Early Diablo with SV running gear?

[Godzilla]

http://www.auto-journals.com/journals/Lamborghini?...

Just published this yesterday, but I was intrigued by Simon's comment that his car was a 1992 Diablo but with the engine, gearbox and dash from an SV.
What were the differences in the engine and gearbox?

Apparently the car was well known when it was owned over here, but it was originally Belgian (and is now back there).

[Craig]

Godzilla said:

http://www.auto-journals.com/journals/Lamborghini?...

Just published this yesterday, but I was intrigued by Simon's comment that his car was a 1992 Diablo but with the engine, gearbox and dash from an SV.
What were the differences in the engine and gearbox?

Apparently the car was well known when it was owned over here, but it was originally Belgian (and is now back there).

SV has 510bhp vs 492 for early 2wd
SV had short ratio box option also

[Godzilla]

Thanks. So without the uprated SV suspension this car must be even more of a handful!

I drove an early Diablo on an airfield track day and it was the worst/scariest car I had ever driven on track...

[Craig]

Godzilla said:

Thanks. So without the uprated SV suspension this car must be even more of a handful!

I drove an early Diablo on an airfield track day and it was the worst/scariest car I had ever driven on track...

a bit of a handful I agree (I had a 92 car previously)

the worst thing I found was the brakes were terrible considering how fast the car was - much improved on the later cars

[andysv]

craig was the sv suspension different also? i can wind mine manually up or down. plus the front spoiler, rear air scoops were unique on an sv. tbh i'd guess any diablo on a track could be a bit of a handfull if pushed sv included.

[jdwcd]

Godzilla said:

Thanks. So without the uprated SV suspension this car must be even more of a handful!

I drove an early Diablo on an airfield track day and it was the worst/scariest car I had ever driven on track...

GIRL!!

[Craig]

andysv said:

craig was the sv suspension different also? i can wind mine manually up or down. plus the front spoiler, rear air scoops were unique on an sv. tbh i'd guess any diablo on a track could be a bit of a handfull if pushed sv included.

Hi Andy

I was only talking about engine and gearbox - yes lots of other differences too

[Godzilla]

jdwcd said:

Godzilla said:

Thanks. So without the uprated SV suspension this car must be even more of a handful!

I drove an early Diablo on an airfield track day and it was the worst/scariest car I had ever driven on track...

GIRL!!

I was thrown the keys to an F40 at the same event (must have been 1993 as I had my 308qv) and it was a delight to drive. I had it powersliding nicely after two laps.
The Diablo was scary in two ways: Firstly, the unbelievably unstable lift-off oversteer. When cornering, bumps would make my foot move on the throttle and each micrometre of movement upwards induced a yaw of several degrees!
Secondly, one bank of cylinders cut out on the far side of the circuit and as the owner was a Sri Lankan chap I had only just met and had arrived with two armed bodyguards, I was cr@pping myself! Thankfully they cut back in just before I innocently rolled back into the pits... phew!

[jdwcd]

Godzilla said:

jdwcd said:

Godzilla said:

Thanks. So without the uprated SV suspension this car must be even more of a handful!

I drove an early Diablo on an airfield track day and it was the worst/scariest car I had ever driven on track...

GIRL!!

I was thrown the keys to an F40 at the same event (must have been 1993 as I had my 308qv) and it was a delight to drive. I had it powersliding nicely after two laps.
The Diablo was scary in two ways: Firstly, the unbelievably unstable lift-off oversteer. When cornering, bumps would make my foot move on the throttle and each micrometre of movement upwards induced a yaw of several degrees!
Secondly, one bank of cylinders cut out on the far side of the circuit and as the owner was a Sri Lankan chap I had only just met and had arrived with two armed bodyguards, I was cr@pping myself! Thankfully they cut back in just before I innocently rolled back into the pits... phew!

I like the armed body guard bit.

[Godzilla]

He was a young Sri Lankan guy who turned up in the F40 with a young filly in the passenger seat, and another very glamorous girlfriend drove the white Diablo in convoy (in 5" stilletos I kid you not!) and the two armed heavies followed behind in a Bentley Turbo.

He sure knew how to roll it with style, but I suspected he wasn't someone whose Diablo you should break...

Edited by Godzilla on Friday 22 January 09:14

[SimonSays]

Hi David

It's a handful alright... But it's the least vicious car i've had so far... (bar the AWD cars). Then again, I doubt I use it more than 60% of its potential...

Brakes indeed are utter crap for track use, but "acceptable" for road use. Takes some time to get used to them.

I have the 1st Gen. suspension, which has just been refurbished. I'll write about all that in a next episode

[132]

Godzilla said:

He was a young Sri Lankan guy who turned up in the F40 with a young filly in the passenger seat, and another very glamorous girlfriend drove the white Diablo in convoy (in 5" stilletos I kid you not!) and the two armed heavies followed behind in a Bentley Turbo.

He sure knew how to roll it with style, but I suspected he wasn't someone whose Diablo you should break...

Edited by Godzilla on Friday 22 January 09:14

The guy was called Ravi. He was the original owner of the Yellow Jota (N7 RAV), a Yellow F50 and many other cars.

[R.P.M]

great write up and a lovely car.

[urraco 250 s]

oh yes know that car very well great Lambo

[SimonSays]

urraco 250 s said:

oh yes know that car very well great Lambo

You should see it now, come a long way from how I picked her up

[XXVIII]

I remember Simon's Diablo a few years ago and, judging by the new pictures I've seen, it's all the better for being in Belgium!






















that'll be just a crisp new €20 note then Simon, thank you...