zzdcar
Home
/
Reviews
/
Buying
/
The Coolest Car Lamborghini Never Made Is Up For Sale
The Coolest Car Lamborghini Never Made Is Up For Sale-April 2024
2024-02-19 EST 22:09:40

Image for article titled The Coolest Car Lamborghini Never Made Is Up For Sale

It’s 1996. Jurassic Park has made dinosaurs cool again. The has been very effective at terrifying everyone and hiding the fact hat it has Nissan headlights. has taken the Diablo, removed the safety systems, and supplied the power of a 5.7-liter V12 into the hand of one lucky customer through the knob of a six-speed manual.

Things are good.

Photo: Scott Pattenden ©2019 Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s

Fast forward to today, and that special one-off Zagato Diablo VT is for sale via . Called the Zagato Raptor, it debuted at the 1996 Geneva Motor Show with eyes on a limited production run that Lamborghini would soon back away from, leaving only one double-bubble-roofed car.

If there’s one thing I learned on my recent trip to Italy, it’s that style matters. Looking good is

Zagato threw away the Diablo body (and likely burned the Nissan headlights) and replaced it all with a tube-frame smothered in a custom carbon fiber body, hinged at the rear to reveal the 5.7-liter Lamborghini V12. The body was also cut and hinged at the front, with the entire forward section pivoting out to open the cabin for entry, removing any conventional doors. It’s a canopy. That’s what you want.

Photo: Scott Pattenden ©2019 Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s

On top of that, literally, was a removable roof featuring the signature Zagato double-bubble design.

Photo: Scott Pattenden ©2019 Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s

The all-wheel drive Diablo VT the Raptor is based on was known for its improved handling over previous rear-wheel drive Diablos, and the Raptor was rounded out with a six-speed manual carried over from the donor car, magnesium wheels, Alcon brakes, and no ABS or traction control systems, unlike the Diablo. In total, weight savings amounted to around 300 kilograms, or roughly 660 pounds. (the Diablo VT weighed in at around 3,580 pounds if you’re curious.)

Image for article titled The Coolest Car Lamborghini Never Made Is Up For Sale

Photo: Scott Pattenden ©2019 Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s

The car was apparently sold for a song at the 2000 Geneva Motor Show, with old-school Lamborghini fanpage claiming it went for a bit over $200 grand. It was last displayed at Pebble Beach in 2008, 11 years ago, and the Sotheby’s listing comically suggests “full mechanical servicing” after purchasing for a car listed at between $1 million and $1.4 million. Can’t imagine the price if the seller bothered to condition it beforehand.

Image for article titled The Coolest Car Lamborghini Never Made Is Up For Sale

Photo: Scott Pattenden ©2019 Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s

There was only one Raptor produced due to worries from Lamborghini that the upcoming (but ultimately never produced) 1999 Lamborghini Canto’s design was too similar.

Image for article titled The Coolest Car Lamborghini Never Made Is Up For Sale

(I see their point).

If you want this special alcantara bathtub moonlighting as a one-off supercar from one of the best and most consistent design firms in the industry, it hits the block on Nov. 30 in Abu Dhabi. I’m sure you could call in if you’d rather avoid the extended travel to get there.

Or if you’d rather wait until someone vacuums the car out for you after you buy it before you check it out for yourself.

Photo: Scott Pattenden ©2019 Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s

Comments
Welcome to zzdcar comments! Please keep conversations courteous and on-topic. To fosterproductive and respectful conversations, you may see comments from our Community Managers.
Sign up to post
Sort by
Show More Comments
Buying
At $8,600, Would You Go Topless In This 1994 Cadillac Eldorado?
At $8,600, Would You Go Topless In This 1994 Cadillac Eldorado?
The seller of today’s Caddy claims they should be selling it at auction but says who’s got time for that? Let’s see if we have the time for this custom convertible at its non-auction price. Many of you agreed that the $950 asked for yesterday’s was “chump change.” Even...
Apr 17, 2025
At $950, Would You Go All-In On This 1984 Plymouth Colt GTS Turbo Project?
At $950, Would You Go All-In On This 1984 Plymouth Colt GTS Turbo Project?
One of the calling cards of today’s Plymouth Colt is its “Twin Stick” overdrive gear change, which gives the car eight speeds going forward and two in reverse. Let’s see if this project car has anything else to offer. Just as Goldilocks discovered when appropriating Papa Bear’s lifestyle and...
Apr 17, 2025
Someone Willingly Paid $16,000 For A Maserati Ghibli On Cars & Bids. Don’t Make The Same Mistake
Someone Willingly Paid $16,000 For A Maserati Ghibli On Cars & Bids. Don’t Make The Same Mistake
Let’s cut right to the chase: buying a is not a good idea unless you have deep enough pockets for the upkeep. For those not in the know, they’re sirens. They draw you in with their premium Italian image and sweet songs of and then go in for the...
Apr 17, 2025
At $5,900, Is This 1984 Nissan 720 4X4 A Solid Deal?
At $5,900, Is This 1984 Nissan 720 4X4 A Solid Deal?
According to its seller, today’s Nissan 4X4 shows “pride of ownership.” Let’s see if it would take swallowing one’s pride to pay its asking price. Opinions were split on how well the design of yesterday’s has held up over the years. Some of you commented that the design still...
Apr 17, 2025
At $18,500, Would You Lean Toward Buying This 2022 Ford Mustang?
At $18,500, Would You Lean Toward Buying This 2022 Ford Mustang?
Today’s Mustang is being sold by a towing yard, which means it’s probably a lien sale. Let’s see if this clean title convertible is priced to put a new buyer on the hook. The general consensus on last Friday’s was that it would be the perfect car for someone...
Apr 17, 2025
Which One Of You Suckers Is Going To Pay Over $32,000 For A 25-Year-Old Toyota 4Runner
Which One Of You Suckers Is Going To Pay Over $32,000 For A 25-Year-Old Toyota 4Runner
The (and Tacoma) have a death grip on used values. It’s been this way for years. Go ahead, go try and buy any TRD trim that’s a couple of years old; it’ll cost you as much as a new one — not that you could buy a new one...
Apr 17, 2025
Copyright 2023-2025 - www.zzdcar.com All Rights Reserved