The Magnificence of the 2001 Lamborghini Diablo VT 6.0 Coupe

Lamborghini officially replaced the Countach when it unveiled the Diablo in Monte Carlo in January 1990. The lead-up to that reveal was a tense takeover of the Italian carmaker by Chrysler, and an ensuing conflict over who would style Lamborghini’s new supercar. Fortunately, in the end, the design services of Marcello Gandini were retained, albeit with some lines softened by Chrysler engineers.

Customer deliveries began in June 1990, and while the car echoed the mechanical layout of the Countach, including its unique mid-mounted reverse engine/transmission configuration with side-mounted radiators, there were differences. Power now came from an enlarged 5.7-litre, 492bhp version of the long-serving Lamborghini 60-degree V12, while the body was formed from aluminium alloy with composite mouldings for the boot and engine cover. Square-section tubing was used for the car’s frame. The Chrysler-designed interior offered a level of comfort and space that a Countach owner could only have imagined.

By 1994, Chrysler was out of the picture and the Diablo VT was available in the United States with a viscous four-wheel-drive system that sent up to 20 percent of the torque to the front wheels when additional traction was required. Other additions included power steering, larger brakes, a revised interior and dashboard, and minor bodywork changes.

Audi took the helm at Lamborghini in 1998, and the following year released an updated model – headlined by a new dashboard and fixed headlights. A final rework in 2000 resulted in the Diablo VT 6.0, which was characterised by revised bodywork and interior appointments, as well as a 6.0-litre, 550bhp engine. Over an 11-year production run, prior to the advent of the 2001 Murciélago, fewer than 2900 Diablos left the factory in Sant’Agata.

This Lamborghini Diablo VT 6.0 SE is number 05 of a limited production run of 42 cars, the last of the breed. I gladly took the chance to look it over and picture it at Concours of Elegance 2023. Interestingly, it was built to Gulf States specification and was purchased by a well-known personality in Kuwait in 2001.

Resplendent in its original ‘sunrise’ specification of Oro Elios paint with Marrone trim, this particular Diablo was kept in Kuwait with very few kilometres recorded until purchased by the Caraba Collection in December 2022.

The car has recently been sympathetically recommissioned by Barkaways, with an eye on retaining as much originality as possible, to allow the Diablo to be used as intended.