The Lamborghini R8 Tractor Shouldn’t Come as a Surprise to Those That Know the Company
Jane Lu
· 4 min read
Lamborghini brings to mind eye-popping
luxury cars
, but the company started out making farm equipment. Yes, just as Rolls-Royce has mining trucks
, Lamborghini has tractors.The Lamborghini R8 270 DCR didn’t appear out of nowhere. It has its own place in Lamborghini's history.
How was Lamborghini started?
The story goes that Ferruccio Lamborghini made his first luxury car because he didn't like his Ferrari, according to
Driving.co.uk
. He got the money to buy that Ferrari by selling farm equipment. Motor1
reported that he made his first tractor in 1948.The first model was made of discarded war materials. It was basic-looking and used military engines and differentials. They called the company Lamborghini Trattori, and that’s what the tractor division has been known as ever since.
In 1951, Lamborghini made the L33. It had a 3.5-liter inline-six engine made by Morris, but everything else was made from scratch by the company.
Italy passed a law to encourage farmers to buy Italian equipment in 1952. Lamborghini produced many sleek and more powerful models for farmers. They had features such as a new front grille and a DW415 MWM-Benz Diesel engine. The DL 30 was a great example of the smoother shape and beefed-up engines.
The brand made its first crawler tractor in 1955. They made many improvements to their tractors through the 1960s, such as air-cooled engines and four-wheel drive. The R 230 was the first to feature a synchromesh gearbox, and the R 480 had a two-tier grille design.
Their design didn't change much through the 1970s, and the tractor rights were sold. It wasn't until 1989 that Lamborghini created a tractor with a taller cab.
They now have a crawler series called CF, and their current tractors are the Nitro Series models.
Lamborghini R8 tractor features
The Lamborghini R8 270 DCR is a behemoth that weighs around 10.3 to 11.5 tons. It features a straight-six turbodiesel engine with a turbo intercooler.
It has 48 gears, two brake pedals, and two throttles. The transmission is a Powershift 40-speed forward and reverse, and it provides six ranges for four power gears. The tractor also offers four-wheel drive and comes with an electro-hydraulic rear differential lock.
This combination of gears and engines gives you 775 lb-ft of torque and 269 brake horsepower. Of course, a farmer is probably more interested in its lifting capacity of 10,500 kilograms or 11.5 tons. It can go up to 31 mph too.
Is the R8 popular with farmers?
Most farmers don't want this oversized monster, but writer Jeremy Clarkson reviewed the tractor for Driving.co.uk. He bought a Lamborghini R8 for his farm, Diddly Squat. He had to build a bigger barn and driveway in order to store it.
The car reviewer bemoaned the heavy engineering and complicated inner workings, but he agrees that it lives up to its advertised power. The tractor is described as “Total domination with class” on the manufacturer’s site.
Lamborghini tractors have their own website where you can book a test drive and apply for a quote. They’re separate from the muscle and supercars that Lamborghini has been making since 1962.
Lamborghini's first foray into luxury cars was the GT 400. They followed this with the Miura in 1964, and now make Lamborghini tractors in Germany.
Luxury cars and big tractors do have something in common, and that’s the need for good car insurance. If you’re looking for affordable rates for your vehicle,
Jerry
can help. The app will compare rates from 50 top companies to get you the best price for the best coverage.
