From Countach to Combat: The Lamborghini LM002 and Gaddafi's unrealised battle plan
Lamborghini was struggling financially in the 1970s, and its usual business of building low-slung supercars like the Miura and Countach wasn't enough to keep the lights on. In a bold pivot, the company decided to chase military contracts, dreaming up an all-terrain vehicle that would appeal to armies (and deep-pocketed rulers) in the Middle East.
Its first attempt, the Cheetah (1977), was powered by a rear-mounted American V8 but was so unstable it never made it past testing. Its successor, the LM001, met the same fate. Finally, Lamborghini realised it had to think differently – so it dropped its legendary 5.2-litre V12 from the Countach into the front of the chassis. Thus, the LM002 was born.
Hundreds of new car deals are available through CarExpert right now. Get the experts on your side and score a great deal. Browse now. Supplied Credit: CarExpert
Of course, the idea of shoving the powertrain from the Countach into the front of the LM002 wasn't a difficult decision at all, given the fact it was the only engine Lamborghini had at the time.
Unbelievably, Alfieri also developed a 7.0-litre V12 for the LM004 that never saw the light of day because it was simply going to be too expensive to build.
Colonel Gaddafi, who ruled Libya from 1969 to 2011, was infamous for his unpredictable tastes and ambitions. Reports suggest he was intrigued by Lamborghini's prototype and saw the potential for a high-speed, all-terrain military vehicle – perfect for patrolling Libya's vast deserts or showing off his military might. Supplied Credit: CarExpert
Gaddafi allegedly expressed interest in ordering up to 100 units of Lamborghini's rugged off-road monster for his military, on the condition that it could be equipped with a rear-mounted machine gun. In his eyes, this was to be a desert patrol vehicle like no other – fast, intimidating and luxurious.
However, the Italian government intervened. With rising concerns about exporting military-grade vehicles and weapon systems to volatile regimes, the plan was blocked before it could materialise. Gaddafi's dream of a Lamborghini desert army faded into the dunes.
The real story is a slightly different according to those who worked at Lamborghini during that time, some of whom are still around today assisting the Italian brand with its Polo Storico special restoration projects. People like Walter Rinaldi and Rodrigo Filippani Ronconi. Supplied Credit: CarExpert
'Back in the day, the head of the technical department at Lamborghini was engineer Giulio Alfieri, who had previously served in the same position at Maserati from 1953 to 1975, and it was he who apparently is said to have had a common interest with Colonel Gaddafi.
'The Libyan ruler wanted Lamborghini to a build a vehicle essentially to patrol the country's borders, but it had to have a machine gun mounted in the rear.
'Lamborghini built a prototype but it was also not feasible for a high-performance brand like Lamborghini to create a vehicle with a machine gun in order to kill people.' Supplied Credit: CarExpert
It also didn't sit well with the Italian government, which was 'quite unhappy' that Lamborghini intended to build an off-roader with a machine gun for the Libyan ruler and so it forced Lamborghini to pull the pin on a military sales, at least.
After the plan for military sales was quashed, Lamborghini continued developing the vehicle for sale to the super rich and powerful – and Saudi royals, oil sheikhs and Hollywood celebrities like Sylvester Stallone snapped them up, cementing its nickname: the 'Rambo Lambo'.
According to Mr Rinaldi, Lamborghini built just 300 plus one LM002s between 1986 and 1993. And while they quickly became the toys of the day, the LM002 is considered the spiritual ancestor of the modern Lamborghini Urus, the super SUV that now dominates the automaker's sales charts. Supplied Credit: CarExpert
Incredibly, the LM002 tipped the scales at 3480kg – a good thing because according to Mr Rinaldi under Italian law you needed to have a truck licence to drive anything over 3500kg.
Yet no Urus, no matter how fast, can match the pure outrageousness and excess of the LM002 – a vehicle originally conceived for use use exclusively in military operations. Production years: 1986-1993
Units produced: Approximately 300, plus one
Assembly: Sant'Agata Bolognese, Italy
Type: High-performance luxury off-road SUV
Engine and drivetrain Engine type: Naturally aspirated V12, longitudinally mounted
Displacement: 5167cc (5.2L)
Bore x stroke: 85.5x75mm
Compression ratio: 9.5:1
Valvetrain: DOHC 48-valve
Fuel system: Six Weber 48 IDA DC carburettors
Max power: 335kW (450hp) at 6800rpm
Max torque: 500Nm (369lb-ft) at 4500rpm
Transmission: Five-speed manual (ZF S5-24/3)
Drivetrain: Permanent 4WD with centre differential lock
Transfer case: Two-speed
Performance Top speed: 210km/h (130mph)
0–100km/h (0–62mph): 7.8 seconds
Fuel consumption: Approx 35L/100km (6.7mpg US!)
