It’s the 30th anniversary of the fearsome Lamborghini Diablo. A replacement for the Countach, the Diablo was the fastest car in the world at launch in 1990: top speed 325km/h (yes, we know that doesn’t sound like much now).
The 5.7-litre V12 engine made 362kW/580Nm and while it was luxurious inside (power seats!), it was scary old-school to drive: rear-drive only for the launch model and no electronic driver aids or power steering were available until 1993.
AWD came with the VT. The SE30 model celebrated 30 years of the Lamborghini brand. The 1995 SV went back to RWD, pumped up to 390kW and wore an adjustable rear wing. In December the same year the company launched its first series-production V12 open-roof car, the Diablo VT roadster.
In 1999, following the purchase of Lamborghini by Audi, the top SV got a styling tweak by the German brand’s Luc Donckerwolke and bit more power. Because you always need a bit more power. This generation was also the first Lamborghini to have anti-lock brakes.
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The Diablo was replaced by the Murcielago in 2001, after total production of 2903 cars.
The latest Lambo supercars are infinitely sharper and more sophisticated. But will they ever be as intimidating as the OG Diablo?
