The 1999
Lamborghini Diablo GT was introduced to European drivers as a marked improvement on the original Diablo. The original
Lamborghini Diablo hit the streets of Europe for the nominal prove of just over $240,000. For those who could afford the speed, it was an amazing stomach crunching rush producing zero to sixty in about four flat seconds.
Speed was definitely the basis of the price tag, as the new owner wasn’t paying for such features as power windows and door locks or even anti-locked brakes. The designers were looking to create a speed demon to tear up the streets and little more.
The Diablo was aptly named in honor of a bull, despite its literal Spanish translation meaning “Devil.” And
Lamborghini enthusiasts everywhere soon came to realize that she was one sweet bull. Designed as a replacement for the ever popular Countach model, Diablo was received by enthusiasts with extreme vigor. Sparse interior aside, she was several steps above the Lamborghini’s typical high performance super car.
In 1999
Lamborghini released the newer, upgraded model called the Diablo GT. Having addressed a few of the interior issues, the designers focused on creating an aggressive styled body with features to enhance the handling and out perform at top speeds.
Lamborghini laid down disputed claims that they were introducing the fastest production car in the world, and to make it even more enticing to
Lamborghini enthusiasts, they produced only eighty of them and limited their market to Europe.
Through a series of “grey market” transactions, a few of these primo beauties ended up on the streets of Japan and the United States, although the question lingers on how these cars were ever registered considering they were completely street illegal for the roadways of the United States.
The designers first concentrated on making the
Lamborghini Diablo GT as lightweight as possible, focusing on carbon fiber and carbon composites for the body of the car. Lightening her up considerably, the only steel remains on the roof to protect against crushing in a roll over accident.
Lowering her weight was only a mild step in the overhaul of improvements that led to the Diablo GT’s overall thrill. Spinning her out to her receptive market nearly race ready, they pumped her full with a 6.0 litre V12 engine for higher performance and created an exhaust system designed just for her. The exhaust system sent her flying up to 338 kilometers per hour, which converts to nearly 210 miles per hour.
The standard 5 speed manual transmission was not only altered to provide the driver with an easier grip and faster gear changes, but allowed for owner specific gearing regulations to provide the exact RPM for the individual driver to maximize the individual shift rate ratio.
Improving the lower riding suspension, flaring the fenders, and widening the wheel base proved to successfully enhance performance handling. Drivers could not fly with stronger control. An intricate alteration to the suspension using a geometrically accurate base increased both speed and performance.
The driver was now able to stay cool under tense conditions with the standard air conditioning and larger brakes, but airbags were an option and not considered a necessity for the manufacturer.
The 575 horsepower engine and the new aggressively styled body gave the driver courage and speed while the personally constructed racing bucket seat with a five point restraint system added comfort and safety to the vehicle. The enlargement improvement to the front track which in turn increased the front wheel arches added easier maneuverability, enhancing a driver’s ability to avoid accidents.
Utilizing an optional camera mount feature
Lamborghini designers were able to overcome the visual issue presented by mounting the air intakes dead canter on the rear of the car. The high quality screen allowed the driver their only access to rear views.
The
Lamborghini Diablo GT maintained the rear wheel drive feature and the manual transmission. The designers came up with a one of a kind powerhouse individual intake system to maintain its ability to live up to expectation. They not only lived up to expectation, they exceeded it by creating the design around an individual intake system that provided each cylinder it very own throttle. This impressive design is unique to
Lamborghini and is one of the Diablo GT’s most impressive power features. They took it one step further in performance enhancement by coupling the exhaust camshafts to a new and improved Variable Timing System. Speed became the paramount feature design of the
Lamborghini Diablo GT, and the
Lamborghini designers stepped up to the plate.
Though it received some criticism for its $300,000 exclusive price tag for its lack of creature comforts,
Lamborghini enthusiasts felt the heat and rumble of the new system and had no issue with the price tag, only the sour disappointment that by the time production ended on the first model, the eighty scheduled releases were already sold.
Lamborghini carries a reputation for being able to deliver unique models that are worthy only of the
Lamborghini name. While both its predecessor and ancestor were received with the same amount of enthusiasm, there are numerous high end enthusiasts that feel
Lamborghini would have great difficulty matching the performance value of the Diablo GT.
Lamborghini designers still design their models based in many of the upgraded features of the Diablo GT. Some of the achievements reached during the design of the Diablo GT have yet to be matched, although
Lamborghini designers are forever enhancing and creating new masterpieces of speed. The Diablo GT set a few standards that will take years to exceed in high end quality and uniqueness.
While it is unlikely to find a model roaming around on the streets of the United States that still retains its original pristine conditions, finding even a toned down model will be the closest that most of us will ever come to being able to touch on of these beautiful devil queens of speed.
© 2007 Kiersten Stetser and Benjamin for www.sport-cars.org
April 1, 2008, 10:52 am
