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There’s a Lamborghini Diablo Hiding Under This Tuner’s Body Kit
Japan’s booming tuner scene has spawned some of the coolest, wildest, and most unusual cars we’ve ever seen. But has one tuner pushed the envelope a little too far? Value Progress designed a body kit that turns the Lamborghini Diablo into a one-off, called Beast, that wears its name rather well.
I’ll start by giving Value Progress some credit. It looks like a tremendous amount of resources went into designing and building the Beast. The coupe is recognizable as a Lamborghini because it features roughly the same basic silhouette as the Diablo, but just about everything else was made from scratch, which is easier said than done. When it comes to modifications, especially major ones, I’m a big fan of the “your money, your car” rule. I’d argue that, in this case, the slate was best left blank, but your mileage may vary.
Counting the styling cues that differentiate the Beast from the Diablo would take days. Up front, there’s a pair of vertical lights, a grille, and vents in the hood. The windshield is topped with a spoiler, and the back end is dominated by a long list of creased body panels that make the Beast look like it’s molting. There’s also a wing you could shave a whale with, four superbike-like exhaust outlets, and a diffuser you could hook up to a John Deere to use as a tiller. Alloy wheels that looked fresh at SEMA in 2003 wrap it all up.
The body kit makes the Beast about 198 inches long and 94 inches wide. For context, the Diablo measures approximately 176 inches long and 80 inches wide, and a current-generation Toyota Land Cruiser checks in at roughly 193 inches long and 78 inches wide. At 86.5 inches wide, even a Hummer H1 would look a little bit narrow if you parked it next to the Beast. It’s odd to think that it comes from the land of kei cars.
Value Progress hasn’t revealed the interior yet, and the heavily tinted windows hide it well.
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Power comes from a mid-mounted V-12 linked to a manual transmission, according to the tuner. It doesn’t sound like there are any engine modifications to report, though the Beast uses a triple-plate clutch disc.
The end result is… head-turning. Value Progress claims that some of the add-ons are functional, including the spoiler mounted above the windshield and the rear diffuser. “This is truly a vehicle that you won’t find anywhere else in the world,” the tuner adds. That much, at least, Value Progress and I can definitely agree on.
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A wise man once said less is more and know when to stop.
I can’t believe these words are coming off my fingers, but this thing makes a Liberty Walk look subtle!
I guess the styling was inspired by a Japanese Shogun, but it’s just too much of everything.
Wow, is that ugly!
It’s perfect if what you want is a Lambo farm truck.
“I’d argue that, in this case, the slate was best left blank…”.
Loosen up, you sound like a snob.
It’s harmless…if a wealthy guy wants his Automotive toy to look like an anime figure, so be it.
1. The Lamborghini base car isn’t rare….so we aren’t committing sacrilege.
2. How many will there be?
3. What are the chances of us seeing one in the flesh? Don’t worry, the AACA, PCA, or SCCA snobs won’t encounter one to offend their Westchester trust fund sensibilities.
So…it’s harmless fun.
And arguably better than some guy taking a old, rare survivor and rodding it. It still happens.
👍 Somehow, I’m left with the impression the goal for the designer wasn’t exactly mass-market appeal, or it would look like an Accord or Camry, and it wouldn’t even be a noteworthy target of discussion on this venue.
Haters of this automotive samurai cheese-grater can please keep in mind, it could be worse, much worse, as what happened to that pitiable, nautical-themed Chapron Packard Super Eight; now, THAT, was pretty atrocious.
However, if this over-the-top Lambo had been presented in a monochromatic, stealth-fighter flat-black finish, we would readily and likely accept it as the next iteration of Batman’s car, rather than evaluating it as a victimized Diablo.
Since this reminds me of the creative, multiple-sharp-edged F-117 theme of Batman’s Tumbler, I think we could admit, except for the oversized Thanos, it could easily be associated with any of the fictional blade-wielding superheroes/villains from the Marvel and/or DC comics universe, and maybe that’s exactly what the designer truly had in mind.