Department > Old Iron
Lamborghini Cheetah
by Jim Allen
photos courtesy Yuichi Ishikawa, CCV Japan
The momentary view of the Rambo Lambo as it blasts by you on the highway. We don’t have a tail view, which would be more common. Some models could crank out 130 mph top speed on V-speed-rated Pirelli Scorpions, and they were reported to be stable at that speed — about what you’d expect for a Lamborghini.
When you say exotic 4x4, the Lamborghini LM series 4x4s often comes to mind. Despite being a feisty Italian rocket ship, the Lamborghini 4x4 had it roots in the USA and a company called Mobility Technology International (MTI). MTI opened its doors in 1976, and its first project was the vehicle known as the Cheetah. The Cheetah was designed to compete for a contract in the U.S. military’s High Mobility Vehicle (HMV) program whose task was to create a vehicle that replaced the GI Jeep and one-and-a-quarter-ton light 4x4 truck. The trendsetting rig in this program was the rear-engine, independent-suspension XR-311 that had been built in small numbers by FMC starting in 1970.
The founders of MTI worked for FMC on the XR-311 program and were clued in to what the military wanted. They came up with a basic design and contracted with Lamborghini in Italy to develop a production vehicle from a prototype. The idea of the military contract and a possible civilian variant were contemplated with Lamborghini as the manufacturer.
The Cheetah pilot model was similar to the XR-311 in many ways. The basic rear-engine layout was the same, as was the Chrysler 360 V-8, 727 automatic transmission and a few other components. These were off-the-shelf items already being used in U.S. military vehicles and made sense for this prototype, though the Lambo techs were probably horrified at the low-tech engine. The Cheetah also featured four-wheel independent suspension, but it used a torsion-bar design instead of the coil-spring type on the XR-311.
Like Lamborghini’s other vehicles, the LM-002 had a functional look and is stylish in a utilitarian way. It’s pleasantly outfitted inside, though it has a massive hump in the center like that of the Hummer. Hood bumps are an example of substance over style.
The Cheetah was unveiled at the 1977 Geneva motor show but almost immediately Lamborghini had to bow out. This was a result of several causes, not the least of which was that FMC was grousing over patent infringement and threatening a lawsuit. Lamborghini also was in a vulnerable financial condition and near to receivership. The project had stretched the company to the limit.
The Cheetah found a new home at Teledyne Continental, a defense contractor in the USA, who immediately backed it for the military contract and even entertained civilian marketing ideas. By then, the HMV program had morphed into the High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV) program that turned the concept into a larger vehicle.
The original Cheetah reverted to MTI and Teledyne, but it was destroyed sometime in the late 1970s while being tested in the California desert. Teledyne went on to produce a front-engine prototype for the HMMWV program, but, as we all know, AM General won that contract with its HUMVEE, and the rest is history. The Cheetah was all but forgotten except by a few Italian fanatics at a company that liked to build things that go fast.
The XR-311 set the pattern for rigs that followed. It was a rear-drive unit with either a 318 or a 360 Mopar V-8 and a Torqueflite tranny. It used a full-time transfer case and had a suspension and drive system patterned after the front-drive Olds Toronado.
In 1981, with its financial difficulties behind them, Lamborghini resurrected the idea of a super 4x4 and developed the LM-001. Depending on whom you talk to, the LM stands for “Lamborghini Military” or “Lamborghini Mimram.” Mimram is the last name of the two brothers that took over Lamborghini at the height of its financial crisis and brought it back from the brink. They’ve been regarded as the saviors of that company.
The LM-001 also was a rear-engine rig similar in concept to the original Cheetah. It was powered by a 180-horse, 360ci AMC V-8, backed with the familiar 727 Torqueflite. It had the same tubular frame and torsion-bar suspension with brakes from the Countach hypercar. This rig also was introduced at the 1981 Geneva motor show, and that fanned the interest of potential buyers. Only one prototype was built.