Chassis and suspension Frame: Steel tubular spaceframe
Body: Aluminium and fibreglass panels
Front suspension: Independent double wishbone, coil springs, telescopic shock absorbers, anti-roll bar
Rear suspension: Solid axle, coil springs, telescopic shock absorbers, anti-roll bar
Brakes and wheels Front brakes: Ventilated discs
Rear brakes: Ventilated discs
Steering: Power-assisted rack-and-pinion
Tires: Pirelli Scorpion 325/65 VR17 (custom-designed run-flat type)
Dimensions Overall length: 4790mm (188.6in)
Overall width: 2000mm (78.7in)
Overall height: 1850mm (72.8in)
Wheelbase: 2950mm (116.1in)
Ground clearance: 300mm (11.8in)
Kerb weight: 3480kg (5,952lb)
Fuel capacity: 290 litres (76.6 US gal)
Interior and features Leather-trimmed seats and dashboard (highly customisable at the time)
Full air-conditioning (rare in off-roaders then)
Premium stereo (often Alpine, depending on spec)
Optional rear seats or flat cargo area
Electric windows
MORE: Everything Lamborghini
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The size increase also gives the Super Duty 50mm higher water fording capability, with all three trim levels announced so far boasting a 850mm wading limit. MORE: Explore the Ford Ranger showroom Content originally sourced from:
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The Q5 2.0 TFSI makes 150kW of power and 340Nm of torque, has a seven-speed automatic transmission, and is available in both front- and all-wheel drive. The former requires 8.6 seconds to complete the 0-100km/h dash, while the latter needs just 7.4 seconds (claimed). As for the SQ5, it has 270kW and 550Nm at its disposal, a standard seven-speed auto paired with all-wheel drive, and a claimed 0-100km/h time of just 4.5 seconds. The Q5 e-hybrid is available in both 220kW/450Nm and 270kW/500Nm specs. For the more powerful variant, the official 0-100km/h time is 5.1 seconds. Both have an all-wheel drive plug-in hybrid system that pairs a 2.0-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder with a 105kW electric motor built into the seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. The electric motor is fed by a 25.9kWh battery offering up to 100km of EV range under WLTP testing, and which supports AC charging up to 11kW, but not DC fast-charging. With the fast-approaching launch date, Porsche's new SUV may well use the Q5's drivetrains as is, or spruce them up a bit with pinch of horsepower here and a dash of torque there. MORE: Explore the Porsche Macan showroom Content originally sourced from: With production of the first-generation Porsche Macan set to finish up in 2026, the German luxury/performance car brand will be without a petrol-powered version of its best-selling model globally. Porsche has already stopped making petrol Macans for Europe and Australia, but they remain on sale – for now – in North America and elsewhere. Launched in 2024, the second-generation Macan (pictured below) is an electric-only model. Unfortunately for Porsche and many other automakers, EV demand hasn't matched their expectations – especially in the US – which has necessitated a rethink about their EV plans. CarExpert can save you thousands on a new car. Click here to get a great deal. In a recent call with investors, Porsche CEO Oliver Blume confirmed the automaker will "hedge" its EV strategy by "developing a compact SUV with both ICE and hybrid versions" to complement the Macan EV. He said the company is "speeding up the process there with very short development times", and expected the new mid-size SUV to be launched into major markets "no later than 2028". The tight development timeline suggests the petrol Macan replacement will be based on the Volkswagen Group's Platform Premium Combustion (PPC), an evolution and replacement for the MLB architecture that underpinned the original Macan. Earlier rumours indicated Porsche might re-engineer the second-generation Macan's EV platform to accept a petrol engine. Like the first Macan, the new SUV will likely share a lot in common with the third-generation Audi Q5, production of which began late last year. Naturally, with the petrol Macan replacement just receiving the green light, Mr Blume didn't give too much away about the vehicle, but he said it would be "very, very typical Porsche for this segment and also differentiated from the BEV Macan", leading some to speculate the new SUV will have a different name. We can glean some clues about the new SUV's powertrains from the latest Q5, which is available with a choice of 48V mild-hybrid petrol and diesel drivetrains, as well as a selection of plug-in hybrid drivetrains. Porsche has foresworn diesel engines, so that leaves behind the base Q5 TFSI with a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine, and