The Lamborghini LM002 could be easily classified as the most brutal and hardest model to sport the bull badge.
Its austere presence and rough, boxy design has always been associated with sheikhs and third-world country dictators.
Granted, it had a “guerrilla warfare” vibe to it – especially in the 80’s – and an interesting clientele. Muammar al-Gaddafi actually ordered 100 units, while Uday Hussein had one too – apparently he was a more discrete fella. Furthermore, it is said the Saudi army ordered four dozens (more or less), while “some” Lebanese were interested in it as well.
Initially, this titan was created to serve as an army vehicle for the United States and the Middle East, but constantly adjusting its six double-barrel carbs in a war-zone was considered a no-no, so the idea was scrapped. Well, not entirely, because the Italians decided to get it into series production.
A total of 301 units were produced – which makes the LM002 rarer than a Ferrari F50. Not only that, but the behemoth was actually powered by an 444 Hp, 5167cc V12 borrowed from the Lamborghini Countach.
This particular cocaine-white LM002 is a carbureted model, recognizable by the beefy bulges on the hood that house the air cleaner for the six Weber carburetors. The car was built in 1988 and it has done 32,000 miles (52,000 Km), from new. It comes with period correct 345/60/R17 Pirelli Scorpion tires and a monstrous 76 gallon fuel tank. That’s 290-litres, but when you think it has a fuel consumption of 8-mpg (35.3-litres per 100 Km), it kind of makes sense. Sort of…
But that’s what accelerating a 5,720 pound (2.5 tones) hunk of metal from 0 to 100 km/h in just 7.7 seconds translates to.
The car will be offered for auction by RM Sotheby on July 25 for an estimated $140,000 – $180,000 (the average annually fuel bill of an LM002 owner).
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