LM002, how is it??

I remember the guitar player Ted Nugent used one to hunt in places like Africa , so it must be a capable off road vehicle , I allways wanted one , someday , yes someday I will have a Lamborghini truck !

 

I've put over 40k miles on one. They are very capable and very rugged. They use basically the same engine as the QV, so any reputable Lambo shop can work on them. They are kind of like a late model Lambo....if you service it reqularly and don't cut corners when fixing things, they will take care of you. If you start to cut corners and try to save a buck by doing things half-ass, they will start coming apart and will eat you alive financially. So with proper maintenance, they are fun, reliable, quick, rugged, comfortable (the ride is actually quite nice). Negatives: You can't get the original sized tires, but others fit well. You will get tired of idiots saying 'nice Hummer'.

There is a thread here just for the LM which you should read. Also, call Roy Cats as he has owned several and knows them well and he can find ones to buy also.

 

I have had at least 12 or so of these trucks over the years..currently have 3 for sale..BUT will always keep one for the collection..just a great fun vehicle to have...

WWW.CATSEXOTICS.COM

 

Compares great to an SUV from the 90s, but modern SUVs are different, with multiple DVD players, crazy front and rear ac, electronic 4x4, stability control, anti this that and the other, and electronic everything else, etc. It is not a replacement for a modern SUV. The one I put the miles on was a carbed one. The FI LM is more refined. Carbed LM is like DD Countach, FI LM is like FI Anniversary Countach. One is more raw, a tad quicker, louder, smells like gasoline sometimes (even if you seal the internal gas tanks, you still smell the gas from the carbs in front of you at times). So just use Countach models as an example. You can ask how is a DD, or Anniversary, compared to typical sports cars of the eighties or nineties (Corvette, 911, ...) and that is how the LM compares to SUVs of that era.

 

The owner of MM Enzo has one as well. It's a pretty sweet truck. Awesome niche vehicle.

 

You'll only get the gasoline smell in the carbed (pre 90) model. It can get pretty nasty over time but there's always the seal fix that will reduce it.
I own one of the last production LM's (injected version) and must say it's a blast to drive.
The clutch is a tad heavy. So some extra workout in the gym concentrated on the left leg will be a good preparation

 

I Test drove one once, it's a great shortcut if you ever wonder why a company like lamborghini got on the verge of bankrupcy in the 80s.
Any car, probably even a Yugo would leave you with the desperate sight of it's tail as you try to gain any momentum at a red light. The engine is simply overwhelmed by the heft and that huge Saturn V like oil tank.
The interior is totally crap as well. There are acres of leather, but the panel gaps are just thin enough so you don't fall inside the car by mistake. Plastic looks like recycled banana, so does the leather.

Fit and finish will make any D day Jeep look luxurious.

Avoid, at all cost. That is unless you can get your hands on one of the few 800 bhp+ offshore boat engined LM002...

 

Applause, applause... there's a hater in the house... a good reminder on the fact why I didn't post much around here anyway.

BTW when you post on a car you better be factual. For a 3000 kgs car the LM is amazingly swift. Are you sure you weren't the guy in the Yugo when the LM took off at the traffic lights ? Leather is of top quality (of course you need to maintain it like any leather, a 20+ year old car can show many signs of aging in the leather.. mine happens to be looking brand spanking new and well maintained). Panel gaps, banana plastic ? You clearly have no clue what you're talking about.

That being said.. to the original poster.... at all cost, buy an LM002. You'll never regret it.
You'll get an amazing piece of automotive history, back then it was way ahead of its time and up until today it's SO much fun to drive. And isn't that what it's all about ?

BTW I've yet to see an offshore engined LM. The LM004 had the 7 liter marine engine but the specs. indicated for that particular model are certainly not 800 bhp+, after one was built as a prototype it was abandoned since the 5 liter engine had a much better weight-power ratio.. so again.. get your facts straight Mr. Banana.... now please step into your Ferrari red Yugo and gain some momentum at the next RED light...

 

I drove the Sultan of Brunei shooting brake this summer, I don't like the LM002 although they are somehow cool.

 

This poster is FOS and doesn't know what he is talking about, so please ignore his comments and focus on that written by those who have driven and owned them!

However, there are probably some out there that are not properly maintained and worn out, and just like any Lambo in that condition, you should avoid them.

 

LMAO, Lambo lovers are even worse than Fcar drivers.

Tragic.

Anyway, go ahead, buy one, "enjoy it".

 

I'm not a hater. The car was already crap 20 years ago, and evolution just took another victim. Rarity is not a quality on it's own.
As for the engine, I admit I don't recall the exact specs, but unlike most posters here, I drove the piece of junk and it IS crap.
BTW, a Cayenne is probably more or less the same weight, yet a zillion times more engaging to drive (though it's even way uglier than the LM002)

 

Sure you were not test driving the LM002's second cousin, the AM General-Hummer H1? You sure are discribeing an H1 much better than the LM002.

 

I thought the Swiss were supposed to be neutral

 

As much as I hate to admit it..I agree with Vicgtor here..guy is FOS>.

Love mine, have had one every winter here in Seattle and would not have my collection
with out one.. I do like the FI car better than the carb version however..

 

Roy, have you ever had any of the 8 liter V12 LM002's built for the mid-east? Sans turret of course...

 

This guy is a trolling idiot. If you don't know how to drive one it WILL seem pretty damn slow - probably using the wrong gear to start from a dead stop and not using the rpm range properly (before even mentioning the fact he probably didn't have a clue if he was in 4wd hi, 4wd lo, what-have-you).

Everyone I know who understands the above and has tried one on loves them. They're a riot, and the Porsche Cayenne is an abomination that does not deserve to be mentioned in the same sentence (and I love Porsche). The LM002 was developed straight from a military patrol vehicle project and would leave all other "ESS YOO VEE" type wannabees stuck in the rough while the LM002 is cresting the sand dunes at 100mph or so.

 

After reading about it in magazines, I saw the first dark blue LM in Front of Monte Carlo casino in summer 1987, love it so much. Then in college my friend bought a red one in summer 1992. The best (meanest) looking 4WD ever ! So cool !
I wish Lambo make it again.

If I had the $ for a project car I'd buy an LM and put a Diablo 6.0 or a Murci engine in it

 

I wouldn't go that far, but definitely the LM002 is not fun to drive and the build quality (specially the paint) is far below the even low standard those days.

The LM002 is on the edge, either you love it or you hate it...

 

Stopped reading here. Plenty of OWNERS are posting in here to give a true idea of what it is like to own one of these beasts.

 

An interesting LM002 is the 'Tina Turner' Mercedes LM002


http://www.luxist.com/2008/01/24/tina-turners-mercedes-powered-lm002-for-sale/

 

I don't quite like the idea of swapping a V12 with a V8 slushbox