Eccentric V12, the €1.35 million Lamborghini Diablo of the 21st century

Those who want a 21st century Diablo and don't know how to spend 1,350,000 euro, plus tax of course, and an example of Lamborghini's legendary hypercar from the 1990s, can think of the Eccentrica V12. The restomod created by San Marino-based Eccentrica Cars in a limited run of just nineteen examples.

The reinterpretation of the Diablo stems from the consultancy of Maurizio Reggiani, who for decades led Lamborghini's Technical Management, from the pencils of BorreomeodeSilva's designers, and from the engineering and subsequent production phase at Podium Advanced Technology in Pont Saint Martin in Valle d'Aosta. For the record, a company that for six consecutive years has been listed by Il Sole 24 Ore as one of Italy's 500 'growth leaders' and that not only develops and produces systems for electrified engines, one-off cars, small restomod series and technologies for Endurance cars, but also lithium-ion batteries for the Ducati cars that take part in the MotoE World Championship and, from 2026, also those that will exclusively equip Formula E single-seaters. In the case of Eccentrica, it has amalgamated the project's supporting pillars, taken care of the engineering and, from this period onwards, also the production envisaged by the specification, which requires sixteen weeks' work for each unit.

The modern-day Diablo is born from a model that is practically stripped of everything. In practice, all that is retained from the original Diablo is the chassis, which is then suitably treated and strengthened with composite elements, and the 5.7-litre, 48-valve V12 that, with the contribution of extensive updating and modern-day technologies, delivers 550 instead of 492 bhp and torque of 600 instead of 580 Nm, for which the intake, cooling and lubrication systems have also been adapted. The torque, which is spread out in a more linear manner, together with the support of a six-speed manual gearbox instead of a five-speed makes the delivery smoother and eliminates the characteristic angularity of the Diablo's engine which, like that of all the supercars of the past, was not a panacea for natural driving.

The reconstitution of the big V12 allows the Eccentrica to touch 335 mph and reach 100 km/h in 3"8 and boast a better power-to-weight ratio: 2.91 kg/hp. The redesign has also integrated an electronic network in step with the times that not only manages the engine but has brought with it both the Strada, Wet and Pista car configurations as well as traction control and the semi-active suspension of new architecture, which is supported on wider track widths than those of mother Diablo. The technological outfit is completed, among other things, by a latest-generation Brembo braking system, 19" instead of 17" wheels and Pirelli PZero Trofeo R Gres tyres.

Once the mechanics are fitted, the V12 Eccenrtica takes shape. The carbon fibre body panels are fitted over the Diablo's original architecture, which only requires the windscreen frame to be retained. In the end, the line defined by taut lines that evolve those traced by Marcello Gandini proposes the wedge-shaped profile of the Diablo, albeit a little more accentuated. It goes hand in hand with dimensions that increase in particular in width, which goes from 2.04 to 2.14 metres given the new track widths that also result in a slightly longer wheelbase, while the design of the outfit reduces the length by a hair's breadth to 4.43 metres, while the airscope that peeks out from behind the cockpit to send air to the V12 raises the stature very slightly: 1.11 metres. Even if in proportions that make the body a more robust one and by integrating specific characterisations, such as the V12 left open, or the grilles that complete the front and tail of the car or, again, the retractable eyelids of the front lights that can no longer be tilted, the line of the Eccentrica is clearly linked to that of the Diablo. The passenger compartment, which is accessed through vertically opening doors in 'scissor' jargon, is sumptuously finished with fine materials by skilled craftsmen, the design of the furnishings echoes that of the legendary Lamborghini, but is far less invasive to benefit a little from the availability of space. The approximation to current standards is not only this factor, but also the repositioning of the driver's seat to align it with the pedals and the digitisation of the instrumentation. It is still composed of many elements but all with 1990s-style graphics and infotainment with smartphone integration placed, unusually, in what in other cars is the rear view mirror.