www.QV500.com - Lamborghini Diablo Part 12: Diablo SVR
 
During the second half of the 1990's, Lamborghini built two Diablo variants that were prepared by the factory for racing. The first batch were titled SVR's, the concept being for a one-make championship known as the Diablo Supertrophy. SVR's were used in the Supertrophy between 1996 and ’99, GTR's taking over thereafter. Customers purchased a car and factory support for a season of racing. 32 SVR's were built (including one Roadster), the maintenance and repairs being carried out in Sant' Agata by Lamborghini themselves.
   
Made alongside the production Diablo, SVR's weighed in at 1385kg (a reduction of 191kg) and used 18-inch OZ Racing one-piece hollow spoke cast magnesium wheels. The 5.7-litre V12 engine was tuned to 540bhp thanks to revised fuel injection timing and the addition of, for the first time on any Diablo, variable valve timing. Visually, SVR bodywork differed in featuring a number of competition oriented tweaks. At the front, a deeper front spoiler was fitted, the road cars retractable headlights generally being junked in favour of covered units or ducting for the brakes. There were deeper side skirts and a redesigned valance at the back, a huge fully adjustable rear aerofoil having been the most obvious addition. Glass side windows were replaced with lightweight Plexiglas items, SVR cabins coming stripped of every luxury. Launched at the Geneva Salon in March 1996, the Supertrophy officially got underway at Le Mans in June by which time 28 cars had already been completed. Of the 32 SVR's eventually made, a few were officially converted for street use and one was built as a Roadster.
   
Built by Lamborghini in 1997 to bring some additional publicity to their exciting pro-am series, this one-off car was confusingly titled the VT Roadster R. More appropriate would have been SVR Roadster as it was upon the rear-wheel drive Diablo SV that this interesting machine was based and not the four wheel drive VT. Constructed around chassis 12710, this unique Lamborghini racecar was fitted with a full house 540bhp SVR motor and every other competition enhancement.