Lamborghini LM002: the first SUV from Casa del Toro (13 photos + 1 video)

In 1986, the serial Lamborghini LM002 was introduced, SUV that will go down in the history of Casa del Toro (House of the bull). Originally intended for military use, it later became a true status symbol, effectively anticipating the Hummer H1.





All-wheel drive sports utility vehicle - these days it the phrase will not surprise anyone. Such models are produced even by those brands which in the past years had nothing to do with such machines. Even Ferrari, which resisted this fashion trend until the last moment, gave up and announced its first Purosangue crossover. Lamborghini treated the popular trend much easier, because back in the distant In the 1980s, Italians built their first SUV, the Lamborghini LM. And this car was not like the current one.

Lamborghini Cheetah



Engage in the development of SUVs Italians advised the American Mobility Technology International (MTI), which decided participate in a tender for the creation of a multi-purpose all-wheel drive vehicle for the US Army. In the early 1970s, Lamborghini was not in better financial condition, and a "fat" contract could significantly correct the situation. So the Italians did not turn up their noses and enthusiastically set to work, although it would seem to an elite manufacturer sports cars utilitarian SUV is not to face.

Cheetah had no doors and no roof





The project was codenamed LM (Lamborghini military). Most of the design work fell on the shoulders MIT experts. However, they did not bother much and almost completely copied another promising army SUV FMC XR311. In the final form, the Lamborghini LM was all-wheel drive car with an open four-seater body and fully independent hangers. The structural element was spatial frame on which steel bodywork was installed panels. The layout was rear-engined - located in the tail section 5.9L Chrysler 8-cylinder carbureted engine 180 HP



The car under the commercial name Lamborghini Cheetah officially presented at the Geneva Motor Show in 1977. After he went to USA where it passed its preliminary tests. US military Cheetah did not like, according to rumors, the military department did not satisfy low reliability of the machine, and trust such an important project to a foreign the army team considered the contractor inappropriate.

Lamborghini LM001



Despite the failure, the idea of a "super SUV" in the minds of executives She didn't leave the Lamborghini. In 1980, another prototype was built under designation LM001. This time, instead of the Chrysler engine, they installed a similar AMC engine. In addition, the chassis was changed into a more practical enclosed four-door body. This time the car tested with an eye on civilian use, then the main one surfaced nuance of the rear-engine layout. Despite all the efforts of the designers, driven Lamborghini LM001 doesn't matter, and a 180-horsepower engine for The 2-ton SUV turned out to be too weak.

LMA002



Despite the failure, the idea of a "super SUV" in the minds of executives She didn't leave the Lamborghini. In 1980, another prototype was built under designation LM001. This time, instead of the Chrysler engine, they installed a similar AMC engine. In addition, the chassis was changed into a more practical enclosed four-door body. This time the car tested with an eye on civilian use, then the main one surfaced nuance of the rear-engine layout. Despite all the efforts of the designers, driven Lamborghini LM001 doesn't matter, and a 180-horsepower engine for The 2-ton SUV turned out to be too weak.

As a result, in 1982 the project underwent a complete redesign. On this time the car was built according to the classic layout with front engine. The frail V8 has given way to a thoroughbred Italian V12 with 332 hp from the Countach model. Body and suspension significantly strengthened, installed a power steering, and in the transmission introduced a self-locking center differential. In this form, the prototype under the name Lamborghini LMA002 debuted at the Geneva Motor Show.

Lamborghini LMA002



During development, several more prototypes were built: LM003 with inline 5-liter diesel engine VM Motori and LM004 with a monstrous outboard V12 Lamborghini L804 with a volume of 7.2 liters. In the end, the third was recognized as the most successful uprated variant from the Countach Quattrovalvole, which with a working volume of 5.2 liters, it produced an impressive 426 hp. This car under the designation LM002, they were actually accepted for production.

Serial Lamborghini LM002



The Lamborghini LM went into production in the spring of 1986. It was true a unique product - a jeep weighing 2700 kg with excellent equipment capable of accelerating to 210 km / h at a time, except for Lamborghini, this is not no one could offer. True, the car cost, respectively - in Germany for LM002 asked for DM 280 thousand, as for two BMW 750 E32. Yes and the first Lamborghini SUV consumed a lot of gasoline - on at a cruising speed of 130 km / h, the consumption was 34 liters, and at a speed of 180 km / h, he approached 55 liters per hundred.

Salon LM had a befitting brand finish



However, for wealthy people this was not a big problem. The problem was the marketing positioning of the car. While in general, few people imagined why an SUV with such high-speed characteristics. Lamborghini tried in every possible way to stimulate demand for their brainchild: participated in the rally, made special versions for the American market and even produced two-door modifications, but all to no avail.



As a result, in 1991, at around 328 units, the production of Lamborghini LM has been discontinued. Before the appearance of the successor in the face of the Lamborghini Urus there were still 27 years left.