1997 Lamborghini Diablo GT2

In 1997, Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A. had a plan to go racing while the Diablo was still
the flagship model car for the company. The decision was made to build the Diablo
GT2 model featuring a modified 6.0 liter engine which produced over 640BHP. The
theory was that the engine would be used in future production models such as the
Diablo GT and Diablo VT 6.0 only slightly defanged for the road-going models.

The GT2 racing version body was carbon fiber reinforced over a full racing chassis and
designed alongside the road-going version at the same time and would serve as a test
platform for new aero and engine technologies on major international race tracks and
was not intended to be sold to privateers.

The Diablo GT2 would serve as a test platform for new aero and engine technologies on
major international race tracks. The GT2 was close in appearance to the Diablo SV-R
and more similar to the Swiss-built Affolter-based cars. The Diablo GT2 features
Plexiglas side windows with small sliding parts, a full roll cage inside with one seat with
multi-point racing harness.

The first Diablo GT2 appeared publicly at the 1998 Bologna Motor Show and later in the
year at the Copenhagen Auto Show. It seemed as though Lamborghini was trying to
create a buzz to sell this new evolution of Diablo and it was even displayed with a
$350,000 price tag although there were no plans to make the cars available for
privateers or speculators.

Later at the 1999 Geneva Auto Show, Lamborghini presented the far more modified,
purpose-built racing Diablo GT1 with the 6.0 liter engine and featured more dramatically
sculpted body work and huge rear wing. Only two of the GT1s would be produced and
raced with some effect mainly in the Japanese GT series. The production version of the
Diablo GT (80) and Diablo GTR (30) were fitted with slightly less powerful 5.7 liter
engines for customers.

As prototypes, the GT2 cars underwent many modifications while being used as a test
cars for the coming GT and GT1 Diablos. The GT2s took part in two known races in the
1998 French Federation of Automobile Sport (FFSA GT) championship, a French
national GT series sanctioned by the Stefan Ratel Organization (SRO). The Diablo GT2
was entered at Nogaro and Spa-Francorchamps entered by DAMS Racing driven by
Emanuel Clérico (F) and Luigi Moccia (I)

After the FFSA racing appearances, the car was then retired to the Lamborghini
Museum at Sant’Agata Bolognese, Italy until 2015 and the other example is in a private
collection in Japan.

More recently, the GT2 (#2494) was awarded 3rd place in the One-Off & Custom-Built
Cars Class at the first Erster Lamborghini Concours d’Élégance at Neuchâtel,
Switzerland in September of 2017.