1998 Lamborghini Diablo SV from North America

Summary:

One of a kind performance and beauty!

Faults:

At about 14000 miles I lost hydraulic fluid from the clutch assembly. It was an easy fix done under warranty.

General Comments:

This is my third and probably last Lamborghini. Previously I have owned a 1987 Countach 4-valve model, and a 1994 Diablo VT.

This car is much quicker than the other two models, but, what really brought the car to life was a birthday present from my wife. Without my knowledge she arranged for my car to have an upgrade. She ditched two of the four cats and eliminated the bathtub sized muffler for what looks to me to be nothing more than pipes with a few S turns. She then had the air filters replaced with custom K+N Airfilters that were made for the twin turbo VTT. I now have a "new lamborghini". The improved throttle response is amazing and the increase in horsepower is awesome. I have not had the car dynoed, but today in normal driving I rarely go over 3K RPM, whereas before I would routinely rev to 4 or 5K.

My car is scary quick. I easily break loose the massive 345s on the rear. I have learned to respect the throttle when accelerating out of turns. On the VT, I never had to fear over punching it. This car I will keep.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 20th April, 2008

10th Oct 2013, 05:51

They're 335's on the rear...

2000 Lamborghini Diablo GT 6.0 V12 from UK and Ireland

Summary:

A true successor to the Countach

Faults:

From purchase, the car was shipped directly back to the factory in Italy for a full service and to be checked over.

The previous owner experienced problems with the throttle linkage, and the factory check revealed that the rear view camera and rear parking sensors were not working.

It failed a recent MOT test due to emissions, but this was expected as the catalytic converter is not fitted.

General Comments:

Have only driven the car 8 miles since acquiring it (to and from the MOT testing station) so these comments will be quite short.

Externally the car seems bigger than my previous Lambo, a Countach, but inside it feels a lot snugger.

Headroom is not great if you are over 6 feet tall, and the racing seats (an optional extra) will not forgive those extra chocolate eclairs you may have eaten.

The engine noise is absolutely glorious, though it does seem a bit quieter than the Countach, which was fitted with a sport exhaust system. This opinion may change however, once I get the car on a decent road and get it above 4000 rpm.

The looks are not to everyone's taste, but love it or loathe it, it does turn heads.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 15th February, 2007

19th Feb 2007, 09:33

I wonder if you could explain what you mean by "engine noise?"

20th Feb 2007, 04:40

Perhaps it would be clearer if I said 'exhaust noise'? Basically I was referring to the glorious noise that is emitted by a well fettled, large bore, V12.

22nd Mar 2007, 16:57

Well I've actually had the chance to drive the car now, and put a few more miles on the clock. First impressions are that it's not as loud as the Countach; it's actually possible to hold a normal conversation at cruising speeds without shouting. The vision directly rearwards is marginally better than the Countach, thanks to the rear camera, but the vision to the rear 3/4 is just as bad, and it's easy to lose someone in your blind spot.

Driving position for anyone around 6 feet tall or so is cramped. The pedals are markedly offset towards the centre of the car, and the steering wheel a little less so. What is more noticeable is that your head is VERY close to the frame rail that runs along where the door meets the roof, which could make wearing a helmet very difficult for any tall drivers contemplating taking their GT on a track day.

Despite the negatives, I should balance those comments by saying that the car is still an absolute pleasure to drive. Low speed driving through towns threw up no unexpected surprises, and the car is happy to bimble along at town speeds using second and third gears. Acceleration is rapid when asked for, as you would expect from such a car, and gives a much harder kick in the back than the Countach ever did. As with a lot of earlier model Lambos, the gear change responds better to slow and deliberate changes, which doesn't allow you to make the absolute maximum use of the acceleration available, but perhaps that's a good thing unless you happen to be on a race track. I haven't yet covered enough miles to work out what the fuel consumption is, and a weekend away with that limited luggage space is still to be experienced; I'll report back in due course.

So far I'm really happy with the car. It has delivered all that I expected of it and then some. It has a few niggly aspects, but then what Lambo doesn't? I believe it's called character and as far as I am concerned, any car that doesn't have character isn't worth aspiring to.

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