www.QV500.com - Lamborghini Diablo Part 7: Diablo SV & SV Roadster
 

By 1995, sales of the original Diablo had all but dried up. But rather than kill it off and offer just the four-wheel drive VT, Lamborghini got back to basics and produced this car, the SV. Appealing to those hardcore enthusiasts who preferred the purebred nature of rear-wheel drive, the SV was a fitting successor to 1971's similarly titled Miura. Launched at the Geneva Salon in March 1995, SV's were initially only available as Berlinetta's although a handful of Roadster's were produced briefly in 1998. Weighing in at an unchanged 1576kg, it's a common misconception that these cars were substantially lightened.
   

In no doubt though was that SV's were more powerful and less luxurious than Lamborghini's original Diablo, a revised 510bhp motor and alcantara suede interior testifying as such. The VT's adjustable suspension was used along with four-caliper Brembo ventilated discs and 18-inch OZ Racing wheels in three alternative styles. The reworked 510bhp motor replaced Lamborghini's earlier 492bhp unit, the SV's additional 18bhp coming thanks to a new LIE engine management system. Compression and displacement remained unchanged at 10.0:1 and 5707cc respectively. Maximum speed rose to 204mph, 0-60 taking just 4.5 seconds. At the front, a redesigned spoiler got rectangular driving lights to replace the original two box lenses, the enlarged air intakes getting dressed with matt black accents. The engine air intakes carved out from in front of each rear wheelarch were now bereft of any straking, decadent SV decals having been a no-cost option. SE30 Jota-style engine covers were used along with an almost identical rear wing featuring an adjustable Gurney flap.

 
Another no-cost option concerned the rear wing that normally came finished in carbon balck but could be body coloured if so desired. Finally, the tail facia got a black central grille and new carbon finish light surrounds, the fog and reverse lights being re-mounted into the bumper. Lamborghini left the cabin more or less unchanged, SV's being completed with the smaller, less obtrusive instrument binnacle as used from 1993 on. As standard, leather was replaced by suede alcantara, this material covering the dash, instrument binnacle and doors while carbon fibre inserts appeared elsewhere.
   
Instruments received white or colour-coded backs and Lamborghini’s upholsterers often embroidered the SV logo into both head restraints. Debuted at the Geneva Salon in March 1995, the SV was a big hit, by and large killing off the original two-wheel drive Diablo thanks to a 10% lower list price. The solitary development made before production was discontinued in late 1998 was the introduction of an upgrade pack that became available from the autumn of 1997. Consisting of a hot 530bhp at 7100rpm motor that featured variable valve timing and the latest generation Lucas ABS braking, these end of the line retractable headlight Diablo's are exceedingly rare beasts. A small batch of limited edition SV's was also built around the 98 model, a North American special known as the Monterey. Only 20 were completed, all with SE30-derived engine cooling vents located in front of the rear wheels. These were the last Diablo's to use Gandini’s original nose profile, updated 1999 SV and VT's all featuring headlights mounted underneath fixed glass covers.
 
Three years after the SV was debuted, a Roadster version was launched in March 1998, again at the Geneva Salon. However, Lamborghini's new owners, the Volkswagen Audi Group, apparently cancelled all rear wheel drive projects upon their arrival in Sant' Agata. Consequently, only a handful of SV Roadster's were ever completed with retractable headlights, maybe no more than a dozen. As with the VT Roadster, a rear deck wing was optional. Despite their initial reluctance, VAG did eventually go on to produce the updated ’99 SV's with targa topped Roadster bodywork.