Lamborghini Diablo Fans Build a Replica from Scratch

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The Lamborghini Diablo was one of the most iconic and famous high-performance sports cars ever built. Built by luxury Italian automaker Automobili Lamborghini between 1990 and 2001, the mid-engined Lamborghini Diablo was the first Lamborghini capable of attaining a top speed in excess of 200 miles per hour.

Codenamed “Project 132” and originally designed by Marcello Gandini, the Lamborghini Diablo–named after a ferocious bull raised by the Duke of Veragua–was presented to the public for sale in January 1990. The head-turning Diablo spawned 12 official specification levels over its 11-year lifespan and became a coveted classic in the automotive industry–some models currently sell for upwards of $300,000.

In August of this year, Chinese car enthusiasts Wang Yu and Li Lintao actually built a pair of Lamborghini Diablo replicas from scratch. Living and working in Beijing, China, these two 30-year-old motorheads spent approximately ¥5 million ($810,000) on parts and spent over six years building their limited run of Diablo replicas.

The replica project began after Wang and Li returned home from studying mechanical engineering in Germany and the United Kingdom. Nicknamed “The Dream,” the duo got to work on designing and building their first Diablo replica.

Wang and Li began sourcing and purchasing Lamborghini and other sports car parts on the Taobao Marketplace–the Chinese equivalent of eBay–and after more than a year and $159,000 later, “The Dream” was displayed at the 2012 Beijing International Auto Show. The orange Diablo replica, powered by a Toyota V8 with the capacity to go from zero to 60 miles per hour in 4.8 seconds and reach a top speed of 192 miles per hour, was sold on the spot for an undisclosed amount.

Working out of a workshop on the outskirts of Beijing, Wang and Li recently built two more Diablo replicas that match the same specifications of their predecessor–including its 192 mile per hour top speed. Finished in black and adorned with bright yellow “SV” lettering, the pair’s Lamborghini Diablos are scheduled to appear at the 2015 Beijing Auto Show.

Wang and Li are currently working on a replica T-Rex motorcycle and both hope to eventually found and produce their own luxury sports cars capable of competing with the likes of Lamborghini and Ferrari.

Scroll down for more pictures of the second Diablo replica project and a video by Reuters that covers the Chinese motor car enthusiasts and their quest to one day build luxury sports cars of their own.

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Photos by Peter Kujundzic/Reuters

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jKjtXG6CFGg

Video by Reuters/YouTube.com

Written by Derrick Krom

Derrick is a recent graduate of Saint Joseph's University in Philadelphia where he received a B.A. in English and Communication Studies. Throughout his life, Derrick has traveled the country and even got to study abroad in London, England for four amazing months. He's a guitar player, avid music fan and lover of literature, film, and all things entertainment.