Lamborghini Diablo

"The Lamborghini Diablo (meaning "devil" in Spanish), is a series of high-performance V12, rear mid-engined sports cars in the supercar market segment, built by Italian automobile manufacturer Lamborghini from 1990 through 2001. It is the first production Lamborghini with a top speed in excess of 200 mph (322 km/h).

In 1993, the Diablo VT (for 'Viscous Traction') became Lamborghini's first all-wheel drive production sportscar. The car retained its rear-wheel drive character, but a computer-modulated system could direct up to 25% of the engine's torque to the front wheels in case of rear-axle slip, to improve the car's handling. In 1995, Lamborghini also began building their first open-top V12, in the form of a Diablo roadster. During the later years, a number of special editions were built, typically in very small numbers.

After the end of its production run in 2001, the Diablo was replaced by the Lamborghini Murciélago.


History of development

At a time when the company was financed by the Swiss-based brothers Jean Claude and Patrick Mimran, Lamborghini began development of what was codenamed Project 132 in June 1985 as a replacement for the Countach, Lamborghini's then flagship sports car. The brief stated that the top speed of the new car 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 Corporation bought the company in 1987, funding the company to complete the car's development, its management was displeased with Gandini's designs and commissioned its design team in Detroit to execute a third extensive redesign, smoothing out the infamous sharp edges and corners of Gandini's original design. Gandini would later realise his original design in the Cizeta-Moroder V16T.

The new car was named Diablo, carrying on Lamborghini's tradition of naming its cars after breeds of fighting bulls. The Diablo was named after a ferocious bull raised by the Duke of Veragua in the 19th century, famous for fighting an epic battle with 'El Chicorro' in Madrid on 11 July 1869.

The development is believed to have cost a total of 6 billion Lire.