Powered by a V12 engine from the Countach, boasting a prime pace of greater than 200km/h, the Lamborghini LM002 4×4 wasn’t simply the world’s first tremendous SUV, it additionally got here dangerously near changing into the late Muammar Gaddafi’s final desert patrol weapon.
Lamborghini was struggling financially within the Seventies, and its common enterprise of constructing low-slung supercars just like the Miura and Countach wasn’t sufficient to maintain the lights on. In a daring pivot, the corporate determined to chase navy contracts, dreaming up an all-terrain automobile that might attraction to armies (and deep-pocketed rulers) within the Center East.
Its first try, the Cheetah (1977), was powered by a rear-mounted American V8 however was so unstable it by no means made it previous testing. Its successor, the LM001, met the identical destiny. Lastly, Lamborghini realised it needed to assume otherwise – so it dropped its legendary 5.2-litre V12 from the Countach into the entrance of the chassis. Thus, the LM002 was born.
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In fact, the concept of shoving the powertrain from the Countach into the entrance of the LM002 wasn’t a troublesome determination in any respect, given the very fact it was the one engine Lamborghini had on the time.
Unbelievably, Alfieri additionally developed a 7.0-litre V12 for the LM004 that by no means noticed the sunshine of day as a result of it was merely going to be too costly to construct.
Colonel Gaddafi, who dominated Libya from 1969 to 2011, was notorious for his unpredictable tastes and ambitions. Stories recommend he was intrigued by Lamborghini’s prototype and noticed the potential for a high-speed, all-terrain navy automobile – excellent for patrolling Libya’s huge deserts or displaying off his navy may.
Gaddafi allegedly expressed curiosity in ordering as much as 100 items of Lamborghini’s rugged off-road monster for his navy, on the situation that it could possibly be geared up with a rear-mounted machine gun. In his eyes, this was to be a desert patrol automobile like no different – quick, intimidating and splendid.
Nevertheless, the Italian authorities intervened. With rising considerations about exporting military-grade automobiles and weapon techniques to unstable regimes, the plan was blocked earlier than it may materialise. Gaddafi’s dream of a Lamborghini desert military light into the dunes.
The actual story is a barely completely different in accordance with those that labored at Lamborghini throughout that point, a few of whom are nonetheless round at the moment helping the Italian model with its Polo Storico particular restoration initiatives. Individuals like Walter Rinaldi and Rodrigo Filippani Ronconi.
“Again within the day, the pinnacle of the technical division at Lamborghini was engineer Giulio Alfieri, who had beforehand served in the identical place at Maserati from 1953 to 1975, and it was he who apparently is alleged to have had a standard curiosity with Colonel Gaddafi.
“The Libyan ruler needed Lamborghini to a construct a automobile primarily to patrol the nation’s borders, but it surely needed to have a machine gun mounted within the rear.
“Lamborghini constructed a prototype but it surely was additionally not possible for a high-performance model like Lamborghini to create a automobile with a machine gun with the intention to kill folks.”
It additionally didn’t sit properly with the Italian authorities, which was “fairly sad” that Lamborghini meant to construct an off-roader with a machine gun for the Libyan ruler and so it compelled Lamborghini to drag the pin on a navy gross sales, not less than.
After the plan for navy gross sales was quashed, Lamborghini continued growing the automobile on the market to the tremendous wealthy and highly effective – and Saudi royals, oil sheikhs and Hollywood celebrities like Sylvester Stallone snapped them up, cementing its nickname: the ‘Rambo Lambo’.
In response to Mr Rinaldi, Lamborghini constructed simply 300 plus one LM002s between 1986 and 1993. And whereas they shortly grew to become the toys of the day, the LM002 is taken into account the non secular ancestor of the fashionable Lamborghini Urus, the tremendous SUV that now dominates the automaker’s gross sales charts.
Extremely, the LM002 tipped the scales at 3480kg – a superb factor as a result of in accordance with Mr Rinaldi underneath Italian regulation you wanted to have a truck licence to drive something over 3500kg.
But no Urus, irrespective of how briskly, can match the pure outrageousness and extra of the LM002 – a automobile initially conceived to be used use completely in navy operations.
Lamborghini LM002 specs:
- Manufacturing years: 1986-1993
- Items produced: Roughly 300, plus one
- Meeting: Sant’Agata Bolognese, Italy
- Sort: Excessive-performance luxurious off-road SUV
Engine and drivetrain
- Engine sort: Naturally aspirated V12, longitudinally mounted
- Displacement: 5167cc (5.2L)
- Bore x stroke: 85.5x75mm
- Compression ratio: 9.5:1
- Valvetrain: DOHC 48-valve
- Gasoline system: Six Weber 48 IDA DC carburettors
- Max energy: 335kW (450hp) at 6800rpm
- Max torque: 500Nm (369lb-ft) at 4500rpm
- Transmission: 5-speed handbook (ZF S5-24/3)
- Drivetrain: Everlasting 4WD with centre differential lock
- Switch case: Two-speed
Efficiency
- High pace: 210km/h (130mph)
- 0–100km/h (0–62mph): 7.8 seconds
- Gasoline consumption: Approx 35L/100km (6.7mpg US!)
Chassis and suspension
- Body: Metal tubular spaceframe
- Physique: Aluminium and fibreglass panels
- Entrance suspension: Unbiased double wishbone, coil springs, telescopic shock absorbers, anti-roll bar
- Rear suspension: Strong axle, coil springs, telescopic shock absorbers, anti-roll bar
Brakes and wheels
- Entrance brakes: Ventilated discs
- Rear brakes: Ventilated discs
- Steering: Energy-assisted rack-and-pinion
- Tires: Pirelli Scorpion 325/65 VR17 (custom-designed run-flat sort)
Dimensions
- Total size: 4790mm (188.6in)
- Total width: 2000mm (78.7in)
- Total peak: 1850mm (72.8in)
- Wheelbase: 2950mm (116.1in)
- Floor clearance: 300mm (11.8in)
- Kerb weight: 3480kg (5,952lb)
- Gasoline capability: 290 litres (76.6 US gal)
Inside and options
- Leather-based-trimmed seats and dashboard (extremely customisable on the time)
- Full air-conditioning (uncommon in off-roaders then)
- Premium stereo (typically Alpine, relying on spec)
- Optionally available rear seats or flat cargo space
- Electrical home windows
