Lamborghini – Diablo GT (1999)

Diablo was a ferocious bull that fought an epic battle with matador El Chico in Madrid in 1869. The legend of this bravery was immortalised in the nomenclature of the Lamborghini Diablo introduced in 1990 and built until 2001. Lamborghini made no changes to the general concept; the gearbox was still positioned in front of the longitudinally arranged engine and extended far into the interior between the two seats. As in the case of the Countach, the design originated from Marcello Gandini but was significantly more streamlined. The wheelbase increased from 2.45 to 2.65 metres. The V12 engine taken from the Countach was further reworked and now had a displacement of 5.7 litres – 0.5 litres more than the previous Countach – and initially generated 492 hp. The aim of the successor was to build the fastest production car in the world. This was achieved with the headline top speed of 325 km/h (203 mph), although that was even surpassed in tests by the motoring press. The Diablo was indeed the fastest production car when it was presented in the public arena. In 1993, a four-wheel-drive version – the Diablo VT – was introduced and the power output was consistently increased over the years. In 1999, the pop-up headlights were replaced by fixed ones. September 1999 saw the launch of the Diablo GT, a limited-edition version derived from the experience gained in developing a GT2 race car.

This supercar was powered by a significantly revised and larger 6 litre V12 outputting 575 hp. Bigger brakes were fitted and the weight was further reduced on the back of consistent use of lightweight materials. A robust additional air scoop is visible at the back of the roof. This early GT is number 6 out of officially 80 Lamborghini Diablo GT supercars built. It was sold new by Touringauto Milano and first registered in Monaco. The sports car is painted in a one-off colour combination –‘Argento Titanio’ with blue Alcantara interior.