To create a successor for the legendary Countach was a tough job for Lamborghini. It would have to be faster, more practical and comply with tougher safety and emission regulations. Yet the basics of the car launched in 1990, remained much the same. The engine was still a quad cam V12 but all new and bigger now, its capacity increased from 5167 to 5729 cc for an excellent output of 592 bhp.
Like before it was laid out longitudinally, with the gearbox in the front and the cooling radiators in the back. Double wishbone suspension was used all round, again classic supercar hardware. The hardest part was designing the bodywork, which had to out wow the widest looking car of them all. Marcello Gandini, the man who had styled the Miura and the Countach, was hired again for the new car and created a cleaner, longer shape, tough perhaps it was not such a memorable one as the Countach had been in 1971.
Where it did score over the Countach was in aerodynamics. The combination of a low drag factor and more power pushed the top speed over the impressive 200 mph mark. Acceleration was equally stunning, despite the inevitable in weight, and the chassis came up to the same standard, although the unassisted steering was a little on the weight side. A four wheel drive Diablo called VT brought even higher levels of traction and later, there were even more powerful and lighter versions like the SE 30 and SV, with over 500 bhp.
Like before it was laid out longitudinally, with the gearbox in the front and the cooling radiators in the back. Double wishbone suspension was used all round, again classic supercar hardware. The hardest part was designing the bodywork, which had to out wow the widest looking car of them all. Marcello Gandini, the man who had styled the Miura and the Countach, was hired again for the new car and created a cleaner, longer shape, tough perhaps it was not such a memorable one as the Countach had been in 1971.
Where it did score over the Countach was in aerodynamics. The combination of a low drag factor and more power pushed the top speed over the impressive 200 mph mark. Acceleration was equally stunning, despite the inevitable in weight, and the chassis came up to the same standard, although the unassisted steering was a little on the weight side. A four wheel drive Diablo called VT brought even higher levels of traction and later, there were even more powerful and lighter versions like the SE 30 and SV, with over 500 bhp.
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