Guided Tour of the Lamborghini Diablo

"Diablo" is, of course, Italian for devil, and the wicked Lamborghini Diablo lived up to its name. Lamborghini designers and engineers began work on a replacement for the Countach supercar in 1985. Its debut came five years later, in 1990, at the Hotel de Paris in Monte Carlo. Of course, the name wasn't plucked out of thin air, and anyone who knows anything about Lamborghini knows about its ties to Spanish bullfighting. The new 5.7-liter exotic car with scissor doors was taken from a famously ferocious bull who fought in the late 1800s. All told, in its decade in production, 2,989 Diablos were built.

In the middle of the Diablo's design cycle, Chrysler took ownership of Automobili Lamborghini. They softened the edges of the aggressive design and added a few creature comforts to the interior, like an optional driver's seat molded to fit the owner, but they managed to not mess it up too badly.

• 5.7-liter mid-mounted V12 engine with four valves per cylinder
• 492 hp, rear-wheel drive
• 0-60 mph in just over 4 seconds; top speed 202 mph
• 17" aluminum alloy wheels
• Exterior design by Countach designer Marcello Gandini
• Interior design by new owner Chrysler; included Alpine stereo and non-power adjustable seats

Lamborghini made a few improvements to its flagship supercar of the '90s, including the addition of permanent four-wheel drive. The Diablo was the first supercar on the market to have this feature, which Lambos today still have. The VT stood for "viscous traction," by the way. The engine and stats stayed the same, though handling was improved with the ability to transfer power from rear to front tires. Changes were minor, and are listed below.

• Larger air intakes to cool the brakes
• Engine surrounded by a carbon-fiber case
• Brakes upgraded to four-piston Brembos
• Roadster version available in 1995

The SE30 designation is easy enough to figure out: it's a special edition built for the company's 30th anniversary. About 150 SE30s were built for the occasion, with a lighter engine trimmed in black and gold. With weight reduction strategies like carbon-fiber seats and magnesium intake manifolds, the engine was able to reach 525 hp. A Jota kit made the SE30 race-ready.

• 276 pounds lighter than the standard Diablo
• 0-62 in 4.0 seconds; top speed of 205 mph
• All-wheel driver removed to save weight
• Adjustable anti-roll bars added
• Fewer than Jota kits built and sold

The Diablo SV, or "Super Veloce," was thought of as the entry-level Diablo, though the entry was still well into six figures. It lacked the all-wheel drive system and electric suspension of the VT, but it had a modified version of the VT's engine that could put out 510 hp. A Diablo SVR, based on this incarnation of the supercar, was built for a one-make racing series called "Diablo Supertrophy." These cars -- all 31 of them -- were sold with race support included in the price, and all repairs and maintenance were done by Lamborghini.

The Diablo VT, VT Roaster and SV all got a thorough freshening for the eve of the new millennium, with mostly cosmetic changes. All three models got exposed headlights, new 18" wheels, and a new dashboard, plus ABS and variable valve timing. Power went up to 530 hp, and 0-62 time lowered to 3.8 seconds. A special edition SV silver model was built in 2000, but it was pretty much identical to the regular SV but for the paint.

The GT was based on a GT2 racing prototype Lamborghini built in the mid-1990s. The space between the front wheels was widened and the overall design revisited, giving the car an even more aggro stance. The V12 engine was bored out for higher horsepower and faster times, though it used only the rear wheels to deliver power to the pavement. The starting price was around $300,000 -- not that Americans could buy one of the 83 examples Lamborghini built. The GT was Europe-only, though a few escaped on the gray market.

• 6-liter V12 with variable valve timing
• 5-speed manual transmission
• top speed of 210 mph

Audi bought Lamborghini in 1998, and they set out to improve the most famous Fighting Bull while they developed a replacement (that would be the Murcielago). Changes were made inside and out, with a redesigned body and technological upgrades to the 6-liter V12 used in the GT.

• Rear-wheel and all-wheel drive available
• 550 hp, thanks to new software
• Large air intakes added to the front bumper
• Center-mounted dual exhaust
• Body in mostly carbon fiber
• Carbon fiber and leather interior
• Special edition 6.0 SE available in two colors, with 42 built