LAMBORGHINI DIABLO “Diablo” means devil in Spanish, a curious choice for the Italian successor to the legendary Countach. The Diablo was the first fruit of Lamborghini’s brief spell under Chrysler’s wing, and cost £50 million ($84 million) to develop.
Following the Countach was never going to be easy, but the Diablo succeeded. Above all it looked absolutely startling thanks to the gifted pen work of Marcello Gandini: The dramatic scissor-type doors were retained for the new car and incorporated a deeply swooping waistline.
The tail seemed to stretch back for ever, its long center cut-out full of louvers, its air dams looking purposeful, its profile widening all the way. The nose could hardly have been lower or more stubbed. Construction was of aluminum and composite-plastic body panels over a chassis reinforced with carbonfibre. Mechanically, the Diablo looked back to the Countach for its inspiration.
Its V-twelve engine was a development of the Countach’s, expanded, catalyzed and given sequential fuel injection. The result was 492bhp and 428ft (1404cm) of torque, plus one of the most fulfilling sound tracks of any engine. There was also a new five-speed gearbox geared so that lOOmph (161kph) could be reached in second gear. 
Lamborghini claimed that the Diablo’s top speed of 202mph (325kph) could beat archrival Ferrari’s F40. It was certainly very quick, as tests of the even more powerful, lightweight limited- edition 525bhp SE30 would show: 0-60mph (0-96kph) in 4.2 seconds was exceptionally rapid.
| Make: | Lamborghini |
| Model: | Diablo |
| Year: | 2000 |
| Engine | 6.0L V12 |
| Horse pwr | 550@7100 |
| Base price | $274,900 |
| Engine | V8, 4.7l, leather, etc.. |
| The 2001 Diablo is a 2-door, 2-passenger coupe available in one trim only. Upon introduction, the Diablo is equipped with a standard 6.0-liter, V12, 550-horsepower engine that consumes 10-mpg in the city and 13-mpg on the highway. A 5-speed manual transmission with overdrive is standard.The Diablo has been freshened for 2001, with a larger engine and fewer trim levels… |
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O Lopez
