Lamborgini Diablo GT1 Stradale

Following the foot-steps of Porsche in 1996 with the GT1, a purpose built racing car that created a stir in motorsports, Lamborghini contracted Signes Advanced Technologies (SAT), a company based in Toulon, France specialising in manufacturing prototype race cars, to develop a racing version of the Diablo to enter in the GT1 class racing.

The company would build an entirely new chassis made of tubular steel and a carbon fibre body bearing resemblance to the road going Diablo with Lamborghini supplying the engine and getting the project through homologation. The 5.7 L V12 engine used in the standard Diablo variants was stroked to a displacement of 6.0 L utilising a reprogrammed engine management system. The new engine had a maximum power output of 664 PS (488 kW; 655 hp) at 7550 rpm and 687 Nm (507 lbft) of torque at 5500 rpm and transferred the power to the rear wheels through a 6-speed Hewland sequential manual transmission. The finished car weighed a total of 1050 kg (2315 lb) making it the lightest Diablo variant ever produced.

The body work featured heavy modifications and little was shared with the road car. A very deep chin spoiler and fixed front lamps along with an adjustable rear wing was one of the main changes. The front and rear section of the car were entirely removable to allow easy access to the mechanicals of the car, the wheelbase and length of the car was increased for enhanced performance. Larger air intakes on the rear, NACA ducts near the doors and air intakes from the Diablo SV improved engine cooling.

The car utilised scissor doors and tail lights from a regular Diablo further increasing its resemblance with the road going model. Other features included purpose built race interior, plexiglass windows, 18-inch centre-lock OZ racing wheels and an integrated roll-cage. The car was presented in 1997 to the factory in the presence of FIA representatives who approved and homologated the car for racing. But financial difficulties surrounding Lamborghini at that time forced the company to not go further with the project. Only 2 cars were built, one was meant for racing and one was the road legal version which dropped the rear wing. The racing version was bought by the JLOC racing team from Japan who used it in the JGTC series racing until the series was abandoned and the road version remained in the ownership of SAT until it was sold to Mistral Motors in Italy.