Lamborghini has a solid reputation for building fast, exquisite cars that not only are eye-catching and expensive but having designs that are stylish and sleek with racing pedigrees to match. The company has certainly evolved since its official inception in 1963.

There have been many Lambos that have captured our attention, none more so than the Diablo. Meaning 'devil' in Spanish, the Diablo evolved over time to include some even greater special edition models, including supercars like the ultra-rare GT1 Stradale and the superfast GTR. Let's take a look back at the evolution of the Diablo.

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10 Lamborghini Diablo Code Name: Project 132

Via: Bing

It was called Project 132. It was touted as the successor of the Countach. Lamborghini started development in 1985. The legendary Marcello Gandini was chosen as the designer. The new car was going to be called the Diablo, the name of a bull reared by the 19th century Duke of Veragua and famed for a prolonged battle with the matador José De Lara, famously known as 'El Chicorro.'

lambo diablo red doors up
Via Pinterest

Fast forward to 1990 when the first Diablo was introduced. Delivering 485 horsepower and 428 lb-ft of torque, the 1990 Diablo was powered by a 5.7-liter V12 engine, capable of reaching top speeds of 202 mph and accelerating from 0-62 mph in 4.5 seconds. It was truly one of the fastest cars with pop-up headlights.

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9 Marcello Gandini

Marcello Gandini
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Marcello Gandini is a legend of automotive design. Born into a musical family, he became interested in mechanics after his interest in art school was waning. A friend reportedly let him work on his OSCA 1500 Barchetta.

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Gandini was responsible for the designs of the Miura, the Countach, and of course, the Diablo. But that is not where his genius stops. He was also involved in the design of the first-generation BMW 5-series, the Renault Supercinq, and even the Alfa Romeo 33 Carabo prototype with its scissor doors.

8 Diablo Roadster Concept

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William Koenig was a German auto tuner with a solid reputation in the industry. Having been successfully involved in racing, he established his own company. One of his most famous collaborations was with Ferrari, working on the Testarossa Special. He was soon brought in to work with Lamborghini on what would become the Diablo Roadster Concept.

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The Diablo Roadster Concept debuted at the 1992 Geneva Auto Show. This concept came with the Carbon Fiber roof removed, a short visor replacing the windshield, a reinforced chassis, along with extras such as roll bars for the seats and those scissor doors.

7 Diablo SE30

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Take a trip back to 1963, the year that the company 'Lamborghini Automobili' was made official, being incorporated on October 30. Fast forward 30 years.  The Diablo SE30 would mark the Pearl Anniversary of the company. SE standing for 'Special Edition'. 

lamborghini-diablo-se30
via autogespot

The SE30 was powered by a 5.7-liter V12 engine, delivering 525 horsepower with 435 lb-ft of torque. 150 were produced. 28 Jota upgrade kits were produced, about 15 of these cars (some suggesting less) converted to such specification, designed for GT racing.

RELATED: Here’s How Much A Classic Lamborghini Diablo Is Worth Today

6 Diablo VT and SV

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The Diablo VT was released in 1993 that included some modifications, including all-wheel-drive with viscous coupling, transferring more torque to the front wheels to improve handling.

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The Diablo SV debuted in 1995, delivering 510 horsepower with 428 lb-ft of torque. The SV stands for Super Veloce, meaning 'super fast', harking back to the Miura SV. Several years later, the SV and the VT later received their own upgrades. For gamers, the Diablo SV appears in Need For Speed III: Hot Pursuit.

5 Diablo GT

via Carscoops

The Diablo GT came along in 1998, inspired by the Diablo GT2 prototype. But compare the styling and bodywork with other earlier Diablo models and you'll notice a more aggressive look! A body constructed mainly from carbon fiber with the doors made from aluminum and the roof from steel.

Diablo-GT
via supercars.net

The Diablo GT was powered by a 6.0-liter V12 engine, delivering 575 horsepower, with a reported top speed of 210 MPH. 80 units were produced for the European market. For gamers, the Diablo GT features in Gran Turismo 6.

4 Diablo VT 6.0

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Luc Donckerwolke, an award-winning talent of the automotive industry, started his career with Peugeot then worked with Audi, designing the Audi A2. In '98, he was appointed head of Lamborghini design. He not only worked on the Diablo VT 6.0 but also the Murciélago and the Gallardo.

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In working on the Diablo VT 6.0, Donckerwolke's task was to refine and modernize the Diablo. The result was a revised interior, including upgrades to the seats and carbon fiber restyling, and a reworked body with modifications to the nose and bumper. Note the pair of air intakes.

3 Diablo GT1 Stradale

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With only 2 produced, one designed for racing, the other being a road-legal version, the Diablo GT1 Stradale is a supercar packing some punch. Delivering 655 horsepower with 507 lb-ft of torque, the GT Stradale is powered by a loud beast of a V12 engine. 

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The body is carbon-fiber constructed, weighing in at a light 2,315 lb. With its iconic scissor doors, adjustable rear wing, distinctive air intakes, along with an integrated roll-cage, this ultra-rare supercar was homologated in 1998.

2 Diablo SV-R

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Unveiled in 1996, the Diablo SV-R is one impressive racing supercar, weighing a mere 3,053 lbs!  Powered by a 5.7-liter V12 engine, delivering 533 horsepower with 441 lb-ft of torque. With top speeds of 205 MPH, accelerating to 60 MPH in 3.7 seconds, this racing beast can fly.

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Featuring an adjustable carbon-fiber rear wing, side skirts, deep front spoiler, roll cages, the SV-R is packed with everything we expect from a Diablo supercar and more! Let's not forget that only 31 of these cars were made and that it has raced at the Nürburgring and Le Mans, among others.

1 Diablo GTR

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The Diablo GTR was powered by a 6.0-liter V12 engine, delivering 590 horsepower with 472 lb-ft of torque, capable of accelerating from 0-60 MPH in 3.5 seconds with top speeds of 210 MPH (some have suggested it's actually capable of 217 MPH).

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The Diablo GTR saw significant modifications to its weight, including removing features from the interior while fitting the single seat with a six-point harness. With 30 planned but 40 produced, the Diablo GTR is something special with a racing pedigree to match.

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