How would you rate the handling of Diablo?

I would prefer the SV, more sharp to drive than SE30... but the SE30 will increase more its market value ! Can you give us URL link ?

 

The Diablo is a fun car to drive. I do not like the car's bulk and the feel of the shifter.


My guess, the car is a good value for the money.


The 98-01 cars, have much better brakes, when compared to the SE 30.

 

Ralph, I agree. I prefer the ct too But the se30 feels more immediate than normal variants of both sv and vt models. So, considering the size of the car, its actually pretty nimble feeling....

 

Dominic,


I knew you would show up with a rebuttal

I did not feel a huge difference, when comparing the SE 30, 97 Roadster and 99 VT. The brakes on the 99 VT, are a welcome change. Does the weight difference of the focused sport model, make much of an improvement on the street ? Perhaps other drivers feel differently ?



The 2wd 1991-1993 cars, are the best 200mph supercar bargains available today.

 

I like the steering ratio of my 98 SV , i also like the way it shifts , i had alot of cars , the Sv shifts really nice and smooth , the gate just takes a small amount of time to get the feel , the power is great , a little nudge and the car will pivot , I guess the only down side in city driving is the width of the car , its a very wide automobile , but for me ( i drive a forktruck thats picks up 41 foot boats and a travel lift that hauls 60 footers ) its no problem , but i have yet to take it into Manhattan , that might be a challenge , only because of the driving style thats used there, except for the fact that the SV seems to get like the worse gas mileage of any car i ever had, it could easily be used as a daily driver .

 

having driven all the variants, I think the best handling is the SE30. Next best is SV. Third best is bargain early 2wd one, but it has the weakest brakes. No doubt the SE30 will hold the most collector car value imo.

 

I have a RWD Diablo. My best description would be for you to picture a heavy 1990s Ford F150 that has been lowered to 42 or so inches off the ground and widened by a good foot or so. Same shifting (long throw) and steering. Brakes about the same. Now make the car about 500hp.

Okay, maybe it's not that bad. But it felt that way after going back to my Esprit after a month or so. Esprit felt like a go cart.

 

Dear Lamborghinisti,

I find the Diablo a very brutal car and I like it that way. When you're driving it, it's always a sense of occasion. You feel like you're in something SPECIAL...something I don't get from my 91 Ferrari Testarossa.

It's low, wide and you can't parallel park for your life. It's handling is well....kinda OK.... It's a heavy car and feels that way. I have the front diff removed and can drift the corner but if you push...it won't give you very much warning before it lets go.

I prefer the look of the Pirelli Pzeros but the Michelin are way better tires...I grudgingly admit....far superior response.

The car is damn fast. I love to shift to redline and can't as I get up to speed so quickly...I have to hit the brakes.

When you add it all up...there's NOTHING like a Diablo. The only car I want is another Diablo but 3 exotics would take up way too much time. These cars are super maintenance intense and it's not just money but the time needed...if you want to do the details RIGHT.


Shamile

Freeze...Miami Vice !

 

That's funny! But vs the F150, all you can haul in the Diablo is ass. And imo is isn't fair to compare any car's handling to Lotus. They wrote the book on handling.

 

Dear Lamborghinisti,

....oh, and yours too...


Shamile

Freeze...Miami Vice !

 

Hey Shamile, I wish I could haul as much ass in mine as you do!!!!!

 

Does the Esprit have the "wow" factor that the Diablo has? I am a lot closer to being able to afford an Esprit than a Diablo so I am curious how it compares to a true supercar like the Diablo.

 

..................I have owned both the Esprit and a Diablo, My Lotus was a 85 turbo , , i personally like the shape better than say the newer models but thats just me , it for sure had Wow factor but the build was far less quality than the Lamborghini, but yes it had the wow factor , not as much as a Diablo, the Diablo just destroys peoples minds when they see it , the Lotus just makes people look, i really have to disagree with most people here on the board because i had a F-150 and a F-350, I guess they are just making a broad comparison , but the Diablo is no way like a truck, although a little stiffer than a Lotus and larger in size too and has 4 times the power, with some time spent behind the wheel its just a real high performance sports car .

 

I have a 92 but with 96 SV engine and gearbox. Running Michelins. I love the handling, it's not vicious, even when slightly pushed on country lanes. Brakes are utter sh1te indeed...

I've been thinking about maybe replacing the Diablo, but I can't find any car I like better... So i'll probably get an SV or Roadster some time, to replace it

 

The "wow factor" doesn't even come close. If you get an Esprit, get a V8TT. They are fun cars and look great. Mine got about as much attention as a Ferrari. I don't think anything car match the crowd that a Diablo draws though. It is on another level.

 

Dear Lamborghinisti,

Bawhaahaha....deuces baby !

You won't notice an Esprit next to a Ferrari Testarossa and you won't notice anything next to a Diablo.

NOTHING has the wow factor of a Diablo! I was at a concours once and had my VT Roadster (top down) parked next to a Ferrari F50. People who new the price of the F50 were hanging around it but to the general public that was there were all over the Diablo. When I put the doors up (no panties went down), there was a collective Ooooh! There weren't any eyes on the F 50 at that point.

VT Roadster! It's da bling bling of all Diablos!


Shamile

Freeze...Miami Vice !

 

I would have to say that more people freak out about my Countach than the Diablo when they are parked side by side...

 

You know me while it won't make much difference on the road, I think the feeling is probably more important to me. The lighter weight makes the car feel more intimate and agile than some of the other variants.

 

IMHO, there's nothing wrong with the suspension as it comes from the factory... I had my OEM dampers rebuilt a few years ago. The ride is firm but your teeth won't rattle... And I don't even have the front lift option on mine...

 

+1000.

There isn't another 200mph Club car that even sniffs this price range. Then you throw in the scissor doors and 12 cylinders??? Fahgetabadddit!!

 

I own both and have tracked both.

The SE30 is better on the track. It is a much lighter car than the USA version of the SV (The Euro SV is a different animal but I do not believe there are any in the USA)

The SE30 brakes may be smaller and not antilock but you can always upgrade the brakes to bigger plates, calipers, etc. The internals in the SE30 motor help it spin up quicker and it is just a blast...sure the weight hangs out the back so you have a pendulum there to work with.

Now one thing NO ONE has mentioned yet is how incredibly DANGEROUS the Kelsey-Hayes Antilock brakes are when TRACKING the car. If you are really tracking an 1998MY+ SV (US or Euro version, does not matter) the antilock brake software gets really confused and will literally disengage the rear brake calipers almost completely. This turns the SV into a real handful when the rear calipers stop grabbing. The entire rear end of the car tries to spin you as the front calipers grab. Scary stuff and has happened to me in Europe and USA. In Europe it happened with full factory support on site and they could do nothing to help (they tried letting air out of the tires, etc)

I should mention also, if driving at high speeds (and not using the brakes) the antilock brakes get weird too (speeds in excess of 160mph/250kph), make the car very unsettled. This happened while cruising the autostrada. At the time we thought it was because the car did not have a wing, nope, it was the antilock software.

I do not believe there was ever an upgrade or fix for this problem with the antilock brakes.

Now due to the substantial weight difference and unruly antilock brakes I would never track an SV (USA version). Note that the DOT does allow a 1997 Euro SV to be imported, it is on the approved list, but you have to modify its emmissions system. It does not have antilock and is far lighter than the USA SV.

-JT

 

Pics of my SE30

and the car you should get for the track, Roy's #24 SVR
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