An attempt
Racing was always a horror for Ferruccio Lamborghini. The tractor manufacturer liked to keep his lire together, but racing was expensive – and above all, unpredictable. It was also clear to him that with his young, small company, he would never be able to ascend to the heights that Alfa Romeo, Maserati and, unfortunately, Ferrari had long since reached. A lack of motorsport glory was certainly one reason why Sant’Agata was overshadowed by Maranello for so long, even though the company south of Modena certainly built more exciting sports cars in the 60s and 70s than they did in the 50s and 60s. Well, Ferruccio ran out of money anyway. And in the following years, bankruptcy was usually closer than (sporting) success, even if the interim owner Chrysler sent Lamborghini into Formula 1 for a short time. Unsuccessfully, of course.
In 1997, Lamborghini was owned by the Indonesian MegaTech group, and the Italians tried again. The Diablo, which was no longer brand new, was built according to the GT2 regulations at the time, although it is not entirely clear whether it was actually intended to race or was more of a test vehicle for future models, GT and VT 6.0 were being tested at the time (and Audi was already on the horizon). The vehicle was given plenty of carbon, a modified chassis and a roll cage, along with the 6-litre V12, which produced 640 hp. The GT2 was first shown in Bologna in 1998, where it also had a price tag of $350,000, which was still a very hefty sum for a car at the time. However, Lamborghini had no intention of selling the GT2, and it was entered in two races in France in 1998, with very modest success. It was then put in the museum.
Apparently there were two examples, one of which is said to be in Japan today. The other, chassis number ZA9DE22A0_LA12494, is for sale (March 2025) at We are Curated, still in its original colour but with no price indicated. It’s worth taking a closer look, as there are some interesting details. We also have a detailed Diablo story here – and a whole host of one-off models and limited series from Lamborghini here. And then there is the archive.
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