Lamborghini LM002

Lamborghini LM002 at a glance

The LM002 was Lamborghini's first production off-roader and one of the first luxury high-performance SUVs. It paired the supercar maker's V12 with a rugged body, full leather interior and air conditioning, creating a vehicle for wealthy buyers who wanted extreme off-road ability and exclusivity. It sits in a line of Lamborghini road cars that runs from the Miura to the present day, and all models are listed in the Lamborghini catalogue.

From the Cheetah prototype to the LM002

The LM002's roots go back to 1977, when Lamborghini built the Cheetah prototype with a rear-mounted Chrysler V8 for an American high-mobility vehicle programme; it did not win. After Patrick Mimran took over Lamborghini in 1980, the project was restarted with civilian buyers in mind, with an eye on customers in Saudi Arabia.

The LM001 prototype of 1981 kept the rear-engine layout with a 5.7-litre AMC V8. Engineers then concluded that a rear engine hurt the handling of a tall off-roader. The LMA, shown at the 1982 Geneva Motor Show, used a new chassis with the Countach's 4.8-litre V12 moved to the front, producing 276 kW (375 PS). A 3.0-litre turbodiesel LM003 was planned but dropped, and the one-off LM004 of 1984 carried a 7.3-litre V12. In 1985 the design received the 5.2-litre V12 of the Countach LP5000 S Quattrovalvole and became the LM002.

Lamborghini claimed about 800 orders, but it ended production to concentrate on more profitable models. The old 1cars text suggests the LM002 was built as much to promote the brand's image as to earn money.

Body, tyres and cabin

The LM002 has an imposing, angular body with round headlights, high ground clearance and very large off-road tyres. Its body panels are riveted aluminium on a tubular steel frame, which keeps the weight down for such a large vehicle, although it still weighs 2,700 kg. Its four-door body with a long tail is often described as a sport utility truck.

Tyres

Pirelli developed special run-flat Scorpion tyres for the LM002. Two tread patterns were offered: a mixed-use tread for road and off-road driving and a sand tread for desert use. The run-flat design lets the vehicle keep moving after a puncture.

Leather cabin and roof-mounted stereo

Unlike its prototype ancestors, the production LM002 was built for comfort. Every car had full leather trim, tinted power windows and air conditioning, and a premium stereo was mounted in a roof console. According to the old 1cars text, the dashboard carries six analogue gauges of different sizes. A wide central tunnel leaves little room for a centre console, and the lever for the four-wheel-drive system sits beside the driver.

The Countach V12 and four-wheel drive

The standard engine is the 5,167 cc L503 V12 taken from the Countach LP5000 S QV. In the LM002 it produces 335 kW (455 PS) and drives all four wheels through a five-speed manual gearbox. For buyers who wanted even more, Lamborghini offered the 7.2-litre L804 V12, a marine engine also used in offshore powerboats.

In a test by the German magazine auto motor und sport, the LM002 accelerated from 0 to 100 km/h in 8.2 seconds and reached 223 km/h (139 mph). The magazine called it excellent off-road but recorded fuel consumption of 25.7 to 42.0 litres per 100 km (9.2–5.6 mpg US). The fuel tank holds 169 litres.

Lamborghini LM002 specifications

LM/American, estate and rally variants

LM/American

The last 60 LM002s were sold only in the United States as the LM/American, first shown at the 1992 Detroit Auto Show. They had a special interior, OZ alloy wheels and chrome bumpers.

Diomante estate

In 1989 the Turin coachbuilder Salvatore Diomante built a one-off long-wheelbase estate for the Sultan of Brunei. It has an enclosed rear, a raised roof, a luxury interior and seats for ten.

LM002 Evoluzione rally cars

Two LM002 Evoluzione rally cars were built in 1988 with an eye on the Paris–Dakar Rally, one white and one orange. The white car had upgraded suspension, about 441 kW (600 PS), a roll cage, plexiglass windows and GPS navigation. Funding ran out before an official Dakar entry, but it competed in the Rallye des Pharaons in Egypt with Sandro Munari, who also drove an LM002 in a rally in Greece. The orange car was developed by the Swiss-based World LM Racing Team.

Legacy of the Rambo-Lambo

The LM002 was one of the first vehicles to combine true off-road ability with supercar power and luxury, a formula that later became mainstream. Its strengths are the V12's performance, very high ground clearance, four-wheel drive and rarity. Its weaknesses are extreme fuel consumption, a heavy kerb weight and the cost of running a V12 off-roader.

It appeared in films such as No Holds Barred (1989), Toys (1992) and Fast & Furious (2009), and in video games from Stunts (1990) to Forza Horizon 4 (2018). Lamborghini returned to the SUV segment only in 2018 with the Lamborghini Urus, which is widely seen as the LM002's spiritual successor. The brand's V12 tradition continued in the Countach, the Aventador and limited editions such as the Centenario.

Collecting an LM002 today

With only 301 built, the LM002 is a rare collector's vehicle; the old 1cars text notes that cars come up for sale rarely, usually at auctions. As with any low-volume V12 of its age, buyers should look for documented maintenance by a Lamborghini specialist and check the condition of the V12, the frame and the aluminium panels. The special Pirelli run-flat tyres and other unique parts are hard to find, so it pays to check that they are present and in good condition. Prices depend on condition and history, and no dated EUR reference is quoted here.