1999 LAMBORGHINI Diablo Roadster 5.7L V12 5MT (530 HP)

Vehicle Overview

Lamborghini introduced the Diablo in 1990 as a replacement for the famous Countach, which was in production for more than 25 years. Then, it added what the Countach never had: an open-top version.

The Italian supercar manufacturer traded hands several times before entering into the Volkswagen Group in 1998. About the same time, it introduced the facelifted version for its entire range, losing the base version and offering the SV as the new base-model. Obviously, the changes were already made when Volkswagen took over the company, but it enjoyed the refreshed lineup’s success.

Even though the 1999 Diablo Roadster lost some of the ’80s details that made the car famous, it brought it closer to the look of a proper supercar that guided the company into the new millennium. Its pop-up headlights were gone, and there was an option for a carbon-fiber rear wing over the engine compartment. The carmaker offered a new set of light-alloy wheels and new colors to fit into new trends that didn’t appreciate that much the white and gray colors, and yellow was the new black.

Inside, the carmaker installed a waved-shaped dashboard that replaced the vertical one offered before. It lost its industrial look and welcomed the modern one. Its instrument cluster was rounded with the dials arranged in a semi-circular shape. But the Diablo kept the tall center console with horizontally mounted controls and a sloped center stack.

Lamborghini kept the same engine under the hood, but with an increase in power from 492 hp up to 530 hp. The VT Roadster received a 6.0-liter V-12 engine that produced 575 hp.