The Lamborghini Diablo was a high-performance midengined sportscar built by Italian automaker Lamborghini between 1990 and 2001.
Lamborghini began developing the Diablo (which means "Devil" in Spanish) in 1985 as a replacement for the Countach model, introducing it for sale on January 21, 1990 at a base price of USD 240,000. Power came from a 5.7-litre, 48-valve version of the legendary Lamborghini V12 featuring dual overhead cams and computer-controlled multi-point fuel injection, producing a maximum output of 492 hp (367 kW) and 427 ft·lbf (579 N·m) of torque. The vehicle could reach 60 mph in slightly over 4 seconds, with a top speed of 202 mph (325 km/h). The Diablo was originally rear-wheel drive and the engine was mid-mounted to aid its weight balance.
Even at over $240,000, the vehicle was somewhat spartan, featuring only basic radio functions (with optional CD playback) along with manual windows, adjustable but unpowered seats and no anti-lock brakes, mostly to minimize the vehicle's already high curb weight. A few options were available, including having the driver's seat molded specifically for the buyer, a rear spoiler, a factory fitted luggage set (priced at $2,600) and an exclusive Breguet clock for the dash (priced at $10,500).
Diablo VT coupeAfter three years of making minor adjustments to the Diablo, Lamborghini decided in 1993 that a second, even more specialized version of the car could add new customers to the brand. Starting with the basic Diablo platform, Lamborghini engineers added a viscous-coupling type all-wheel-drive system, an improved power steering system, resized front wheels and tires chosen to work better with the all-wheel-drive system, four-piston Brembo brake calipers, an updated dashboard design and a new computerized suspension system featuring aggressively tuned Koni shock absorbers. The suspension system could be left in "auto" mode where it was controlled entirely by the computer, or any of four separate "modes" could be manually selected by the driver via buttons in the cabin. The vehicle still lacked ABS brakes. Lamborghini had presented an open-topped concept version of the VT (Viscous Traction) at the 1992 Geneva Auto Show alongside the coupé when the car debuted there, but it was another 3 years before the model saw production. Other than its removable Targa-style carbon fiber roof panel, the vehicle was essentially identical to the coupé, with only a few minor styling differences, mainly in regards to the tail lights between the two models.
In order to bring additional publicity to their pro-am series in 1997, there was a roadster version of the SVR, called VT Roadster R, despite being based on a SVR chassis with everything that its racecar variant has and lacking the four wheel drive system of the VT.