Auto-Tuning

Lamborghini Diablo replica that took $0.5M+ to build goes on sale

John Cena, U.S.-born pro wrestler and comedian, had poured two decades and over half a million dollars into building a perfect imitation of the Lamborghini Diablo VT Roadster. The result is now being sold at no reserve on Bring-a-Trailer, with the bidding at $75,000.

The project car uses a custom chassis with a steering mechanism borrowed out of a 2000 Chevrolet Camaro and brakes sourced from a fifth-gen Corvette. It gets its power from a five-liter, naturally aspirated V12 that originally belonged to a BMW 750iL. The listing doesn’t mention the output, but the mill delivered around 304 PS (300 hp / 224 kW) in its prime days. A five-speed manual transmission from Porsche carries the torque.

The tuners responsible for the project made a great effort recreating the exterior and the interior of the Italian classic. The dashboard with its round gauges, the shifter and the seats - everything looks so authentic that even Diablo connoisseurs will struggle to tell them from the originals at first.

To top things off, the car is fully drivable, road-legal and has 69 km (43 miles) on the odometer after the swap. Cena calls it his “worst financial decision ever”, but you can try and cheer him up by making one of your own.

Editor: Andrej Raspopow

October 6, 2024