The Diablo SE30 was arguably the most exciting car in Lamborghini history at its launch in 1993, timed to coincide with the Italian automaker’s 30th anniversary. Marketed essentially as a street-legal racecar, it benefited not only from more power than preceding Diablos, but also a significant reduction in weight for even better performance and acceleration.

The SE30 retained Lamborghini’s legendary V-12 but with a revised fuel system, magnesium intake manifolds, and a free-flow exhaust that combined to increase output to 525 horsepower. Unlike the all-wheel-drive 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, while race-specification brakes brought the lighter, faster Diablo to a halt.

At about 3,150 pounds, the Diablo SE30 weighed more than 300 pounds less than the standard rear-wheel-drive Diablo and nearly 400 pounds less than the all-wheel-drive VT. Savings come from body panels made of carbon fiber and eliminating creature comforts such as air conditioning, power steering, the Alpine audio system, and the multi-adjustable leather seats. Even the power windows were removed in favor of fixed plexiglass units with a sliding vent window, while purposeful carbon fiber seats fitted with four-point racing harnesses held the driver and passenger in place.

Delivered new to Germany via Auto Kremer in Bonn in November of 1994, this Diablo SE30 came from the factory finished in what is undoubtedly the must-have color combination for the model; Viola SE30—a paint color introduced especially for this model that remains an option for Lamborghinis built today—over a Blu Alcantara interior. Serial number 061 would spend the first three years of its life in Germany before being sold from the first owner to Japan, again via Auto Kremer in 1997. Sold to a subsequent owner in Tokyo in 1999, the car would later pass through owners in Fukui, then Aichi, and finally Kanagawa in 2012.

Since its arrival in the United States in 2023, the car has benefited from nearly $60,000 in servicing to bring it to the current, exceptional standard. A full engine-out service by Flying Wrench of East Northport, New York, in June 2024 included replacing the clutch, engine gaskets and seals, and air-conditioning compressor belts. Later that summer, Vantage Motorworks of Stamford, Connecticut, refreshed 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.

Beloved by enthusiasts for its sheer character and panache, the Diablo has seen a resurgence in recent years, with SE30 examples particularly sought after for their added performance over predecessors. Still sporting its original color combination of Viola SE30 over Blu Alcantara, this Diablo SE30 has been largely kept in static storage and presents very well throughout, having been driven approximately 1,200 kilometers (~746 miles) over the past 12 years, with the odometer just under 13,000 kilometers (~8,078 miles) at cataloguing time, 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.