This was a moment, happening upon another petrolhead and discovered he owned the beast, kept quietly at home. He got involved in this site for a while too and we even had a big gathering at one of the Ultimate Street Car events at Santa Pod along with a heavily modded Escort Van, Coopers “Blue Thunder” and our Saxo Furio. We had our press passes and had access all areas with our Mental Motors stand.
So we all had some fun on the track, Steve with his Lambo showing off as a Lambo should down the track.
This car being the VT meant it was bestowed with four wheel drive along with its V12 Italian made metalwork.
Here are some info about the Lamborghini Diablo VT:
General Overview
- The Diablo was Lamborghini’s flagship supercar throughout the 1990s, replacing the Countach in 1990.
- “VT” stands for Viscous Traction, meaning it had an all-wheel drive system (power biased to the rear, but up to 25% could go to the front when traction was lost).
- By 1999, the Diablo had gone through multiple updates, and the VT represented one of the more refined versions before Audi (VW Group) took over Lamborghini in 1998.
Engine & Performance
- Engine: 5.7-liter naturally aspirated V12.
- Power: ~529 hp (394 kW) at 7,100 rpm.
- Torque: ~605 Nm (446 lb-ft).
- Transmission: 5-speed manual.
- 0–60 mph (0–100 km/h): around 4.0 seconds.
- Top speed: ~204 mph (328 km/h).
- Still one of the fastest production cars of its era.
Mechanical Highlights
- Viscous-coupling AWD (the “VT” system) gave it better traction than the standard rear-wheel drive Diablo.
- ABS brakes were finally introduced in 1999 — the Diablo was the first Lamborghini ever to get ABS.
- Improved suspension and larger brakes compared to earlier Diablos.
Design & Features
- Restyled in 1999 by Lamborghini’s in-house Centro Stile, replacing earlier designs by Marcello Gandini.
- Got smoother, more modern bodywork: fixed headlights replaced the original pop-up lights.
- Aerodynamic tweaks improved stability at high speeds.
- Interior featured updated dash layout with improved ergonomics, but still very much a 90s supercar — cramped, low, and dramatic.
Production & Rarity
- Only a limited number of Diablo VT models were produced before the line transitioned into the Diablo 6.0 (Audi era).
- Exact numbers are debated, but around 100–150 Diablo VT “facelift” cars were built across 1999–2000.
Legacy
- The VT is considered the last “pure Lamborghini Diablo” before Audi’s refinement and reengineering led to the 6.0 model.
- Collectors value it highly because it blends the rawness of the early Diablo with just enough modern refinement (ABS, updated styling).
