Lamborghini Diablo
source: Flickr
Among Lamborghinis, the Diablo is one of the most iconic, with its run lasting from 1990 to 2001. This sports car has a mid-engine arrangement and can go over 200 mph. The Diablo is the predecessor to the current Murcielago, so not only was it fun and impressive, it led to an equally amazing vehicle.
The Diablo was the replacement for the Countach and was originally going to be designed by Marcello Gandini (who had designed the Countach and Miura), but when Chrysler took over, that changed. In production, the Diablo had the upswept rear fascia and protruding front bumper of the Countach, but with more modern looks reminiscent of a racecar, not a road-going model. Overall, Lamborghini produced 2,884 Diablos, with an estimated 51 left today.
source: ShutterStock
The Diablo followed in the footsteps of the Countach, which had been the first 200 mph road car from Lamborghini, but still had incredible grip. In 1993, the four-wheel-drive version of the Diablo arrived, the Diablo VT, standing for Viscous Traction. Although it was still rear-based by default, power could go to the front when necessary for traction. The same year, a Diablo SE30 anniversary edition arrived as a celebration of Lamborghini’s 30th birthday.
The Lamborghini Diablo had a 5.7-liter V8 engine and 5-speed manual transmission to go with an output of 492 bhp and 428 pound-feet. It only needed 3.9 seconds to reach 60 mph and could hit 203 mph on the track. The 30SE was similar, but it took 4.1 seconds to reach 60 mph while improving top speed to 207 mph and power to 525 bhp. The four-wheel-drive Diablo VT got 492 bhp for a top speed of 202 mph. It was the slowest of the bunch, with a 0-to-60 time of 5.1 seconds, a still impressive figure.
