CarBrandLogos archive · Lamborghini · 1990

LamborghiniDiablo

Two hundred miles an hour in 1990, built by a firm that changed owners three times.

Photo: MrWalkr · CC BY-SA 4.0

The story

A defining chapter in Lamborghini history.

Explore the ideas, engineering and context that shaped the Lamborghini Diablo, then continue into its specifications and place in the marque's lineage.

Origins

Development of the Countach's replacement began in 1985 under Lamborghini's then-owners, the Mimran brothers, with Marcello Gandini again responsible for the shape. Chrysler bought the company in 1987 and sent the design to its own studio, where Tom Gale's team rounded off Gandini's harder edges. Gandini was reportedly unhappy enough that he offered the original design elsewhere; it emerged some years later as the Cizeta-Moroder V16T.

Lamborghini Diablo SV · Brian Snelson · CC BY 2.0

Design and engineering

The car that launched in 1990 was nonetheless a substantial step beyond the Countach. A 5.7-litre V12 with electronic fuel injection sat longitudinally behind the cabin, the structure was a stiffer tubular frame, and the Diablo was capable of over 200 mph, a figure very few road cars had reached at the time. The scissor doors carried over.

Lamborghini-Diablo-New · Toru.wiki · CC BY-SA 3.0

In production

It evolved through a long list of variants. The VT of 1993 added a viscous-coupled all-wheel-drive system that could send torque forward when the rears lost grip, the SE30 marked the company's thirtieth anniversary, the SV was lighter and rear-driven, and the Roadster added a removable roof panel. In 1999, under Audi ownership, the fixed headlamps of the facelift replaced the pop-ups, and the final VT 6.0 of 2000, restyled by Luc Donckerwolke, took the engine to 6.0 litres and brought a much improved interior.

Early Lamborghini Diablo in red · Mr.choppers · CC BY-SA 3.0

Legacy

That ownership churn is part of the story. Chrysler sold Lamborghini in 1994 to an Indonesian-linked investment group, which sold it to Audi in 1998. Through all of it the Diablo remained the only V12 the company had, and its 2,903 sales over eleven years kept the doors open until Audi's money arrived. The Murcielago replaced it in 2001.

At a glance

The facts that define it.

Produced

1990–2001

Units built

2,903

Engine

5.7&ndash

Body

2-door coupé

Technical specification

The Diablo, in detail.

Production: 1990–2001; 2,903 built
Class: Sports car (S)
Body style: 2-door coupé; 2-door retractable hard-top convertible (roadster)
Layout: Longitudinal, Mid-engine, rear-wheel drive / all-wheel drive
Engine: 5.7–6.0 L Lamborghini V12
Transmission: 5-speed manual
Designer: Marcello Gandini (initial design) ; Tom Gale (designer); Tom Gale at Chrysler Styling Center (final design) ; Luc Donckerwolke (Diablo VT 6.0)
Assembly: Italy: Sant'Agata Bolognese
Manufacturer: Lamborghini