Lamborghini LM004 7000

The idea of a multi-purpose Lamborghini was taken one step further with the enormous LM-004. The car was built around the same chassis as the LMA-002, but went much further, the engine wasn't the 'normal' 4754 cc unit (factory designation number L 503), but an all new 7.0-Litre one. This new engine was designed by Alfrieri and used very little parts from the original 5-Litre unit, this 7-Litre unit was actually destined for marine purposes and could be distinguished from the smaller V-12's by the larger exterior dimensions and the design of the cam cover. Several other parts around the engine were changed too, the gearbox became mechanical instead of the automatic ones in the first designs, and a special design by ZF was used, taken from the LMA-002. The suspension was also taken from the LMA, as was the power-assisted steering, but a big difference was the use of drum brakes on the rear axle.

Lamborghini aimed the LM-004 at another category of customers, this was clearly visible on the inside of this car, the seats were changed for body-hugging types like those in the Countach, upholstered in leather, with nice carpets on the floor, a complete dashboard with radio-telephone, VHF radio, stereo system, air-conditioning, refrigerator and a cold-water tap between the back seats.
All this made the LM-004 appear like a giant, upright Countach, and this large, 3000 Kg heavy beast could even reach 200 Km/h.

Only one LM-004 was built, the new 7-Litre engine did not perform well enough to allow the increase of weight against a 5-Litre unit. Therefore, further testing was done with the 5-Litre unit, resulting in the LM-002, which would be commercialized from 1986 on, in almost the same form as the LM-004.
Note that the original LM004/7000 was actually tested by AutoCar in May 1986, perhaps you can still find a copy of this test, unfortunately this rare Lamborghini no longer exists today.
Rumors state however that it was possible to order the LM002 with the 7.0-Litre Lamborghini marine engine fitted into it, naturally on special demand for a wealthy customer, prices for this 'option' were never published, but then again, anyone who would order it with this massive engine wouldn't care about a little extra cost.

VW streamline prototype

Based on the KdF-Wagen Typ 60, aka VW Beetle, it was designed by K.C. Volkhart as a fast courier car for Luftwaffe (German Air Force). Body, designed by Baron Reinhard von Koenig-Fachsenfeld, was built by Helmut Fuchs Niederwenningern/Ruhr. Thanks to its low drag coefficient (0.17 only) the streamline body allowed for speeds up to 150 km/h. The engine, mounted at the rear, was the standard VW 1.1-liter boxer, 24.5 hp.

Bentley Continental T

One of my all time favorite cars! I have just always really loved the muscle car looks combined with the Bentley refinement. The T version had a shorter wheelbase, and wider fenders compared to the regular versions of the Continental. Considering it has a GM 4L80-E it would be interesting to see what a swap to a 6 speed 6L80-E would give performancewise (and fuel savings wise). One odd thing about these is that they have two brake calipers in the front. Would be interesting to know the reasoning behind that...

 

Lamborghini LM003 Borneo

During the ownership of Automobili Lamborghini SpA by the Indonesian group, a study was made to put a LM002 replacement into production.

The LM002 obviously had flaws but it still was a steady low volume seller, therefore a United Kingdom based company was contacted to design a successor to the LM002, but later this job was handed over to SZ Design, a company based on the remains of the Zagato Design Studio.
This was to become the LM003, named Borneo or Galileo, depending on what market it was sold in. The LM003 name was actually confusing because an LM003 did already exist in the past, it was in fact an LM002 with a Turbocharged Diesel engine installed into it instead of the massive V12, but because the complete car was very underpowered with this engine configuration only one prototype was ever made and never left the factory.

A preliminary drawing was made for the new LM003 project, but an in depth market research study revealed only a small interest would exist in the new LM003. Most Lamborghini customers or future customers were not exactly waiting for a new off roader, a much more wanted car would have been an Espada successor like the L149 project or a new Diablo successor. For that reason the Borneo/Galileo never even made it into the prototype stage. A few drawings by Zagato exist, together with some technical proposals, with which a full scale mock up was created.

The new LM003 Borneo would become a joint venture between Timor, and Indonesian based automaker and Lamborghini. The body shell would not be made in Italy but in the Far East. The LM002 bodywork was in fact made in Spain when it was still in production.


The rumors persist that a new Lamborghini SUV will be produced, and if its anything like the concept that was show it will look amazing! I guess we will have to wait and see...

