Buy This Restored Lamborghini Diablo GTR At Pebble Beach
A proper race car built by proper Lamborghini before the Audi takeover.
Before the Germans stepped in to add some sensibility, Lamborghini was a distinct auto maker. Ferruccio’s namesake built its legacy on the back of outlandish performance, brash style, and blithe indifference to nanny-state regulations about safety or emissions. It was Italian in the purest sense. The company was shaped from petrol-fueled dreams and it built machines hewn from lunacy made manifest. Now the last bastion of that old-school Lamborghini mentality is coming across the auction block at Pebble Beach. Meet the 2000 Lamborghini Diablo GTR, chassis no. 19 of 30.
The Diablo GTR was a purpose-built racer crafted on the bones of the Diablo GT. The Diablo GT was a car that was already ludicrous enough that it couldn’t be certified for road use in the US or even Japan. From that delicious canvas, Lamborghini cut weight by gutting the already sparse interior, throwing out the AC, stereo, as well as sound and heat dampening materials. The passenger seats was expunged as well.
Outside you’ll find all the usual go-faster bits like magnesium wheels and that massive chassis-mounted wing out back. The glass around the cabin was swapped for race-spec plexi, a full roll cage was bolted to the frame, and then they set to work on the engine. The 6.0-liter V12 was upgraded with titanium connecting rods, a lightened crankshaft, individual throttle bodies, and a revised fuel system. The net gain from all the enhancements brought total power output to 590 horsepower and 472 lb-ft of torque. That makes the 17-year old GTR equivalent to a modern Huracán in weight and power, but its 210 mph top speed trumps the Huracán’s paltry 201.
Chassis no. 19 spent a fair bit of time on the racing circuit, but you needn’t be worried about its condition. Less than five years ago the car underwent a full refresh. Nearly every piece of this Diablo GTR was replaced or restored from the ground up. They even had the car repainted its original orange hue as the car was painted silver for its 2001 racing season.
This is your chance to own one of the most charismatic Lamborghinis of all time. The Auction date is set for August 19th. Expected price range is between $580,000 and $780,000.
