impressive Diablo GT into a track machine with power improvements, a stripped interior, and weight reduction.[37]
The GTR interior was stripped down to save weight; the air conditioning, stereo, and sound and heatproofing were removed, and a single racing seat with 6-point seatbelt harness, MOMO fire suppression system and steering wheel, complete integrated roll cage, fixed Plexiglass windows with sliding sections, and fresh air intake were fitted.
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