What it's like to drive the Rambo Lambo, the world’s first super-SUV

A high-revving V12 engine and a five-speed manual gearbox with a dogleg first gear might seem bizarre in a hulking SUV that dishes up hardcore off-road capabilities. Yet, here we are, rolling along hills in the oddball Lamborghini LM002 an hour from Sant’Agata Bolognese, Italy.

Several manufacturers claim to have invented the super-SUV, but the “Rambo Lambo,” as it was nicknamed in its day, arrived almost two decades before Porsche, BMW or Mercedes delivered their first high-performance all-terrainers.

A Lamborghini LM002 was recently sold through Nostalgia Classic Cars in Dubai to an unknown mystery buyer but there is also one on display at the Off-Road History Museum tucked away in Al Shuwaib, deep in the Sharjah desert.

Originally conceived for military use (LM stands for Lamborghini Militaria), the LM002 was predated by two prototypes – the Cheetah and LM001. The original design had the engine housed behind the cabin – as per Lamborghini’s V12 supercars – but the production vehicle switched to a front-engine format as it made for more predictable handling, especially on loose surfaces.

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The car I’m driving today was built as a special order for a customer in Japan and its paintwork, dubbed “Special Green” (even though it looks more like a shade of turquoise), is a one-off colour.

Its boxy, utilitarian bodyshell looks distinctly agricultural, yet the LM002 is genuinely exotic. Stuffed under its lumpy bonnet is a 5.2-litre V12 purloined from the manufacturer's Countach of the era. The 450hp motor was largely similar to its supercar sibling; apart from it was spun 180 degrees so the five-speed ZF gearbox could be mounted behind it – in the mid-engined Countach the transmission sat ahead of the motor.

It’s clear the LM002 I’m in was built for anything but military use as its cockpit is trimmed in plush leather and wood, and there’s plenty of soft padding around the huge transmission tunnel that runs through the centre of the cabin.

The Lamborghini has all the kit I'd expect in a purpose-built off-roader – low-range gearing, a locking centre differential and bespoke Pirelli Scorpion tyres designed specifically for the vehicle. Lamborghini claims the LM002 can ascend 60-degree inclines, but what elevates it far above any off-roader of the era is its ability to sit at 200 kph all day – twice the top speed of most of its peers.

Underpinned by a steel tubular frame chassis cloaked in bodywork made of aluminium and fibreglass, the LM002 has a sizeable footprint on the road as it’s a tad under five metres in length and exactly two metres wide – not ideal for the narrow, hairpin-strewn roads we’re traversing today.

The LM002 isn’t nimble by any stretch, but power steering makes it far easier to rotate through tight hairpins than a Miura or Countach. I am given the opportunity to drive both these folkloric supercars earlier in the day, and steering either entails a solid workout for the shoulders and forearms.

All in all, the LM002 proves much easier to drive. The five-speed ZF manual gearbox is surprisingly slick and user-friendly, the big V12 has plenty of lowdown torque and ride quality is cosseting. That said, its huge bonnet bulges protrude directly into the line of sight, so I have to guesstimate where the passenger-side wheels are relative to the edge of the road.

I don’t know if it’s the heady experience of driving such a rare vehicle or the strong petrol fumes wafting through the cabin, but I begin to feel a bit euphoric after covering 10 to 15km.

All Lamborghini cars sold until 2024, company says

There’s much to like about the LM002 despite its many shortcomings. Try finding a mechanic who knows his way around a quad-cam V12 with six carburettors when you’re stranded out in the dunes. Apart from its complexity, there is also the fact the Lamborghini off-roader was fiendishly expensive at $120,000 in the 1980s. It was, therefore, no surprise Lamborghini discontinued the vehicle after building a mere 328 units.

It may not have been the hit Lamborghini hoped for in its day, but LM002s are now highly sought-after collector cars, with pristine examples changing hands for $300,000-plus.

There’s also the fact that the LM002 provided Lamborghini with an off-road legacy that it could leverage when launching the hugely successful Urus, which now accounts for almost 60 per cent of the marque’s sales.

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Six large-scale objects on show

Concrete wall and windows from the now demolished Robin Hood Gardens housing estate in Poplar
The 17^th Century Agra Colonnade, from the bathhouse of the fort of Agra in India
A stagecloth for The Ballet Russes that is 10m high – the largest Picasso in the world
Frank Lloyd Wright’s 1930s Kaufmann Office
A full-scale Frankfurt Kitchen designed by Margarete Schütte-Lihotzky, which transformed kitchen design in the 20th century
Torrijos Palace dome

Pox that threatens the Middle East's native species

Camelpox

Caused by a virus related to the one that causes human smallpox, camelpox typically causes fever, swelling of lymph nodes and skin lesions in camels aged over three, but the animal usually recovers after a month or so. Younger animals may develop a more acute form that causes internal lesions and diarrhoea, and is often fatal, especially when secondary infections result. It is found across the Middle East as well as in parts of Asia, Africa, Russia and India.

Falconpox

Falconpox can cause a variety of types of lesions, which can affect, for example, the eyelids, feet and the areas above and below the beak. It is a problem among captive falcons and is one of many types of avian pox or avipox diseases that together affect dozens of bird species across the world. Among the other forms are pigeonpox, turkeypox, starlingpox and canarypox. Avipox viruses are spread by mosquitoes and direct bird-to-bird contact.

Houbarapox

Houbarapox is, like falconpox, one of the many forms of avipox diseases. It exists in various forms, with a type that causes skin lesions being least likely to result in death. Other forms cause more severe lesions, including internal lesions, and are more likely to kill the bird, often because secondary infections develop. This summer the CVRL reported an outbreak of pox in houbaras after rains in spring led to an increase in mosquito numbers.

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Why does a queen bee feast only on royal jelly?

Some facts about bees:

The queen bee eats only royal jelly, an extraordinary food created by worker bees so she lives much longer

The life cycle of a worker bee is from 40-60 days

A queen bee lives for 3-5 years

This allows her to lay millions of eggs and allows the continuity of the bee colony

About 20,000 honey bees and one queen populate each hive

Honey is packed with vital vitamins, minerals, enzymes, water and anti-oxidants.

Apart from honey, five other products are royal jelly, the special food bees feed their queen

Pollen is their protein source, a super food that is nutritious, rich in amino acids

Beewax is used to construct the combs. Due to its anti-fungal, anti-bacterial elements, it is used in skin treatments

Propolis, a resin-like material produced by bees is used to make hives. It has natural antibiotic qualities so works to sterilize hive, protects from disease, keeps their home free from germs. Also used to treat sores, infection, warts

Bee venom is used by bees to protect themselves. Has anti-inflammatory properties, sometimes used to relieve conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, nerve and muscle pain

Honey, royal jelly, pollen have health enhancing qualities

The other three products are used for therapeutic purposes

Is beekeeping dangerous?

As long as you deal with bees gently, you will be safe, says Mohammed Al Najeh, who has worked with bees since he was a boy.

“The biggest mistake people make is they panic when they see a bee. They are small but smart creatures. If you move your hand quickly to hit the bees, this is an aggressive action and bees will defend themselves. They can sense the adrenalin in our body. But if we are calm, they are move away.”