Lamborghini introduced the Pregunta in 1998, a one-off concept that was the result of unbridled imagination and engineering with no compromise. Built on the Diablo chassis, this car combines Italian style with French refinement, a fighter jet and enough power to get your heart racing.
The Pregunta was commissioned during Chrysler’s brief ownership of Lamborghini and their last hurrah before Audi took over. It debuted at the Paris Motor Show in 1998 just as Audi was taking the reins. Lamborghini handed over the Diablo chassis, engine and transmission to French coachbuilder Carrosserie Heuliez who let their designers, led by Marc Deschamps, run wild. Deschamps, a veteran whose CV includes the Renault R5 Turbo and the Lamborghini Jalpa, was inspired by the Dassault Rafale fighter jet. The scissor doors opened like a cockpit canopy and two removable polycarbonate roof panels could seal the cabin, blurring the line between car and plane.
Inside, the Pregunta’s cabin is a futuristic cockpit. Azure blue Alcantara seats separated by a C-shaped accent offer aviation inspired comfort for the driver and passenger. Four-point harnesses keep you safe and a computerized instrument cluster using Formula One technology displays the data. The rearview cameras feed into a central LCD which replaces the side mirrors and fibre-optic lighting creates a futuristic glow. An Alpine stereo plays music throughout the cabin and a Cristine GPS system, advanced for its time, guides the journey. Every element from the OZ wheels to the colour matched instruments is perfect and beautiful, 90s innovation and Lamborghini aggression.
It’s powered by a 5.7 liter V12, the same one as the Diablo, which produces 537 horsepower and 446 lb ft of torque. With a five-speed manual gearbox it sends all that power to the rear wheels, a change from the Diablo’s all-wheel-drive setup. It goes 0-62mph in 3.9 seconds, 0-1000m in 20 seconds and 207mph. A bespoke Quicksilver stainless steel exhaust without catalytic converters makes a raw, primal sound that would make a fighter jet jealous. The radiators were moved to the front of the Diablo to improve balance making the platform even more aggressive.
After debuting in Paris and the 1999 Geneva Motor Show, the Pregunta stayed with Heuliez until 2008, when it was sold to a private collector. It stayed in that collection for more than 20 years and made a brief appearance at Spa-Francorchamps during the 2008 SpaItalia Rally. Lamborghini’s Polo Storico serviced and certified the car in 2021 and added it to the company’s history book. It even spent time on display at the Museo Lamborghini to show its importance as the last Diablo based design and the link between Lamborghini’s wild past and its polished future with Audi.
The Pregunta is in Knokke-Heist and this is a once in a lifetime opportunity to own a piece of automotive history. Don’t miss the chance to see it at Broad Arrow Auctions where this jet inspired dream will find a new home.
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