the SQ5 with a 3.0-litre turbo V6. The Q5 2.0 TFSI makes 150kW of power and 340Nm of torque, has a seven-speed automatic transmission, and is available in both front- and all-wheel drive. The former requires 8.6 seconds to complete the 0-100km/h dash, while the latter needs just 7.4 seconds (claimed). As for the SQ5, it has 270kW and 550Nm at its disposal, a standard seven-speed auto paired with all-wheel drive, and a claimed 0-100km/h time of just 4.5 seconds. The Q5 e-hybrid is available in both 220kW/450Nm and 270kW/500Nm specs. For the more powerful variant, the official 0-100km/h time is 5.1 seconds. Both have an all-wheel drive plug-in hybrid system that pairs a 2.0-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder with a 105kW electric motor built into the seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. The electric motor is fed by a 25.9kWh battery offering up to 100km of EV range under WLTP testing, and which supports AC charging up to 11kW, but not DC fast-charging. With the fast-approaching launch date, Porsche's new SUV may well use the Q5's drivetrains as is, or spruce them up a bit with pinch of horsepower here and a dash of torque there. MORE: Explore the Porsche Macan showroom Content originally sourced from: With production of the first-generation Porsche Macan set to finish up in 2026, the German luxury/performance car brand will be without a petrol-powered version of its best-selling model globally. Porsche has already stopped making petrol Macans for Europe and Australia, but they remain on sale – for now – in North America and elsewhere. Launched in 2024, the second-generation Macan (pictured below) is an electric-only model. Unfortunately for Porsche and many other automakers, EV demand hasn't matched their expectations – especially in the US – which has necessitated a rethink about their EV plans. CarExpert can save you thousands on a new car. Click here to get a great deal. In a recent call with investors, Porsche CEO Oliver Blume confirmed the automaker will "hedge" its EV strategy by "developing a compact SUV with both ICE and hybrid versions" to complement the Macan EV. He said the company is "speeding up the process there with very short development times", and expected the new mid-size SUV to be launched into major markets "no later than 2028". The tight development timeline suggests the petrol Macan replacement will be based on the Volkswagen Group's Platform Premium Combustion (PPC), an evolution and replacement for the MLB architecture that underpinned the original Macan. Earlier rumours indicated Porsche might re-engineer the second-generation Macan's EV platform to accept a petrol engine. Like the first Macan, the new SUV will likely share a lot in common with the third-generation Audi Q5, production of which began late last year. Naturally, with the petrol Macan replacement just receiving the green light, Mr Blume didn't give too much away about the vehicle, but he said it would be "very, very typical Porsche for this segment and also differentiated from the BEV Macan", leading some to speculate the new SUV will have a different name. We can glean some clues about the new SUV's powertrains from the latest Q5, which is available with a choice of 48V mild-hybrid petrol and diesel drivetrains, as well as a selection of plug-in hybrid drivetrains. Porsche has foresworn diesel engines, so that leaves behind the base Q5 TFSI with a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine, and the SQ5 with a 3.0-litre turbo V6. The Q5 2.0 TFSI makes 150kW of power and 340Nm of torque, has a seven-speed automatic transmission, and is available in both front- and all-wheel drive. The former requires 8.6 seconds to complete the 0-100km/h dash, while the latter needs just 7.4 seconds (claimed). As for the SQ5, it has 270kW and 550Nm at its disposal, a standard seven-speed auto paired with all-wheel drive, and a claimed 0-100km/h time of just 4.5 seconds. The Q5 e-hybrid is available in both 220kW/450Nm and 270kW/500Nm specs. For the more powerful variant, the official 0-100km/h time is 5.1 seconds. Both have an all-wheel drive plug-in hybrid system that pairs a 2.0-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder with a 105kW electric motor built into the seven-speed dual-clutch transmission. The electric motor is fed by a 25.9kWh battery offering up to 100km of EV range under WLTP testing, and which supports AC charging up to 11kW, but not DC fast-charging. With the fast-approaching launch date, Porsche's new SUV may well use the Q5's drivetrains as is, or spruce them up a bit with pinch of horsepower here and a dash of torque there. MORE: Explore the Porsche Macan showroom Content originally sourced from:
