The Diablo was named after a ferocious bull raised by the Duke of Veragua in the 19th century, famous for fighting an epic battle with 'El Chicorro' in Madrid on 11 July 1869.

Its power came from a 5.7 L (348 cu in) dual overhead cam, 4 valves per cylinder version of the existing V12 engine and computer-controlled multi-point fuel injection, producing a maximum output of 492 PS (362 kW; 485 hp) and 580 N⋅m (428 lbf⋅ft) of torque to reach a top speed of 325 km/h (202 mph).

The roof was removed and the car had a shortened visor in place of the windshield which made its way to the doors indicating the adaptation of the barchetta body style.

Although the VT differed from the standard Diablo in a number of ways, by far the most notable change was the addition of all wheel drive, which made use of a viscous center differential (a modified version of LM002's 4WD system).

The engine received a boost to 530 PS (390 kW; 523 hp) by means of a tuned fuel system, free-flowing exhaust, and magnesium intake manifolds.

The car remained rear-wheel drive to save weight, and omitted the electrically adjustable shock absorbers of the VT model, but was equipped with adjustable-stiffness anti-roll bars which could be controlled from the interior, on the fly.

The rear-view mirror from the interior was also removed because it was completely useless in conjunction with the revised engine lid, further adding to the race feeling of the car.

The Diablo VT Roadster was introduced in December 1995 and featured a manually removable carbon fibre targa top which was stored above the engine lid when not in use.

Only one prototype of the SV roadster was built before Lamborghini decided to halt the project due to the financial turmoil faced by the company as well as the lack of interest in such a variant.

The most immediately noticeable exterior change was the replacement of the previous Diablo's pop-up headlamp units with fixed composite lenses, borrowed under license from their original application in the Nissan 300ZX (Z32).

[21] The power output of the engine was increased to 536 PS (394 kW; 529 hp) and 605 N⋅m (446 lb⋅ft) of torque for both the SV and VT models and now featured variable valve timing.

[23] A special run of twelve Diablo VT models was produced exclusively for the United States market in 1999 and called the Alpine Edition.

Besides an optional carbon fiber spoiler, special two-tone leather interior, and the shorter-ratio SV rear differential (providing enhanced acceleration), this model featured no significant changes from the previous design, and merely served as a final tribute to the outgoing roadster.

The engine lid featured a large central ram air duct protruding above the roof for better cooling and a rear spoiler was standard equipment.

Inside, the GT had more prominent carbon fibre panels, race-spec bucket seats with four-point seatbelt harnesses, a smaller steering wheel, and an optional Alpine LCD screen for GPS navigation along with a bumper mounted reversing camera.

The rear of the car remained familiar, but the taillight surrounds were now body-colored (rather than transparent, red or black) and the lamps themselves used the configuration seen on the track-oriented GT variant.

Other changes included a new magnesium intake manifold, short-ratio transmission, special upholstery treatment, "Lamborghini" badged brake calipers, comprehensive road map software in the navigation system, and enhanced carbon fibre trim on the interior.

Although it was planned to enter 24 Hours of Le Mans but unknown reasons prevented it from competing [citation needed] The third car, the Jota PO.03, is the road legal homologation special.

The company would build an entirely new chassis made of tubular steel and a carbon fibre body bearing only a slight resemblance to the road going Diablo with Lamborghini supplying the engine and getting the project through homologation.

From 2001 to 2003, the racing version competed under the Diablo JGT-1 guise, featuring a reworked chassis and suspension along with other parts independently built by JLOC for JGTC competition.

[44] The Diablo SV-R featured a stripped-down interior with a rollcage, racing seats, and a removable steering wheel; the power glass side windows were replaced with fixed Plexiglass with traditional race-style sliding sections.

On the exterior, the electric pop-up headlamps were replaced either with fixed units (similar to those which appeared later on the road cars in 1999) or with air vents for the front brakes.

Side skirts were added for aerodynamics, but this left so little ground clearance that pneumatic air jacks also had to be installed to raise the car for service in the pit lane.

[43] Only a few cars have been modified for road use, including one in the United States which received a Diablo VT 6.0 front clip and was painted with the Stars and Stripes.

[48] The GTR's 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 newly designed air intake were fitted.

[48] The GT had already featured an aggressive, track-oriented styling, but the GTR took this a little further with features such as an even larger rear wing 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 restructured ownership hired Vittorio Di Capua, an infamous automobile industry veteran, who had worked at Fiat S.p.A. for 40 years as the new president and CEO of the company, thus replacing Mike Kimberley who had disagreements with the shareholders.

The car called the Acosta was heavily based on the Diablo following the management's cost cutting policies and was Gandini's interpretation for a modern-day Lamborghini.

When Lamborghini was sold to Audi in June 1998, the development work on the successor of the Diablo was overseen by Volkswagen Group president Ferdinand Piëch.

The Canto had later utilised a modified version of the 6.0-litre V12 engine used in Diablo SV-R which generated a maximum power output of 640 PS (471 kW; 631 hp) during Dyno testing.