When Lamborghini Went Mad & Made A Pickup – The LM002 V12

Lamborghini LM002 -

The Lamborghini LM002 was totally bonkers, a 5 litre V12 engine in what was essentially a 4×4 pickup.

Marketed as the first luxury SUV it’s probably a fair claim. The Range Rover was essentially that but wasn’t anywhere close to this. Neither in luxury nor performance.
Launched in 1986 the Lamborghini LM002 created quite a stir. This massive off road vehicle, now an SUV, isn’t like anything else. A cross between a military vehicle and an exotic supercar. Well, that’s just what they did.

Lamborghini decided to take their Cheetah project, developed as a high performance vehicle for the military at the end of the 1970s. Lamborghini engineer Giulio Alfieri resurrected the project in 1981 with the LM 001. A rear mounted concept which was followed by the LMA prototype which was front mounted.

The Lamborghini LM002 was totally bonkers, a 5 litre V12 engine in what was essentially a 4×4 pickup.

Marketed as the first luxury SUV it’s probably a fair claim. The Range Rover was essentially that but wasn’t anywhere close to this. Neither in luxury nor performance.
Launched in 1986 the Lamborghini LM002 created quite a stir. This massive off road vehicle, now an SUV, isn’t like anything else. A cross between a military vehicle and an exotic supercar. Well, that’s just what they did.

Lamborghini decided to take their Cheetah project, developed as a high performance vehicle for the military at the end of the 1970s. Lamborghini engineer Giulio Alfieri resurrected the project in 1981 with the LM 001. A rear mounted concept which was followed by the LMA prototype which was front mounted.

The LM002 first appeared at the Brussels Auto Show in 1986 which was the final design featuring the 450 hp, 5,167cc V12 engine from the QV Countach. The car also appeared at Motorfair in Earls Court, London. I remember seeing it, must have been around 1987. Of course, I couldn’t get near it, children don’t look like prospective purchasers.

Whilst most of the new generation of SUVs find themselves confined to the tarmac, the LM002 was just at home on dirt as it was there.

Inside the car there are the usual acres of leather, electric tinted windows and a rather cool roof mounted stereo system.

The LM002 first appeared at the Brussels Auto Show in 1986 which was the final design featuring the 450 hp, 5,167cc V12 engine from the QV Countach. The car also appeared at Motorfair in Earls Court, London. I remember seeing it, must have been around 1987. Of course, I couldn’t get near it, children don’t look like prospective purchasers.

Whilst most of the new generation of SUVs find themselves confined to the tarmac, the LM002 was just at home on dirt as it was there.

Inside the car there are the usual acres of leather, electric tinted windows and a rather cool roof mounted stereo system.

Lamborghini LM002

Underneath the aluminium and fibreglass body there was four wheel drive with a transfer case and three locking differentials. The car could climb gradients of 120% and had a top speed of over 200 km/h. In order to do this the Lamborghini LM200 had specially developed tyres, or tires if you’re American.

These were produced by Pirelli and the Scorpions were a run flat design available in two different trad patterns. One for mixed use, the other for sand. They were a massive 325/65 on a 17″ wheel. That might not sound so big these days with modern offerings having up to 23″ diameter rims, but the width and the profile made them very large. if you can find some new old stock they will set you back probably $10,000. Best not to drive on them, just display them.

Lamborghini LM002
Lamborghini LM002 Doors Open
Lamborghini LM002 Interior

The bodies were built by a company near Bilbao in Spain and then shipped to Sant’Agata Bolognese for assembly. The interior being made to suit each customer’s requirements. The kerb weight was something like 2700kg, more when wet of course, so the fact that this monster could get to 60 mph in 7.8 seconds or so is amazing. With a 2 meter or 78.7″ width and height of 1,850 mm or 72.8″ made for brick like aerodynamics. It made the top speed equally impressive.

Lamborghini LM002 Doors Open
Lamborghini LM002 Interior
Lamborghini LM002 Side
Lamborghini LM002 Rear

When Lamborghini launched the LM002 it got a lot of attention, including mine. To me it seemed the perfect combination of exotic supercar and practical everyday transport. Being young I hadn’t factored in any running costs. The tyres would have been very expensive when new, but the fuel bills would have been crippling. Returning around 8 mpg either U.S or Imperial it didn’t matter. That’s not very much and even with a 169-litre or 45 US gallon fuel tank you weren’t going that far before wincing at the cost at the pumps. Ok, that would have been far worse in the UK with the price of fuel here, even back then.

Lamborghini LM002 Lake

Lamborghini made some 300 or so of them up to 1992. There was a special order 7 litre version if you wanted to empty your fuel tank even faster.

If they come up for sale, they tend not to have huge mileages, they do seem to be an obvious choice for high performance on sand though. Perhaps that’s why the Sultan of Brunei, Hassanal Bolkiah, had a special one off estate version made.

 

The black LM200 in the pictures, chassis #12231, is one owned by Lamborghini and resides in the company museum. It was restored by the classic department Lamborghini Polo Storico.

Thanks to Lamborghini for the images and video.

Simon

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