The Lamborghini LM002 returns 25 years later to welcome the Urus

In just a few days, at the beginning of December, we will finally have the Lamborghini Urus on the market, a luxury SUV that marks the prestigious Italian brand’s arrival in this segment. But the surprise comes when we remember that it is not the first off-road vehicle the brand has produced. Before the trend of off-road vehicles designed to blend in with urban environments arrived, Lamborghini created an off-roader that has returned, at least as a promotional gesture, to welcome the Urus.

This model was conceived as a military vehicle, although it had some success as a precursor to today’s SUVs and became moderately popular during the 1980s. Moderately means that only 300 units were produced between 1986 and 1992. One of the units on display at the Museum Lamborghini has been restored and prepared to be driven again, paying tribute to the newest member of the family.

The work was carried out by the brand’s classic vehicle division, which managed to recover a unit with a black body. The history of this off-road vehicle is quite curious: as mentioned, it was originally designed as a military vehicle and was initially called Cheetah. It was then redesigned in the early 1980s and renamed LM001, undergoing curious changes such as relocating the engine to the rear.

A further redesign placed the engine back at the front and, after other changes, it was presented at the 1986 Brussels Motor Show with its definitive name, Lamborghini LM002. Its powerplant was a 5.2-litre V12 that delivered 450 CV at 6,800 rpm and reached a top speed of almost 200 km/h.

Its off-road capabilities were underlined by all-wheel drive and three limited-slip differentials, which allowed it to tackle quite demanding terrain. Pirelli Scorpion tyres helped it overcome those obstacles. The body was made of aluminium and fibreglass and, as a curiosity, part of it was assembled in Bilbao, at the Irizar plant, which specialises in coaches, although final finishing took place at the main plant in Sant’Agata.

Today, it remains a reminder of what could have been a branch of Lamborghini in the off-road vehicle field, a legacy now revived thanks to the arrival of the Urus, and who knows what other surprises the near future holds. What do you think of this first production off-roader from Lamborghini?