Lamborghini LM002 Paris Dakar

It was made quite clear right from the start Ferruccio Lamborghini had absolutely no intention in taking any of his cars racing, he didn't want to spend money on preparing a competition model. There were some private teams that used cars like the Islero and Miura on the track, but with no official factory support.

When Ferruccio had left the car company and after several owners stepped in it was time for a new, young approach … and under the Mimran ownership period the first official attempt at using a Lamborghini as a race car … or more exactly a rally car. In the mid-Eighties it was deemed the right time had come to enter the notorious Paris Dakar rally using the four-wheel drive LM002.

Work began on chassis number HLA12047 to convert this regular 455hp V12 Lamborghini into a rally specs edition pumping out over 600hp so an open race exhaust was installed and a lot of excess weight was removed from the standard LM002 by the usual rally car methods of stripping the interior of any needless luxury, replacing the glass with lighter Plexiglas, and adding a full roll cage. Naturally the suspension was also upgraded to cope with high-speed desert driving.

Lamborghini managed to get none other than rally legend Sandro Munari to drive this factory prepared LM002 Rally edition. Unfortunately it was never actually driven in a Paris Dakar Rally, it was entered in the Rally of the Pharaohs in 1987 (October 18-28) but didn't start the race after the sponsor had a deadly accident in an offshore powerboat.

The LM002 Rally re-appeared in the 1988 off-road rally in Greece, when Mario Mannucci was the driver with Sandro Munari as the co-pilot, sadly the Lamborghini didn't finish the rally, but it did manage to hold the third position at first. After this short life in competition it is believed the engine was replaced by a more 'standard' V-12 and the car was sold to a collector … however recent information mentions LM002 number HLA12047 is back to full factory rally specs … and still part of a Lamborghini collection.

Even though the factory original LM002 Rally didn't make it into the Paris Dakar in 1988 a LM002 WAS entered by a privateer. The Swiss based World LM Racing Team entered a bright red LM002 in the grueling Paris Dakar competition, and while some sources state they had to retire the race, other sources list this car with starting number 519 did actually finish in 10th position in the Marathon category. This red LM002 was driven by Concet and Kurzen, P.A. Burnier was the owner of the World LM Racing Team while Maregrande from the Lamborghini factory was appointed as the designated mechanic and none other than Sandra Munari was a technical advisor on this car … so while not an official factory entry into the Paris Dakar it still had some direct linkage to Sant'Agata.
Some specs on this 1988 LM002 Rallye (they called it Rallye instead of Rally): 5200cc V12 engine, 475hp, 3200kg in full rally load, 600 lite fuel tank with a fuel consumption of 68 Liter/100km … resulting in about 900km on a full tank while reaching speeds of up to 200km/h on the street and an impressive 180km/h in the sand.

Another LM002 was prepared for the Paris Dakar rally by a private party. This orange finished LM002 was once again factory build, finished in bright orange over black. It was later sold to a Japanese collector who, according to the Lamborghini Registry, still drives it with the original open exhaust system today.

In 1996 another heavily modified LM002 with chassis number HMA12046 was entered in the Prototype category. Rumor has it Garage Burnier in Switzerland took on the work of converting this LM002, the engine was taken out of the car and received a custom fuel injection system, the factory standard catalyst were removed and both cooling and lubrication were modified and reinforced so the car would be able to withstand desert racing. The front brakes were replaced by AP units and a massive 800 liter fuel tank was mounted to increase the range. when completed chassis number HLA12046 was officially entered into the 1996 Dakar race and received number 246. At first it kept up with the competition very nicely, but unfortunately the weight of the LM002 and the use of using shock absorbers that were not heavy duty enough together with the high speed desert driving took their toll on the suspension. In a matter of days the team went through no less than 24 shock absorbers … and had to forfeit the race due to a lack of spare parts.

Would have been interesting to see what proper desert racing shocks would have allowed this LM to accomplish...

Lamborghini LM002 1982

So after the LM001 project was rejected by the army Lamborghini went back to the drawing board.
The LMA002 was built with an entirely new chassis, moving the engine (now the V12 out of the Lamborghini Countach) to the front. After much testing and altering of the prototype, it was finally given a serial number and became the first LM002. The production model was unveiled at the Brussels Auto Show in 1986. The LM002 was offered with carburetors and later on a fuel injected version of the V12.

