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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 Dan Vaughan

SUV
Chassis number: ZA9LU45A1LLA12194

The same company that made the exotic Miura, Countach Diablo, and Murcielago was also responsible for the 6,000 pound, four-wheel drive off-road LM002. Although this may seem a little out of the company's 'wheel house', their history and fortune were initially made building farm tractors and heavy-duty industrial heating equipment.

The LM is the third version in a series that began with a similar vehicle called the Cheetah. The vehicle was designed for traversing rugged terrain such as Saudi Arabia and other desert countries with vast expanses of sand that needed to be crossed quickly.

Between 1986 and 1992, only 328 examples of the LM002 were produced, with just 48 making it to the United States market in 1990. This particular example currently has just 16,886 kilometers on its odometer. It is powered by a 5.2-liter V-12 engine with double overhead cam and four-valve heads rated at 450 horsepower. There is a 5-speed ZF transmission and four-wheel drive. This SUV is finishes in red with a tan leather interior with burled wood trim. It rides on MSW/OZ alloy wheels with heavy-duty Pirellis.

by Dan Vaughan

SUV

This carbureted 1990 Lamborghini LM002 was chosen by Lamborghini to participate at a private unveiling of the new Lamborghini Urus at the Detroit Auto Show in January of 2018. It is one of only 7 interim trucks and wears its original paint with its factory optional cargo box in the rear of the truck. It has the factory original Alpine tape deck, original glass, black leather interior, and leather tool roll.

In 2018 the car was offered for sale at the Hollywood Wheels 'Amelia Island Select' auction where it had a pre-estimated value of $450,000 – $550,000.

by Dan Vaughan

The Lamborghini LM002 was built from 1986 through 1993 with 301 units being produced. Lamborghini is known and respected for its exotic vehicles that are as stylish as they are fast. The SUV codenamed 'Cheetah' was a project that began in 1977 and was designed to be sold to the United States Military. A Chrysler V8 engine was used in the prototype 'Cheetah' but the production versions were outfitted with a V-12, courtesy of the Lamborghini Countach. The original Cheetah prototype was destroyed by the US military during testing. The Cheetah project was short-lived. Production on the LM001 began in 1981. This was the second attempt at creating a four-wheel drive, rear-mounted engine, all-terrain vehicle. The LM001 was powered by a twelve-cylinder powerplant and first displayed to the public at the 1981 Geneva Auto Show. The LM002, also known as the LMA, was introduced a year later featuring the engine in the front. Production finally began in 1986, albeit with many changes.

The final sixty units of the LM002 were dubbed the LM/American and introduced at the Detroit Auto Show in 1992. This special series had stripes, badging, upgraded interior, chrome bumpers, ground effects, and MSW / OZ Racing wheels.

The sixty-degree, 5167 cc., twelve-cylinder front-engine was capable of producing nearly 450 horsepower and 368 foot-pounds of torque. The transmission was a ZF S5-24/3 5-speed manual gearbox with a two-speed transfer case and manual locking hubs. The clutch was a single dry plate unit that was hydraulically operated. The chassis was tubular, the body was aluminum and fiberglass, and the suspension was independent, coil springs with telescopic shock absorbers. The fuel tank could hold 76 gallons of fuel. The drive system was a part-time four-wheel drive. With a top speed of nearly 120 mph, the 5700-pound vehicle was not designed to break any land-speed records. These all-terrain vehicles provided seating for four and luxurious amenities such as leather and air conditioning.

Muammar al-Qaddafi, Libya's leader, reportedly purchased one-hundred of the LM002 for use in the Libyan military.

A single prototype LM003 was produced, powered by a 3-liter, turbo-diesel, six-cylinder engine. Using a quad-cam, twelve-cylinder Lamborghini engine producing 420 horsepower, the LM004 was created. This was a short-lived series with only a few being produced. In 1992, production for the Lamborghini all-terrain vehicle came to a close.

by Dan Vaughan