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Leno stretches Lamborghini Diablo's legs for latest Garage installment

While posters of the Lamborghini Countach decorated the walls of many boys' walls in the 1980s, the Diablo filled that spot for young men in the early 1990s thanks to its extreme styling. In its latest video, Jay Leno's Garage welcomes a beautiful, white 1991 Diablo into his garage for a look back on what is now a classic supercar.
Unlike some of the vehicles Leno shows off, this one doesn't belong to him. Instead, veteran Italian car mechanic Franco Barbuscia owns it. He has been maintaining Jay's Countach for years. A '91 Diablo is an archaic supercar by today's standards. It doesn't have power steering, anti-lock brakes or obviously anything like traction control. It's just a big V12 hanging behind the driver with a wonderfully meaty roar that emanates from the exhaust.
Franco's Diablo might actually be better than new. It has a few upgrades to aid in drivability, like re-spaced pedals, a carbon-Kevlar clutch and more. Apparently all of the tweaks help a lot because, "it rides smoother than my Carrera GT," Leno enthuses about the car. Scroll down to reminisce about this Italian classic and get an ear full of its wonderful sound.

Lamborghini Urus SUV traces roots to a feline predecessor

The recently-revealed Urus isn't Lamborghini's first SUV. The LM002 pioneered the super-4x4 segment when it made its debut at the 1986 Brussels Auto Show. Tracing its history requires traveling to the mid-1970s, when Ferruccio Lamborghini sold the automaker that he founded and retired in the countryside to hunt and make wine. The new owners had practically no experience in building cars. Instead of expanding the lineup, they sought to land engineering and production contracts. Lamborghini teamed up with an American defense contractor named Mobility Technology International (MTI) to create an off-roader for the United States Army. The partnership spawned a vehicle named Cheetah, unveiled at the 1977 Geneva Auto Show. The Cheetah looked like a Meyers Manx buggy on steroids that ate Jeep CJ-7s for breakfast. The shape of the body gave it unusually high approach and departure angles, while the flat body panels facilitated the task of installing body armor. "Like the cat for which it is named, this high-performance vehicle has explosive acceleration, high speed and sure-footed agility over virtually all terrain," a period brochure claimed. The Cheetah could certainly tame Mother Nature's worst side, but the brochure exaggerated its performance credentials. Power came from the same 5.9-liter Chrysler 360 V8 engine found in Dodge's D-Series trucks. Lamborghini mounted it in the back, and its 183-horsepower rating contributed to a woeful power-to-weight ratio. The eight-cylinder spun all four wheels via an automatic transmission also found on Chrysler's parts shelf. Lamborghini didn't secure the Army's contract. The automaker stood on the brink of collapse. An Italian court took control of the company after it filed for bankruptcy in 1978, and a Swiss entrepreneur later came to the rescue. The new management saw an immense amount of potential in the Cheetah and relaunched the project. Decision-makers spotted an opportunity to enter the burgeoning leisure vehicle segment. Notably, they identified a market for a Cheetah-like car in the Middle East, where a Countach was unpractical at best and a Nissan Patrol was far too pedestrian for oil barons. Lamborghini unveiled a prototype named LM001 at the 1981 Geneva Auto Show. It took the Cheetah concept a step further with an updated look, though it retained the rear-mounted engine. Built as a development mule, it illustrated the limits of a rear-engine off-roader.

Lamborghini Revuelto, riveting or revolting? The choice is yours with its online configurator

Lamborghini has opened an online configurator for the new Revuelto flagship it unveiled yesterday. You can play with the supercar's many options, though It's a moot exercise unless you're one of the few reserved one already. Lamborghini says the Revuelto had sold out for two years in early March, with most reservation holders never having seen what the car would look like. But if you want to kill a little time, you can build your own. There's something for everyone, whether your tastes lean towards aficionado or influencer. Color is where the Revuelto allows for the most personalization. There's no less than 68 colors, many of which come in both gloss and matte finishes. A connoisseur might go for one of the Classica hues, which take inspiration from Lamborghinis past. The individual oranges and lime greens number greater than the entire palettes of most mainstream cars. It's almost overwhelming. But because we enjoy a good chuckle, we went for the Ecleticca (Italian for "eclectic") finish called Blu Uranus Matt.  Wheels can make or break a car, and we definitely want to fit in with the newly wealthy Soundcloud artists constantly revving up Sunset Boulevard here in Los Angeles. So we'll go for the 20- and 21-inch Bridgestone performance tires wrapping matte black Triguero wheels with carbon fiber center caps and titanium "rim bolts." Even brake calipers are offered in seven colors, but we think the most eye-searing option is Arancio, or orange. Interior upholstery and color options are as plentiful as paint codes. A retina-assaulting Nero Ade Sportiva (black) cabin with Verde Scandal (radioactive green) contrast color and Rosso Alala (red) stitching should not be allowed on a Blu Uranus Matt exterior, but it is, so we're picking it. Naturally, we're checking the passenger display option so we can impress our captiv — er, co-pilots — with exactly how fast we're going, and adding cupholders because why not? For finishing touches, the rear diffuser offers yet another set of colors, but we're going for Verde Scandal again because it's the brightest. Last but not least, let's check the box for the titanium engine grid, which draws attention to the 1,001-horsepower V12 hybrid powertrain, the last 12-cylinder Lamborghini will ever make. Nowhere in the process did we ever come across a price tag, so it's one of those "if you have to ask ..." scenarios. What do you think of our Revuelto? We like that it'll feel right at home in La La Land or Miami.