Nick named the "Rambo-Lambo" (in an article by Brock Yates I believe) it carried a completely outlandish styling, not to mention having a V12 in an SUV...unheard of! The LM002s were outfitted with a full luxury package, including full leather trim, tinted power windows, air conditioning, and a premium stereo mounted in a roof console. In order to meet the vehicle's tire needs, Lamborghini commissioned Pirelli to create the Pirelli Scorpion tires with custom tread which had a small lip on the sides to be able to run on deep sand more easily. These were made specifically for the LM and no other car/SUV used them. These tires could be run flat without risk. The LM002 was also fitted with a 290 liter fuel tank.

For those requiring even more power there was a rumor that the Lamborghini L804 type 7.2 liter marine V12, more commonly found in Class 1 offshore powerboats, could be specified. This however was never officially on the options list.

Also contrary to many rumors the military version of the LM002 was never built nor were there any orders from the Libyan and Saudi Arabian military, no military versions of the LM002 exist and none were sold to foreign governments or military forces.

In 1988, Lamborghini sent an LM002 to a team of special engineers with the intention of making it capable of participating in the Paris Dakar rally, but that's another story for the following post.



 LMA002 Prototype

LM002 series version with fuel injection (notice the low hood compared to the following taller hood)

Lamborghini LM001 1981

The Lamborghini LM001 had quite a long gestation starting with the Lamborghini Cheetah which was Lamborghini's first attempt at an off-road vehicle. The Cheetah was built on contract from Mobility Technology International (MTI), which in turn was contracted by the US military to design and build a new all-terrain vehicle. The basis of the design came from MTI, and was largely a copy of FMC's XR311 prototype developed for the military in 1970. This resulted in legal action from FMC against MTI and Lamborghini in 1977 when the Cheetah was presented at the Geneva Motor Show.

The Cheetah was built in San Jose, California,  after which the prototype was sent to Sant'Agata so Lamborghini could put on the finishing touches. They decided to go with a waterproofed 180 hp 5.9L Chrysler engine mounted in the rear with a 3 speed automatic transmission. The body was fiberglass, and inside there was enough room for four fully equipped soldiers as well as the driver.
The mounting of the engine in the rear gave the Cheetah very poor handling characteristics, and the engine choice was not powerful enough for a vehicle that weighed 2,042 kilograms (4,502 lb) and so the overall performance was poor. The only finished prototype was never tested by the US military^.
In the end, the military contract was awarded to AM General and their similar looking Humvee.

After the Cheetah was sent back to the United States in late 1977 the option of adding an off-road model to the lineup at Lamborghini kept lurking in the back of their heads, and three years later, in 1981 the Geneva Auto Show was the scene for an evolution of the idea in the shape of the LM001 or Lamborghini Militare number 1 according to some sources, while other sources mentioned Lamborghini Mimram as the meaning of the abbreviation as the Swiss based Mimran family had just bought into the company.

The injection of fresh funds from the Mimrans came at just the right timing, and an expansion of the lineup was desperately needed in the early Eighties, the Countach was still around, and in the same year the V8 Jalpa was shown in Geneva, next to the big LM001.

This first LM001 prototype had a 5896cc AMC engine installed, but later on the option of putting in a Countach sourced V12, 4754cc unit was taken into consideration … the latter would put 375 hp to all four wheels. The LM001 did however suffer from the same issue that plagued the Cheetah three years earlier, with the engine in this position the front to rear weight balance was less than perfect. The AMC V8 engine offered ‘only’ 180hp, but this still allowed the LM001 to reach a top speed of 160 Km/h.

But straight line speed wouldn’t be the issue on the LM001, cornering and outright maneuverability were negatively influenced from being tail heavy, some further development and testing was put into the LM001 before Lamborghini decided to turn around the entire concept and put the engine in the front … which lead to the LM002 prototype.

Up front a pair of rectangular headlights replaced the quartet of round units seen on the Cheetah, while the four doors on the LM001 were meant to stay in place, unlike on the Cheetah which was seen without doors in most photos, still the roof was able to open up, a large canvas section could be moved backwards allowing a machine gun turret to be used.

It would take a radical change to the initial design of the LM001 to make it viable for sale, and the third attempt was a giant leap forward, the LM002 was developed with the massive V12 engine between the front wheels … this concept would eventually lead to the actual production version LM002 that would impress the world as a real Lamborghini.

XR-311 Concept

 Cheetah Concept

 LM001

 

Lamborghini LM001, LM002, LM003, and LM004

Stay tuned for the Lamborghini LM series posts!

