Despite these problems and the progressively deteriorating human relations within the company, the Diablo was developed and many collateral models were derived from it, some of which would prove to be very popular with certain consumer ranges. Some of the most interesting were the 1995 SV, a lighter and more powerful model that placed a premium on driving pleasure over comfort, and the VT Roadster with a Targa-style removable roof, which was instantly a hit, particularly in the United States. Other special editions, such as the SE, Jota, Monterey, Alpine and many others, were derived from these models. Also in 1995, Giorgetto Giugiaro demonstrated the Calà to the trade press, and this was another car with a V10 engine designed to replace the Jalpa. Interesting as it may have been, however, it never left the prototype stage.
In 1996, a single-make championship was also inaugurated, and during that critical moment it was conceived above all as a way of selling another handful of Diablos, thanks to the organisation of a series of races to be held in Europe, with regulations similar to the ones followed by established international championships such as the Porsche Carrera Cup. A circuit version of the Diablo – the SVR – was made for this championship. In 1999, its on-road evolution was announced (the GT an ultra-sporty road version produced in a limited series of 83 units) as well as the circuit model for the new cycle of races for this trophy (GTR, with a 6-litre 590-hp engine, produced in a limited series of 32 units).
In late 1996 Vittorio Di Capua was at the helm of the company. In the meantime, Luigi Marmiroli left Lamborghini for personal reasons and Massimo Ceccarani took his place.
The need to develop new models and thus to make major investments along these lines was evident. By this time, the Diablo was more than seven years old, a very long time in this difficult market. The first idea was to attempt extensive restyling, essentially changing the entire body of the Diablo but maintaining its excellent mechanical base. To do this, the company contacted an Italian studio that had previously made an interesting prototype using the same mechanical base, dubbed the Raptor. However, the version proposed for production, and thus modified to meet international legislative requirements, was unconvincing. This too proved to be a blind alley.
At the same time, Lamborghini turned to several top-level carmakers, including Audi, to request their technical collaboration. The initial idea was to ask for the 8-cylinder engine of the ‘A8’ flagship to power the future ‘baby Lamborghini’, but Audi’s technical staff went back to company headquarters in Germany with very positive reports on the status of the company, its newfound good management and the professional level of the development work being done on its cars.
At this time, Ferdinand Piëch, the grandson of the legendary Professor Ferdinand Porsche – the inventor of the famous Beetle – and the nephew of Porsche founder Ferry, was the chairman of the Volkswagen Group, whose revival he had masterminded. Piech was immediately interested: Lamborghini had fascinated him years before during his first visits to Italy as a young automotive engineer, and now that he had carefully examined the situation of the Bologna company, he decided to move ahead as quickly as possible. The first letter of intents between Audi and Lamborghini was signed on 12 June 1998, and the contract for the complete and definitive transfer of all the shares from the last Indonesian shareholder to the German company was completed on 27 July of the same year, just 50 days later. Within a few months, the Board of Directors had changed completed. Managers carefully chosen by the Audi Group stepped into the various positions, from Giuseppe Greco to Werner Mischke, from Rodolfo Rocchio to Hans Peter Rottländer, to designer Luc Donckerwolke and others.
More importantly, however, this marked the beginning of a completely new life for Lamborghini. For too long, there had been doubts, a lack of funds, world economic troubles and problems with the corporate organisation. For too long, the company had had to fall back on constant updates of classic products without being able to make true major steps forward. This was a situation that Lamborghini had already experienced and had overcome brilliantly. And once again, the stormy second half of the Nineties rapidly became a dim memory. The firm in Sant’Agata Bolognese looked ahead to the new millennium and entered it with the confidence that it was finally in excellent hands. The Audi Group is not only a rich and famous company: the very fact of being under this kind of umbrella also means counting on the assistance of a leading automotive company, one that is known for its high technical profile. And it is a company that can provide Lamborghini with all the advantages of large production numbers and of the technology developed for these figures, but without taking one iota away from Lamborghini’s legendary personality.
The first major innovation came in 2001 with the successor to the Diablo: the Murciélago. It is almost superfluous to point out that this new model was also named after a famous, fierce fighting bull. The fact that this Spanish word actually means ‘bat’ only serves to augment the dark, almost nocturnal magnetism of this magnificent new car. Its power has also been boosted to 580 hp, and this obviously increases its speed, muscle and acceleration. What has been augmented above all is the sensation of the overall quality of the car, with a level of finishing touches that is even better than the already excellent results of the last Diablos. Sales have immediately gone well, and Lamborghini can count on selling each one it makes, as these cars are reserved by customers well in advance
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Originally Posted by deathvalley
