Diablo SV Thread

For some time I wanted to start a thread for a single version of the Diablo- the SV.
The SV also called "Sport Veloce".
In my opinion the Diablo SV is still underrated and not known like the old father Miura SV.
In one of the last a magazines of "AUTO BILD sportscars" all 4 SV versions were introduced. Miura SV, Diablo SV, Murcielago SV and Aventador SV.
The factory had a real troubles to find a Diablo SV because they had no information about the cars and didn´t know who own one of these rare cars.
This told me the owner of the car, which was at the end in the magazin.

So i start about the history about the Diablo SV:

On the 1995 Geneva Auto Show, Automobili Lamborghini SpA presented their latest evolution of the Diablo.
The engine of the SV was modified to reach 510 horsepower instead of 492hp in the VT.
With rear wheel drive only, the SV could get scary when using the throttle unwisely on damp roads.
As not many know the SV became the entry-level for the Lamborghini Diablo like in comparsion with another FAMOUS entry level sport car! The 356 Speedster.
It´s in the same way the light-lower price version and became the enthusiast favourite!
Today the sportcars like Aventador SV is the most expensive model variant.
The thinking about lighter and less parts in a car changed, less is today more.
The SV was more the drivers car than the VT. The seating position was unaltered, but the small dashboard like on the VT was mounted, although the passenger airbag did not come until 1999.
At first, the front wheels were only 17 inch, but with larger disk brakes mounted these too became 18 inch versions of the new three-piece, five spoke rims.
At the launch, these wheels received a black painted crest, but you could order them to be any color possible, and even chromed, which was very well accepted in the United States.

The rear spoiler was mounted standard and incorporated an adjustable centerpiece, a function only real enthusiasts would ever use,
it became however optionally available to have this spoiler color-coded with the rest of the car or even finished in Carbon Fiber.
Between the rear lights, a new black panel was mounted while the lights themselves were also mounted in black surroundings instead of the red ones on the 'normal' Diablo.
The rear fog light and the reverse light were lowered into the rear bumper and four oval type exhaust pipes were mounted, the engine cover now incorporated two massive air intakes scoops, which looked like the ones used on the Diablo SE30 Jota cars.
They pulled air to airbox and filters thru the air intake to go directly in combustion chambers of the engine.
Of course it´s not comparable with the SE30 Jota which had more throttle bodys and another intake system, but therefor the SV was more userfriendly and more driveable on streets.
The front bumper was also redesigned and two new fog lamps (used too on the Roadsters) were built into it together with new bigger air-intakes. With the new design of the bumper, the cars looks more lower in the front.
On the inside the standard leather found on the other Diablo became an option instead of the high quality Alcantara was used on the seats and the door panels,
the dashboard now used color coded gauges, a rather nice touch to get a more sporty feel inside the car on most cars the 'SV' logo was embroidered on the head rest of the seats, during the 1998 production year a driver's airbag became standard.
On each side of the car a big 'SV' logo was placed on the doors, you could however ask the factory to leave these side panels alone and deliver the decals un-mounted.
As far as i know the decals were available in black,red,orange.

The factory offered two different gear ratio, a short version for better acceleration and a long ratio for high speed drives. In later SVs, the short gear ratio became standard.
Some details were changed in the early cars. For example some few cars were delivered with the VT exhaust tips, later the cars had the typical oval exhaust tips.
I think this was introduced in the MY1997,5 production.

Back in these days you could order your SV without or with wing. Only a few were delivered wingless.
Early cars had small wings and painted in black matt. Later cars had a bit higher wing and were painted mainly in bodycolor.
Funny enough the factory never made any "SV" supplement manual. For SE, VT, Roadster they did, but not for the Sport Veloce. EVEN special owner manuals for the GT and 6.0!
The european SVs were delivered mainly with alcantara. In USA nearly always with leather interior.

Some cars were ordered from factory with carbonfiber parts in the interior. This includes the inner door panels, the sills and the center console.
This was a rare and very expensive option. Some rare cars were delivered with engine compartment panels and rear wing made in carbonfiber too.


