Lamborghini Off-Roader Cars

Lamborghini’s LM002 was the original super-SUV. It had the looks, it had the power, and it surely had the off-road ability. While today’s SUVs and off-roaders rely on a bunch of electronic gizmos to carve their way through rough terrain, the LM002 did it with brute force. That’s what we call strong personality.

The 2019 Lamborghini Huracan Sterrato is an experimental concept car that the Italian firm launched in June 2019. As the name suggests, the Sterrato is based on the 2019 Huracan supercar, but unlike standard sibling it includes off-road-specific features and technology from the Urus SUV. Described as a "super sportscar for challenging environments," the Huracan Sterrato also pays tribute to similar experimental vehicles from Lamborghini’s storied past.

The 2019 Huracan Sterrato may be an usual vehicle for a company like Lamborghini, but it’s not the first of its kind. Back in the 1970s, test driver Bob Wallace modified several production Lamborghini’s to create unique performance cars. Two of them, the Jarama Rally (1973) and Urraco Rally (1974), featured off-road-specific suspensions and upgrades designed for rally racing. Almost 50 years later and Lamborghini is revisiting its off-road supercar legacy with the 2019 Huracan Sterrato.

Lamborghini’s Urus isn’t the first high-riding SUV vehicle the company has ever made. Despite the awesomeness of the Urus, we can’t forget that Lamborghini manufactured the imposing LM002 between 1986 and 1991. Only 328 LM002s were ever made and, while it wasn’t excessively practical or useful, its front-mounted V-12 engine borrowed from the Countach, plus the military-style squared off design helped win some fans.

Lamborghini ended 2017 on a high note by unveiled the Urus, its first utility vehicle since the LM002. The Italians are calling it the world’s first SSUV, as in super SUV. And I can’t blame them for doing that. It’s mean, it’s awfully powerful and incredibly fast. Sure, it doesn’t have the V-10 or V-12 engine found in the Huracan and Aventador, but it’s pretty cool with a twin-turbo V-8 too. And word has it a hybrid version might follow soon. But what if Lambo decided to give us a spiritual successor to the LM002 and build a pickup truck version of the Urus?

The Lamborghini Urus was unveiled in 2017, five years after the Italian carmaker unveiled its first SUV in the form of a concept car. But even though it’s Lambo’s first SUV, the Urus isn’t the first utility vehicle coming from Sant’Agata Bolognese. Lamborghini began meddling with the idea all the way back in 1977 and launched its first production model in 1986 as the LM002. That’s a few good years before AM General introduced the iconic Hummer H1 for civilian use in 1992.

In many ways, the LM002 is the spiritual successor of the Urus, but the two utility vehicles are actually very different. They were conceived for different purposes, have radically different designs, and deliver different performance figures. With the modern SUV now official and on its way to showrooms, we take a look back at Lambo’s history with utility vehicles and the iconic LM002. How does the Urus compare to Lambo’s first venture into this market and what sets the two SUVs apart? Find out below.

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We’re only a few a months away from the official debut of the Lamborghini Urus SUV, which is slated to appear in the metal at Lambo’s headquarters in Sant’Agata Bolognese, Italy, on December 4th. In anticipation of the big unveiling, Lamborghini is spotlighting its very first venture into the SUV segment – the LM002, a.k.a., the “Rambo Lambo,” by bringing out the fully restored chassis #12231 from the Lamborghini museum. Finished in black, this large-and-in-charge Italian off-roader is one of just 300 units produced during the LM002’s original production run, which concluded about a quarter century ago. Today, it remains an odd, yet fascinating look at what happens when a sports car maker decides to make SUVs.

Of course, the LM002 isn’t that weird if you dig into Lambo’s history. Prior to making fast cars, Lamborghini actually produced tractors, and it continues to do so today. In addition, Lamborghini also makes powerboat engines and motorcycles. The point is this – just because its best known for its outlandish sports cars, Lamborghini won’t be pigeonholed. So what’s the deal with the LM002, and what can it tell us about the upcoming Urus? Read on for the details.

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