Lamborghini Countach Evolution 1987

This is probably the strangest looking Countach ever, it looks as if it left the factory before it got painted or upholstered, this is the Evoluzione, a mobile test-bed for new ideas.
The Evoluzione was designed and built in 1987 under the direction of Horacio Pagani, by the newly-formed 'Composites Department', they decided to change the steel space-frame of the original Countach to a chassis/body built using composite materials.
The cockpit, including the floor and roof panels, the central transmission tunnel, the door sills and the front and rear bulkheads were all made in one piece using aluminum honeycomb sandwiched with Kevlar and carbon fiber bonded together.

Various body parts were also changed to composite ones, the front lid, the engine cover and boot lid, the front spoiler, which used a simpler design and was a little lower than the original Countach and the whee larches, which were now connected through sills with air-cooling vents for the rear brakes. These sills would later be used on the Anniversario in a slightly altered design, the wings and the doors remained aluminum. Thanks to the extensive use of light-weight composites, the total weight of the Evoluzione was only 980 Kg, or about 500 Kg less than the Countach QV5000S, this and a minor tuning of the engine, now with 490 Bhp, made the Evoluzione reach a top speed of 330 Km/h. at the Nardo test track. This engine was 'blue-printed' and still used the same transmission, but with a modified gate to allow a shorter throw between the gears.

The car was never painted and the riveting of the body parts remained visible when you opened the door, even the carbon fiber and Kevlar kept their natural finish. On the inside the same rough appearance was evident, only two seats and a small carbon-fiber dashboard were used, with a tachometer, water temperature, fuel level and oil pressure gauges. A few pieces of carpet were used to mask the many colored wires which used to be connected to various test and recording equipments, no air-conditioning, no headlights, no horn and not even a wiper were installed.

The wheels remained, but got carbon-fiber disc covers, these didn't allow enough cooling for the brakes and were later removed. Various new ideas were installed on the Evoluzione before it was crash tested; an electronically controlled damping system with variable ride height, an ABS braking system and a four-wheel drive with variable torque split were installed. Even a fully retractable wiper system was installed on it, various parts and even some of these latter designs were later used on the Anniversario and the Diablo VT.

But production of a composite based Countach was too expensive, and in case of an accident the complete shell would have to be replaced most likely due to lack of crush-able front and rear subframes, therefore the Evoluzione performed a last test : the crash barrier test, which revealed valuable information on the impact resistance of this kind of chassis structure.

Shelby AC3000 ME 1981

AC Cars might not ring as many bells as Shelby but it is one of the oldest independent automobile manufacturers in Britain. Of course their greatest claim to fame was creating the AC Ace, the car Carroll Shelby based the AC Cobra on and later the S/C Cobras and Dayton Coupes.

In the 1970's AC developed the AC 3000ME. This small 2-seat mid-engine sports car had a transversely mounted Ford Essex 3.0 liter V6. As was classic for the era the styling was wedge-shaped using fiberglass for the body. It had front and rear independent double-wishbone suspension, rack and pinion steering, and four-wheel disc brakes, with a rearward 40:60 weight bias. On paper it should have been a real performer!

At about the same time PanterAmerica was importing DeTomaso Panteras into the U.S. after the Lincoln-Mercury/DeTomaso agreement ended in 1974. PanterAmerica also wanted to bring an affordable mid-engine car to the U.S. and the Belgian dealer they purchased the Panteras from was also an AC dealer. The AC 3000ME seemed the logical choice. PanterAmerica imported a rolling AC 3000ME, without engine and transaxle. The drivetrain was supposed to come from a U.S. manufacturer. However, they had problems acquiring drivetrains from either Ford or GM, the only option left was to go with Chrysler. But instead of going to them directly they spoke with Carroll Shelby, who had been recently hired by Chrysler. Carroll was on board with their idea provided a fuel-injected, turbocharged Chrysler 4-cylinder, 2.2 engine

Panteramerica restyled the body slightly, mainly front fenders and front end, with a new design, painted the car blue and silver, and added new Compomotive split rims. The prototype was presented to Lee Iacocca., but unfortunately, Iacocca, then in the middle of trying to save Chrysler, didn’t warm up to the idea of a low-volume mid-engine sports car, leaving the Shelby AC 3000ME a one-of-a-kind. Its a shame, a car that could have been a real contender, and ahead of the Pontiac Fiero, but fell by the wayside