The Rambo Lambo Rides Again! Lamborghini LM002

1:18 | $195

Today, megabuck mega-horsepower SUVs manufactured by companies better known for exotic sports cars are not such a strange occurrence; Porsche, Bentley, Maserati, Alfa Romeo (and, yes, Lamborghini) all have such a product. But back in 1986, the concept was unheard of, which made the arrival of the first such machine—the utterly outrageous LM002—positively earthshaking. And given that the best tipped the scales at 6,700 pounds, that’s not a metaphor! The “LM” stands for “Lamborghini Militaria,” which telegraphs the vehicle’s original intent, but the closest it ever got to service in the armed forces was the nickname it was given: the “Rambo Lambo.” It was, however, all the rage with sultans, sheiks, movie stars, and the occasional drug kingpin. And why not? The thing was even more outrageous than it looked. The tubular space-frame chassis and fully independent suspension sound like the stuff of exotic sports cars, and under the bizarre asymmetrically bulged hood sat the aluminum Quattrovalvole 5.2L V-12 straight out of the Countach (unless you selected the optional 7.2L V-12 Lamborghini built for offshore racing boats). But those chassis tubes were thick industrial-grade steel and the V-12 put power through a 2-speed mechanical transfer case, giving the LM002 legitimate high/low 4-wheel-drive. Pirelli invented an all-new Scorpion all-terrain run-flat tire just for the LM002 with 345mm tread width—wider than any supercar of the day. The thing was ridiculous—and ridiculously awesome. Way ahead of its time and completely over the top, it has undeniable collector appeal for anyone old enough to remember how badass it was. Kyosho is producing it in 1:18 as part of its line of resin-sealed bodies in black with brilliant white interior. It will be limited to just 500 pieces, which is almost as rare as the 300 that Lamborghini made of the real thing.

Kyosho