1990 Lamborghini LM002

The Lamborghini LM002 was a luxury, all-terrain SUV capable of performing military-grade applications. The company pioneered the concept in 1977 with the Cheetah prototype, constructed with hopes of earning a contract with the U.S. Army. Although it showed tremendous promise, the rear-engine concept was deemed too exotic for the American military. The idea, however, intrigued Lamborghini principal Patrick Mimran who continued to evolve the design into a further design study introduced in 1981 at the Geneva Motor Show. It was dubbed the LM001 and continued to employ the rear-engine placement, and consequently suffered in handling and rear interior space. Ex-Maserati engineer Giulio Alfieri was tasked with addressing these flaws, with the resulting LMA concept unveiled in 1982.

Utilizing the V-12 engine from the concurrent Countach, the LMA, coded with serial number LM002, was now housed in the front compartment. This change brought improved weight distribution and handing, and allowed the rear cabin to be properly trimmed for six passengers. The one-off Lamborghini rode on specially designed Pirelli Scorpion run-flat tires, as well as an early GPS navigation system intended for the energy executives that were envisioned to traverse remote desert oil fields in the highly capable off-road SUV.

The Lamborghini LM002 was officially introduced in 1986 in production guise at the Brussels Motor Show and could be optioned with an extensive list of luxury items including tinted windows, a high-fidelity sound system, leather interior, and air-conditioning.

The LM002 had a 116.1-inch wheelbase, was 78.7-inches wide, 72.8-inches high, and had a length of 188.6 inches. Power was from a 5,167cc (5.2-liter) Lamborghini V12 engine paired with a five-speed ZF heavy-duty manual transmission and two-speed reduction gearbox, offering a choice of ten speeds and two- or four-wheel drive. The large twelve-cylinder engine was fed via a 45 (U.S.) gallon fuel tank (a 76-gallon fuel tank was available for the thirsty 8 mpg fuel consumption engine). The engine, originally designed in the early 1960s by Giotto Bizzarrini, had dual overhead camshafts and Weber carburetors, and delivered 444 horsepower at 6,800 RPM. Disc brakes at all four corners provided the stopping power. The tubular steel chassis and fully independent suspension carried the distinctive five-door body featuring handmade fiberglass fenders, hood and roof, while the doors were fabricated in aluminum. The Pirelli Scorpion tires were offered in two different tread designs, one for sand use and the other for mixed-use. These tires could be run virtually flat without risk and were designed to cope with the desert heat, high speeds, and heavy cargo capacity loads.

Production continued through 1993 with 328 examples built during this time. Derivatives included the LM003, a diesel-powered military model that never got past the prototype stage, and the LM004, which used Lamborghini's 7.2-liter V12 engine intended for powerboats. In the United States, the LM002 was known as the 'Rambo-Lambo.'

Salvatore Diomante of Turin created a one-off 'estate' version of the LM002 for the Sultan of Brunei. It had additional interior space made possible by raising the roof and enclosing the back area. Two examples of the LM002 were built to contest the Paris Dakar Rally, but neither were officially entered into competition due to a lack of funds. One did, however, participate in the Rallye des Pharaons in Egypt and another in Greece, both times driven by Sandro Munari.

After production ended, the LM002 did not have a direct successor and Lamborghini would not return to the SUV market for many decades. On December 4th of 2017, the company introduced the Urus high-performance luxury SUV which entered production in 2018. Its 5.2-liter V10 engine was shared with the Gallardo and delivered nearly 600 horsepower.

The LM002 could sprint from zero-to-sixty mph in 7.7 seconds.

by Daniel Vaughan | May 2022