The Lamborghini Diablo has never been accused of subtlety. Eccentrica apparently decided the only thing missing was an unobstructed path between its screaming V-12 and the sky.
The Italian restomod specialist has revealed the Eccentrica V12 Roadster, an open-top evolution of its extensively reengineered Diablo. The car makes its public debut at The Quail on August 14, bringing the same carbon-intensive makeover and naturally aspirated V-12 as the coupe, now without a roof getting between the driver and the soundtrack.
This isn’t simply a Diablo with its top cut off. Eccentrica has reworked the car from the chassis up, while retaining the character that made Lamborghini’s 1990s supercar such an event in the first place.
A 5.7-Liter V-12, Six-Speed Manual, and Rear-Wheel Drive
At the heart of the V12 Roadster is a heavily revised version of the Diablo’s 5.7-liter DOHC naturally aspirated V-12. Eccentrica recalibrated the ECU, fitted more efficient intake hardware with electronic throttle bodies, and improved thermal management.
The result is 542 horsepower at 7,000 rpm and 442 lb-ft of torque at 6,500 rpm.
Those numbers might look modest next to today’s 1,000-hp hybrid hypercars, but that misses the point. Power goes exclusively to the rear wheels through a six-speed manual transmission, itself an evolution of the Diablo’s original five-speed gearbox. Reverse is handled separately through an electrically actuated system.
Eccentrica estimates the Roadster will hit 62 mph in 3.8 seconds and continue to a 208-mph top speed.
Again, this isn’t really about winning a spec-sheet battle. It’s about putting a naturally aspirated V-12, three pedals, and rear-wheel drive into a carbon-bodied Lamborghini that looks like it escaped from a 1990s bedroom poster.
More Than a Roof Delete
Removing the roof from a car like the Diablo creates considerably more work than reaching for a saw.
Eccentrica reinforces the original steel chassis with additional carbon-fiber structures to compensate for the loss of the fixed roof. The Roadster also receives its own calibration for the semi-active dampers, while power steering makes the car rather more approachable than the famously physical early Diablos.
Pirelli P Zero Trofeo RS tires sit at all four corners, with wider rubber up front. Multiple drive modes help manage the V-12’s output, while the redesigned exterior panels are constructed from carbon fiber.
The Roadster also underwent its own aerodynamic development program. With the cabin now exposed, engineers focused on directing airflow around the occupants while preserving the stability expected from a car capable of more than 200 mph.
In other words, Eccentrica wants you to hear the V-12—not spend the entire drive being punched in the face by turbulent air.
Old-School Lamborghini Drama, Modernized
The project could easily be dismissed as another ultra-expensive restomod built around nostalgia. Eccentrica, however, has some serious Lamborghini expertise behind it.
The team is led by Maurizio Reggiani, Lamborghini’s former chief technical officer and one of the key figures behind some of the company’s most important modern cars, including programs spanning the Murciélago era through the Huracán.
That experience shows in the approach. Eccentrica hasn’t tried to turn the Diablo into a modern Lamborghini wearing vintage bodywork. Instead, the company has concentrated on improving the chassis, controls, aerodynamics, cooling, and usability while keeping the ingredients that defined the original.
The cabin follows the same philosophy. It remains unmistakably retro in inspiration but receives extensively redesigned instrumentation, switchgear, materials, and controls. The result looks less like a restored Diablo interior and more like an alternate-history version of what Lamborghini might have built with modern manufacturing techniques and no 1990s budget constraints.
Only 19 Will Be Built
Exclusivity is guaranteed. Eccentrica plans to build just 19 examples of the V12 Roadster.
Pricing hasn’t been announced, but nobody should expect a bargain. The Eccentrica coupe already carries a minimum entry price of roughly £1 million, before factoring in the cost associated with acquiring the donor Lamborghini.
That puts the Roadster firmly in collector-car territory.
But cars like this aren’t really sold on horsepower-per-dollar calculations. The appeal is simpler: take one of Lamborghini’s wildest analog supercars, sharpen almost everything about it, preserve the naturally aspirated V-12 and manual transmission, and then remove the roof.
For the 19 people who get one, that might be all the justification required.