Jason and Derek discuss the origins of one of Lamborghini’s most iconic models: the Diablo. And what makes this 1 of 83 GT edition so special.
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Prior to recording this episode, Jason’s Diablo-experience was limited to a blue VT he drove as part of a V12 Lamborghini story back in 2012 that included a 1972 Miura SV, 1988 Countach 5000 QV, Murciélago, Aventador, and LM002. Luckily for Jason (and all of us,) Derek – who also recently drove a Diablo Roadster – brought along this spectacular orange Diablo GT (one of just 83 ever built), which both he and Jason took for a spin. Their impressions followed after a brief history lesson courtesy of Derek.
The history lesson will include the origin of Lamborghini itself at the hands of multiple different owners: Ferruccio Lamborghini, Jean-Claude and Patrick Mimran, and Chrysler, which took over just as the Diablo concept was nearly production ready. Luckily for everyone, legendary designer at Bertone, Marcello Gandini, didn’t throw his hands up and walk off the job, and we got the Diablo (and the non-Chrysler-tainted early designs went on to become the Cizeta-Moroder V16T).
But it was the 90s, and we demanded more! So the motorsport-focused Diablo GT was born. Featuring widened front fenders, a carbon-fiber rear diffuser, carbon-fiber bucket seats, oil cooler w/ heat extractor hood vent, and a roof scoop to direct cold air into the massive carbon-fiber intake plenum feeding independent throttle bodies – and much, much more!
Like all Diablos, the interior is a little kit-car spec. A flat bezel with holes carved into it for individual gauges comprises the main “cluster.” The suspension is ultra-stiff, but handles exceptionally well on smooth tarmac. And the car can effortlessly break traction at both near-idle RPMs and at near-triple-digit speeds. Rear visibility is non-existent (there is effectively no rear window), but boy are you visible to everyone else on the road.
Before we wrap things up, we talk crankshafts and who made the first modern flat-plane crank for a production V-8. Perhaps it’s the Urraco and not the Ferrari 308? Ford’s contemporary flat-plane crank Voodoo V-8 from the Shelby GT350 is known to shake itself to pieces. Is that par for the course? Chevy’s C8 Z06 Corvette seems to be doing just fine. As are the AMG GT Blacks Series and Aston Martin Valhalla, but does anyone care?
Cars like the new Revuelto and Temerario are more common than ever these days. And the number of people who stand a chance of someday affording them seems to be dwindling. Do you care about these million-dollar super cars? Or would you rather see more $35,000 challenges with cars like the Mini Cooper S, Hyundai Elantra N, Ford Mustang Ecoboost, Mazda3 Turbo, VW GTI, Subaru WRX, and Toyota GR86 in 2025?
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