We can say that 3 different series were built:

1.Serie (MY 1996-1997) start with # VLA12_ _ _
-510bhp engine
-front 17“ and rear 18“ wheels
-front brake discs 330mm /rear brakes 300mm
-some with low wing
-early steering like in the 2wd, VT without airbag

2.Serie (MY 1997,5-1998) start with # WLA12_ _ _
-530bhp (valve timing managment engine)
-front 18“ and rear 18“ wheels
-front brake discs 355mm /rear brakes 335mm
-drivers airbag

3.Serie (MY 1999) start with # XLA12_ _ _
-Fixed front headlights
-ABS system by Kelsey Hays
-New dashboard
-drivers and passenger airbag
-all cars had the short gear ratio from the SVR (EU spec, US spec i can´t confirm)
-front 18“ and rear 18“ wheels
-front brake discs 355mm /rear brakes 335mm
-black new gauges

I humbly propose this thread as a small resource for the Diablo SV.

Please enjoy and share your knowledge too!

 

This is an early SV with low wing owned by the Righini family. On the last picture you see Fabrizio Ferrari on the driver seat.
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Another typical SV color combination! An very early factory car.
White with red SV stickers. Stunning imo.

Please note the decal. This is one of the first decals made and different from the later production. The "S" is different.
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Beautiful. Love the Diablo SV.

 

Love the new thread!

 

Some press photos. Yellow with black decals always suits perfect to this bodyshape.

Please note this car has a "high" wing.
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Some 90s kids will remind this cover!
Need for Speed 3
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Very rare in verde scandal, first delivered in Germany.
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Some more pictures of VLA12666.
This is a Serie 1 with non airbag steering wheel and with leather interior.
Not typical in these days. Please note the modification done by Porsche tuner "Gemballa"
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A wingless MY99 (Serie3) looks impressive.
First delivered in Germany and later sold to France.
I have to say that i only like red, and dark coloured cars like grey without wing.
A yellow car wingless looks imo uncompleted.
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Another wingless example.
In dark colors as i said previously it´s impressive!
Affolter built 9 or 10 of the 35th Anniversary models and this is numero 7.
Luckily it wasn´t modified and kept very original.
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Diablo SV specs from MY97,5 (US) and MY99.

Please note on the MY97,5 datasheet the interior.
SV with SE30 center arm rest. (adjust. roll bar)
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This is exactly what I was thinking of when I saw this thread. I loved this game when I was a kid. I could've sworn that the yellow SV had the black SV letters on the side. Maybe it was the car in the game and not on the cover though.

Anyways, a yellow SV with the high wing might be my favorite Diablo.

 

Thanks for starting the thread! My favorite, 1998 Monterey Ed.
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This is a factory car used for some magazins and also for a video with Valentino as driver.
I drove this car in Germany in 2002, later it was sold thru Gino Donatella to Sweden.
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i inspected this car for a customer around 1 year ago
one of the best, low mileage, original SV i have seen...i think the best one so far
and one of the SE35 cars

stunning in person! and fantastic and rare in its wingless form

car should still be in Italy today, in a collection with a 25th anniversary countach
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Yes you´re right Emilio! I saw the car in person too!
Very good condition car and good maintained by Giancarlo

 

This is on of my favorit shoot of a yellow Diablo SV MY99.
It looks so low and devilish good!

Please note the sidemakers, US-spec!
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Throwback to the 90´s!

Here you see some pictures of the production.
When cars were built with passion and not only because of money...
Sometimes i wish i could go back to this times!
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I think this is XLA12102 shortly before the delivery.
Please note this purple SV/SE30. Sideskirts, engine bonnet, rear bumper and windows from SE30. Front bumper and wheels from SV. Maybe this was a test car for the SV production?
Would be interesting where it´s located nowadays!
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My girl. First RHD chassis built. 1996 early car, 17" front wheels, alcantara with carbon interior.
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More:
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Last few:
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Here is a pic of my car and logo from the factory car cover. She is a 1999 SV in Titanium
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Diablo SV at night. Note the low wing on this car!
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