The Lamborghini Diablo is a high-performance mid-engine sports car built by Italian automotive manufacturer Lamborghini
between 1990 and 2001. It is the first production Lamborghini capable
of attaining a top speed in excess of 320 kilometres per hour (200 mph).
After the end of its production run in 2001, the Diablo was replaced by
the Lamborghini Murciélago.
The name Diablo means "devil" in Spanish.
DIABLO GTR
After campaigning the Diablo SV-R for four years in the Diablo
Supertrophy, Lamborghini launched a completely new car for the 2000
season. Just as the SV-R was a race-ready SV, the Diablo GTR,
introduced at the 1999 Bologna Motor Show, converted the Diablo GT to a track oriented car with power improvements, a stripped interior, and weight reduction.
The GTR interior was stripped down to save weight; the air
conditioning, stereo, and sound and heatproofing were removed, and a
single racing seat with 6-point seatbelt harness, MOMO
fire suppression system and steering wheel, complete integrated roll
cage, fixed Plexiglass windows with sliding sections, and fresh air
intake were fitted.
The GT had already featured a radically styled body, but the GTR
took this a little further with features such as a very large rear
spoiler bolted directly to the chassis like a true race car, 18 inch
hollow magnesium Speedline centerlock wheels,
pneumatic air jacks for raising the car in the pit lane (like the SV-R,
it was too low for a rolling jack), and an emergency fuel shutoff
switch on the left front fender.
The GTR utilized the same basic 6.0-litre V12 engine that had
made its debut on the street-legal GT, but with revised fuel and
ignition systems, individual throttle bodies, a dynamic air intake duct
system, variable valve timing, titanium
connecting rods, and a lightened crankshaft. These improvements allowed
the engine to have a power output of 598 PS (440 kW; 590 hp) and
640 N⋅m (472 lb⋅ft) of torque. The engine was bolted to the usual
5-speed transmission in a rear-wheel drive layout. Extra heat exchangers
were added for the differential and transmission oil to prevent
overheating under extreme racing conditions. A fast-filling racing fuel
cell replaced the standard gasoline tank. The suspension was stiffened
and lowered, and racing brake calipers were installed.
Thirty cars were initially planned to be produced but actual
production amounted to 40 units, and 40 chassis were prepared to replace
cars wrecked in racing accidents.
In the hands of multiple Australian Drivers' Champion Paul Stokell, a Diablo GTR run by Team Lamborghini Australia won the 2003 and 2004 Australian Nations Cup Championships. The GTR was also raced by Stokell, Luke Youlden, Peter Hackett and Danish driver Allan Simonsen in the 2003 Bathurst 24 Hour race where after qualifying 6th would go on to finish 8th outright after suffering a number of punctures throughout the race.
