Lamborghini LM002

The Lamborghini LM002 aka "Rambo Lambo" is an off-road vehicle manufactured by Lamborghini between 1986 and 1993. The LM002 was an unusual departure for Lamborghini which, at the time, was primarily known for high-performance, hand-built, super/sports cars. The LM002 was not the first of its kind to be built by Lamborghini. Two prototype vehicles, the Cheetah and the LM001, paved the way for LM002. Both vehicles used rear-mounted American power plants and were intended for military use, but were not well received. With the idea of using a front mounted Countach V12 to power the LM001 came the next model, the "LM002", which was the first of the three to see actual production by Lamborghini. The LM002 is part of a series of vehicles, the Lamborghini Militaria.

"Rambo Lambo" redirects here. For other models in the series, see Lamborghini Militaria. For the 21st century SUV, see Lamborghini Urus.
Lamborghini LM002
1988 Lamborghini LM002
Overview
ManufacturerLamborghini
Production1986–1993[1][2]
AssemblyItaly: Sant'Agata Bolognese
DesignerGiulio Alfieri[3]
Body and chassis
ClassLight commercial vehicle
Body style
LayoutF4 layout
Platform
  • tubular steel frame
  • riveted aluminium body panels
RelatedLamborghini Countach
Powertrain
Engine
Transmission5-speed manual
Dimensions
Wheelbase2,950 mm (116.1 in)[1]
Length4,790 mm (188.6 in)[1]
Width2,000 mm (78.7 in)[1]
Height1,850 mm (72.8 in)[1]
Curb weight2,700 kg (5,952 lb)[1]
Chronology
Predecessor
SuccessorLamborghini Urus (spiritual)

History
Rear view of a 1989 LM002
The one-off estate Lamborghini —made for Hassanal Bolkiah, the Sultan of Brunei

Lamborghini built its first military vehicle, a prototype vehicle codenamed "Cheetah", in 1977. Lamborghini had designed the vehicle with hopes of selling it to companies in the oil exploration and production industry.[4] The original Cheetah prototype had a rear-mounted Chrysler V8 engine. The only finished prototype was never tested by the U.S. military, only demonstrated to them by its designer, Rodney Pharis. It was later sold to Teledyne Continental Motors by MTI and is apparently still in the U.S. This led Lamborghini to develop the LM001, which was very similar to the Cheetah, but had an AMC V8 engine.

It was finally determined that the engine being mounted in the rear caused too many unfavourable handling characteristics in an offroad vehicle, and the LMA002 was built with an entirely new chassis, moving the engine (now the V12 out of the Lamborghini Countach) to the front. After much testing and altering of the prototype, it was finally given a serial number and became the first LM002. The production model was unveiled at the Brussels Auto Show in 1986. It was dubbed the "Rambo-Lambo".[5] Civilian models were outfitted with a full luxury package, including full leather trim, tinted power windows, air conditioning, and a premium stereo mounted in a roof console. In order to meet the vehicle's tire needs, Lamborghini commissioned Pirelli to create the Pirelli Scorpion tires with custom, run-flat tread designs. These were made specifically for the LM and were offered in two different tread designs, one for mixed use and the other for sand use only. These tires could be run virtually flat without risk and could handle the desert heat, the loading, and the speeds of the LM. The LM002 was fitted with a 169-litre (45 US gal) fuel tank.[6]

For those requiring even more power, the Lamborghini L804 type 7.2 litre marine V12, more commonly found in class 1 offshore powerboats, could be ordered.

Near the end of the LM002's production, Turin-based autoshop owner Salvatore Diomante created a one-off "estate" version for the Sultan of Brunei by enclosing the back area and raising the roof. This added significantly to the interior room.[7]

Uday Hussein owned a LM002; it was blown up in 2004 by US military for an ostensible car bomb test.[8][9]

An LM002 was featured in the films No Holds Barred (1989), Toys (1992) and Fast & Furious (2009), as well as the 1990 video game Stunts.

Motorsport

LM002 Evoluzione (alias: LM002 Paris Dakar, 1988)

Two special LM002 cars were built with the intention of making them capable of participating in the Paris Dakar Rally; one is painted white and the other is painted orange.[10] The white one was built in 1988. Lamborghini stripped it of all unnecessary weight and gave it an upgraded suspension, engine modifications which brought it to 600 PS (441 kW), full roll cage, plexiglas windows, and GPS equipment. Funding ran out before it could officially be entered in competition, although one of them did participate in the Rallye des Pharaons in Egypt and another in Greece, both times driven by Sandro Munari. The orange car was developed by Swiss based World LM Racing Team.[11]

See also

References
  1. "Lamborghini Registry LM002 Index". Archived from the original on October 30, 2007.
  2. Lieberman, Jonny (May 2013). "King in the North". Motor Trend. 65 (5): 126.
  3. Branch, Jon (4 December 2022). "For Sale: A Lamborghini LM002 – The "Rambo Lambo"". Silodrome. Retrieved 4 March 2023.
  4. Osborne, Donald (January 2014). "1991 Lamborghini LM002". Sports Car Market. 26 (1): 60–61.
  5. "RE: PH Zeroes: Rambo Lambo". Pistonheads.co.uk. Retrieved 2009-05-02.
  6. "1991 Lamborghini LM002 specifications". www.carfolio.com. Retrieved 14 June 2021.
  7. Smeyers, Mark (26 April 2019). "Lamborghini LM002 Estate". www.lambocars.com. Retrieved 2020-04-07.
  8. "The 50 Worst Cars of All Time: 1986 Lamborghini LM002". Time. 2007.
  9. "Why US Troops Blew Up Uday Hussein's Rare Lamborghini SUV in Iraq". Military.com.
  10. "LM002 Evoluzione". JLOC (in Japanese). Japan Lamborghini Owner's Club. Retrieved 2019-01-05.
  11. "Lamborghini LM002 Paris-Dakar". Retrieved 2019-01-05.
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