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The Lamborghini Diablo was one of the defining cars of the 1990s, just as its Countach and Miura predecessors loomed large over the previous two decades. And like its predecessors, the Diablo had a long production run spanning from 1990 to 2001 that made plenty of room for iteration. Saying you want a Diablo isn’t specific enough, because there are so many to choose from. This might be the best of the bunch.
Part of a Bonhams Monterey Car Week auction, this 2000 Lamborghini Diablo GT is one of the final versions of Lambo’s 1990s supercar. As a later edition, it benefits from the experience Lamborghini gained in building the car for a decade, as well as the more generous budget that came after Audi took over the Italian automaker in 1998. It’s also a back-to-basics, track-focused model, and one of the rarest versions of the Diablo.
Bonhams
Bonhams
Bonhams
Bonhams
Lamborghini unveiled the Diablo GT at the 1999 Geneva Motor Show as an homage to its then-new racing program, which fielded the Diablo in international sports-car competition. OZ wheels encased in flared fenders, NACA ducts, a roof scoop, a large rear diffuser, and a fat rear wing certainly gave it a race-car look. It had the performance to back up that look, courtesy of a 6.0-liter V12 (earlier Diablo models had a 5.7-liter version) making 575 horsepower. That got the Diablo GT from zero to 62 mph in an estimated 3.5 seconds, and to a claimed top speed of 210 mph.
While Lamborghini had introduced all-wheel drive with the Diablo VT back in 1993, the GT stuck with rear-wheel drive and a five-speed manual transmission. And because this is a Diablo, you can appreciate the epic combination of a naturally aspirated V12, manual gearbox, and rear-wheel drive without any distractions. The cabin is free of modern tech features, but so is the chassis, so you’d better be paying attention.
Bonham
Bonhams
Bonhams
Bonham
A production run of 80 cars was planned, but 83 were actually built. That still makes the GT the second-rarest Diablo road car after the 6.0 SE, of which just 44 were made (the track-only SVR and GTR were built in even smaller numbers). The car up for auction is number 74 of the 83 built. It’s finished in Black Rage with a matching black leather interior featuring carbon fiber trim. It has 8,828 miles on the odometer and has been professionally maintained by a Lamborghini master mechanic for the past 19 years, according to the auction listing.
The Diablo remains an icon today because it represents what Lamborghini is all about. Just as Ferrari is indelibly linked to Formula 1, the name Lamborghini inevitably conjures an image of scissor doors, an impossible-to-ignore wedge shape, and a naturally aspirated V12. The Diablo GT is one of the purest expressions of that image, and one of the last before the automaker’s character fully changed under Audi’s (admittedly successful) stewardship.
Stephen has always been passionate about cars, and managed to turn that passion into a career as a freelance automotive journalist. When he’s not handling weekend coverage for The Drive, you can find him looking for a new book to read.
