The Lamborghini Diablo Represents The End Of An Era

Photography by Drew Phillips

There’s nothing quite like the Lamborghini Diablo, and of all its iterations, the later 6.0 SE represents a strange blend of the marque’s classic rawness with modern function. Our friend and photographer Drew Phillips had some time to photograph the car and examine its lines—do you think it manages to transcend its Y2K origins?

“For me, the Diablo represents the last of an era for Lamborghini before Volkswagen made its mark on the brand,” Phillips says. “While the new Lamborghinis are undoubtedly ‘better’, there’s something special about a Lamborghini that still feels raw. The 6.0 was the last Diablo made after a decade-long run, and to me, it’s also the best. The design remained simplistic and beautiful, unlike the Countach’s development over time, but was more powerful and faster than the originals. This particular example is an SE, of which only 40 were made and only 20 in this color.”

“A better description of the Diablo 6.0,” he continues, “is that it links Lamborghini’s past and present. It’s pre-Volkswagen/Audi design overall (the company bought Lamborghini in 1998 or so, but the roots of this car comes before) and still has much of the rawness of classic ones, but featured new technologies like carbon fiber trim threaded with titanium or its larger V12 engine with lightweight magnesium finish on the intake manifold.”

The 6.0, indeed, was an interesting car: Audi AG had spent considerable resources in refining, updating, and upgrading the car after—some would say—the Diablo’s potential was overshadowed by difficulties faced by its parent companies.

There weren’t many of these uprated Diablos produced; would you park one of the first German-influenced Lamborghini supercars in your garage?

H/T to Drew Phillips Photography