Launched to celebrate Lamborghini’s thirtieth anniversary in 1993, the Diablo SE30 was marketed by Lamborghini as a street-legal race car, seeing not only a boost in power but also a reduction in weight over its siblings, making for arguably the most exciting car in the company’s illustrious history.
Mechanically, the SE30 retained Lamborghini’s legendary V-12 but featured a revised fuel system, magnesium intake manifolds, and a free-flow exhaust that combined to increase output to 525 horsepower. Unlike the Diablo VT, the SE30 was a raw, rear-wheel-drive machine. Driver-adjustable sway bars controlled by a cabin-mounted switch transitioned the SE30 from firm to race-stiff. Lamborghini turned to carbon fiber for many of the SE30’s body panels, and the company used race-specification brakes to bring its lighter, faster Diablo to a halt.
Tipping the scales at about 3,150 pounds, the Diablo SE30 benefited from a savings of more than 300 pounds over the standard rear-wheel drive Diablo and nearly 400 pounds over the all-wheel drive VT. Lamborghini also eliminated creature comforts such as air conditioning, power steering, the Alpine audio system, and the multi-adjustable leather seats. Purposeful carbon fiber seats fitted with four-point racing harnesses held the driver and passenger in place. Even the power windows were removed in favor of fixed plexiglass units with a sliding vent window.
Delivered new to Germany via Auto Kremer in Bonn in November of 1994, this Diablo SE30 was originally finished in what is undoubtedly the must-have color combination for the model; Viola SE30 (a paint color introduced especially for this model that still remains an option for Lamborghinis built today) over a Blu Alcantara interior. Serial number 061 would spend the first three years of its life there prior to being sold from the first owner to Japan, again via Auto Kremer in 1997. Sold to an owner in Tokyo in 1999, the car would pass through subsequent owners in Fukui, then Aichi, and finally Kanagawa in 2012.
Since its arrival in the United States in 2023, the car has been subject to numerous service works to bring the car to its current, exceptional standard. A full engine-out service was carried out by Flying Wrench of East Northport, NY, in June of 2024, which also included replacing the clutch, new engine gaskets and seals, and replacing the air conditioning compressor belts. Later that summer, the car was sent to Vantage Motorworks of Stamford, Connecticut, for a refresh of the braking system. Four new Pirelli P Zero tires were fitted in September of 2024. All this work totals approximately $57,000, and invoices for this are on file.
Still sporting its original color combination of Viola SE30 over a Blu Alcantara, the Diabo has seen a resurgence in recent years, beloved by enthusiasts for their sheer character and panache, with the SE30 being particularly sought after for its added performance over its predecessors. This SE30 has been largely kept in static storage and presents very well throughout, having been driven approximately 1,200 km over the past twelve years, with the odometer showing 12,840 km at the time of cataloguing, which is believed to be original. It would make an exciting addition to any collection of Lamborghinis, perfectly bridging the gap between the current cars produced under Audi AG’s ownership today and the Miura and Countach.