Lamborghini was determined to pursue the project in earnest, though the LM-001 had some inherent problems — under hard acceleration, even with the primitive AMC V-8, it pulled the front wheels off the ground. The design team went back to work, and the result was called either the LMA (A for the Italian Ateriore for front engine) or later the LM-002. The new rig mounted a tuned-down version of the V-12 engine used in the Countach. It was a 60-degree vee, overhead cam, four-valves-per-cylinder aluminum engine that displaced 5.2L (315ci) and made 444 horses at 6800 rpm and 368 pound-feet of torque. It was backed by a ZF five-speed and a two-speed transfer case. The LM-002 used a tubular chassis but mounted a coil-spring independent suspension instead of torsion bars. The first-generation version was reputed to have a top speed of 116 mph and a 7.7-second 0-60 time. Testers noted excellent stability at high speeds. Big-buck buyers around the world simply had to have one.
Definitely a full engine compartment. The 5.2L cranked out up to 455 horses, depending on model year, and Lamborghini shipped out many custom specials with modified engines that made them even more so.
The LM-002 went into production in 1982 as virtually the only production muscle 4x4 on the planet. The word “production” might be overstating it considering that only about 300 of these rigs (including prototypes) were built from 1982-1990. Still, the $130,000 price tag (1989) was bound to keep production numbers low and send the showroom lookee-loos to the emergency room with heart palpitations.
The Cheetah was the MTI-designed prototype that became the pattern for the Lamborghini LM-001. It was similar to the FMC XR-311 in its rear-engine configuration, independent suspension, and full-time four-wheel-drive system. Only one was built, and it was tested in Italy, Saudi Arabia, and the California desert. Teledyne took over development of the project after Lamborghini backed out, but the project developed in a different direction. This vehicle was wrecked in the late 1970s and disappeared.
One-offs and low production variants also were built. The LM-003 was a single prototype that mounted an Italian-made VM six-cylinder turbodiesel. That idea was discarded since the small diesel struggled to move 5,700 pounds of vehicle. The LM-004 incorporated a 7.3L (443ci) aluminum V-12 that had been developed as a boat engine. It was the Lambo version of a torque monster that cranked out 420 horses at only 5400 rpms and 435 pound-feet at 3500 rpms. With only an 8.5 second 0-62 time, it was slower than the LM-002 but could get up to 130 mph. Only one was built in 1986, but special versions of this engine were reportedly installed upon customer request. The final variation was the LM/American, which featured special wheels and trim and was built for the U.S. market.
The Rambo Lambo, as it became known, now brings prices in excess of its new cost. Production stopped after 1990, when the last one was officially delivered to a German customer, but there is at least one that was built as late as 1993. You’re not likely to see an LM-002, and, if you do, it’ll be in places like Hollywood, Dallas, Aspen, or Jackson Hole. Many reside in Europe or the Middle East, where they’re especially prized. Fifty or so are reputed to have been imported to the USA, and about 30 are listed as remaining in the U.S. on the International Lamborghini Registry Web site (www.lamborghiniregistry.com). You may be able to out-wheel this Lambo, but don’t try to outrun one. If it doesn’t getcha on the low end, it’ll getcha at the top.
Stump Jim Allen Winner Announced!
Last time we announced that we had a possible winner of the “Stump Jim Allen” contest. Today, I formally announce that I’ve been well and truly stumped. Rod Skaggs of Claremont, North Carolina, posed some questions about a four-wheel-drive system from Dana called the V-Drive that was fitted to Chevy vans and at least one police car. I had a nagging feeling I’d seen something on this, but nothing came to light in my brain file or my paper files. Rod seemed legit, so after undertaking some research, I was able to uncover the story of the Dana V-Drive. We’ll present more on this unique conversion as soon as I finish the research.
Rod’s prize is one of my published books: “The Jeep 4x4 Performance Handbook.” Rod’s an “Old Iron” reader — and an owner. His 1973 Jeep J-4000 pickup is a favorite workin’ buddy and a long-time member of the family. Hopefully, the “Performance Handbook” will help him keep the big ‘ol Jeep going for many years to come.