At the end of the 1970’s, the American company MIT commissioned Lamborghini to design an off-road – the project, failed, it was proposed again in 1981 and after several prototypes had been built, Lamborghini presented the LM 002 series model in 1986. This powerful off-road with the Countach engine was liked by kings, actors and racers alike – the first LM 002 was delivered to the King of Morocco. In 1987 an LM 002 was built and used also for the pharaohs’ rally and for the Paris-Dakar one year later.
During the “Countach years”, Lamborghini management sensed that there might be a market for a high-performance off-road vehicle with luxury finishes. The LM 002 used the mechanics of the Countach engine in the 5.2-liter version with power reduced by 20 hp to be able to use less refined fuel without running into problems, turned 180° and shifted to the longitudinal front position.
A four-wheel drive transmission was then added, complete with central differential and low gears. What remained, like on the Countach, was the tubular chassis, never before seen on an off-road vehicle, usually used exclusively on racing cars or the most sophisticated sports cars.
Thus was born an extraordinary car capable of both cruising on the highway at sports sedan averages and tackling extremely demanding off-road routes. The Lamborghini LM 002, in fact, was the vehicle that created the market for sports SUVs and the progenitor, at least spiritually, of today’s Lamborghini URUS. It was produced in roughly equivalent numbers with carburetor fueling first and fuel injection later, easily recognizable from each other by the “hump” on the hood which was much more pronounced on the carburetor models.
One example of LM 002 was equipped with the 7.2-liter 700 hp V12 engine usually used on off-shore boats, while another was prepared under the guidance of technical advisor Sandro Munari, a former World Rally champion, to compete in endurance races in the desert.
There are so many anecdotes associated with the LM 002, including its ability to pull a Leopard tank or, equipped with a tow hook, a trailer with a lucky collector’s Miura onboard. It was commonly nicknamed the “Rambo Lambo” for its muscular appearance and because one of them, at the time, was owned by American actor Sylvester Stallone. The best definition of the LM 002, however, was given by an Italian journalist who wrote after test driving it: “At 200 km/h, the LM 002 doesn’t slice through the air. It smacks it with pride.”
