Powered by a V12 engine from the Countach, boasting a top speed of more than 200km/h, the Lamborghini LM002 4×4 wasn’t just the world’s first super SUV, it also came dangerously close to becoming the late Muammar Gaddafi’s ultimate desert patrol weapon.
Lamborghini was struggling financially in the 1970s, and its usual business of building low-slung supercars like the Miura and Countach wasn’t enough to keep the lights on. In a bold pivot, the company decided to chase military contracts, dreaming up an all-terrain vehicle that would appeal to armies (and deep-pocketed rulers) in the Middle East.
Its first attempt, the Cheetah (1977), was powered by a rear-mounted American V8 but was so unstable it never made it past testing. Its successor, the LM001, met the same fate. Finally, Lamborghini realised it had to think differently – so it dropped its legendary 5.2-litre V12 from the Countach into the front of the chassis. Thus, the LM002 was born.
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Of course, the idea of shoving the powertrain from the Countach into the front of the LM002 wasn’t a difficult decision at all, given the fact it was the only engine Lamborghini had at the time.
Unbelievably, Alfieri also developed a 7.0-litre V12 for the LM004 that never saw the light of day because it was simply going to be too expensive to build.
Colonel Gaddafi, who ruled Libya from 1969 to 2011, was infamous for his unpredictable tastes and ambitions. Reports suggest he was intrigued by Lamborghini’s prototype and saw the potential for a high-speed, all-terrain military vehicle – perfect for patrolling Libya’s vast deserts or showing off his military might.
Gaddafi allegedly expressed interest in ordering up to 100 units of Lamborghini’s rugged off-road monster for his military, on the condition that it could be equipped with a rear-mounted machine gun. In his eyes, this was to be a desert patrol vehicle like no other – fast, intimidating and luxurious.
However, the Italian government intervened. With rising concerns about exporting military-grade vehicles and weapon systems to volatile regimes, the plan was blocked before it could materialise. Gaddafi’s dream of a Lamborghini desert army faded into the dunes.
The real story is a slightly different according to those who worked at Lamborghini during that time, some of whom are still around today assisting the Italian brand with its Polo Storico special restoration projects. People like Walter Rinaldi and Rodrigo Filippani Ronconi.
“Back in the day, the head of the technical department at Lamborghini was engineer Giulio Alfieri, who had previously served in the same position at Maserati from 1953 to 1975, and it was he who apparently is said to have had a common interest with Colonel Gaddafi.
“The Libyan ruler wanted Lamborghini to a build a vehicle essentially to patrol the country’s borders, but it had to have a machine gun mounted in the rear.
“Lamborghini built a prototype but it was also not feasible for a high-performance brand like Lamborghini to create a vehicle with a machine gun in order to kill people.”
It also didn’t sit well with the Italian government, which was “quite unhappy” that Lamborghini intended to build an off-roader with a machine gun for the Libyan ruler and so it forced Lamborghini to pull the pin on a military sales, at least.
After the plan for military sales was quashed, Lamborghini continued developing the vehicle for sale to the super rich and powerful – and Saudi royals, oil sheikhs and Hollywood celebrities like Sylvester Stallone snapped them up, cementing its nickname: the ‘Rambo Lambo’.
According to Mr Rinaldi, Lamborghini built just 300 plus one LM002s between 1986 and 1993. And while they quickly became the toys of the day, the LM002 is considered the spiritual ancestor of the modern Lamborghini Urus, the super SUV that now dominates the automaker’s sales charts.
Incredibly, the LM002 tipped the scales at 3480kg – a good thing because according to Mr Rinaldi under Italian law you needed to have a truck licence to drive anything over 3500kg.
Yet no Urus, no matter how fast, can match the pure outrageousness and excess of the LM002 – a vehicle originally conceived for use use exclusively in military operations.
Lamborghini LM002 specifications:
- Production years: 1986-1993
- Units produced: Approximately 300, plus one
- Assembly: Sant’Agata Bolognese, Italy
- Type: High-performance luxury off-road SUV
Engine and drivetrain
- Engine type: Naturally aspirated V12, longitudinally mounted
- Displacement: 5167cc (5.2L)
- Bore x stroke: 85.5x75mm
- Compression ratio: 9.5:1
- Valvetrain: DOHC 48-valve
- Fuel system: Six Weber 48 IDA DC carburettors
- Max power: 335kW (450hp) at 6800rpm
- Max torque: 500Nm (369lb-ft) at 4500rpm
- Transmission: Five-speed manual (ZF S5-24/3)
- Drivetrain: Permanent 4WD with centre differential lock
- Transfer case: Two-speed
Performance
- Top speed: 210km/h (130mph)
- 0–100km/h (0–62mph): 7.8 seconds
- Fuel consumption: Approx 35L/100km (6.7mpg US!)
Chassis and suspension
- Frame: Steel tubular spaceframe
- Body: Aluminium and fibreglass panels
- Front suspension: Independent double wishbone, coil springs, telescopic shock absorbers, anti-roll bar
- Rear suspension: Solid axle, coil springs, telescopic shock absorbers, anti-roll bar
Brakes and wheels
- Front brakes: Ventilated discs
- Rear brakes: Ventilated discs
- Steering: Power-assisted rack-and-pinion
- Tires: Pirelli Scorpion 325/65 VR17 (custom-designed run-flat type)
Dimensions
- Overall length: 4790mm (188.6in)
- Overall width: 2000mm (78.7in)
- Overall height: 1850mm (72.8in)
- Wheelbase: 2950mm (116.1in)
- Ground clearance: 300mm (11.8in)
- Kerb weight: 3480kg (5,952lb)
- Fuel capacity: 290 litres (76.6 US gal)
Interior and features
- Leather-trimmed seats and dashboard (highly customisable at the time)
- Full air-conditioning (rare in off-roaders then)
- Premium stereo (often Alpine, depending on spec)
- Optional rear seats or flat cargo area
- Electric windows
MORE: Everything Lamborghini