In
the early 1960s, the West German Army requested development of a new series of
wheeled combat vehicles to include a reconnaissance vehicle, troop carrier, and
a cargo carrier. A consortium of German vehicle companies set about developing
the specified range, while the Daimler-Benz Co. began working separately on
their own designs. Prototypes were delivered to test in 1968, and in 1973, a
contract was awarded for delivery of 408 Luchs reconnaissance vehicles, the selected
design having come from the consortium.
The Luchs is an eight-wheeled car with
all wheels driven and steerable, though in normal use, only the front four
steer. The armored steel hull is surmounted by a two-man turret, which is
surprisingly roomy, and has a 20-mm cannon and a machine gun, together with
IR-sighting/vision equipment and a white-light searchlight. The main driver
sits in the front, while the radio operator sits in the rear where he can drive
the Luchs in reverse if needed. The interior is fully air-conditioned and has
NBC (nuclear, biological, chemical) protection. The fuel system is bulletproof
and the interior is fully protected with automatic firefighting equipment.
DATA:
Length: 25 ft, 5 in.
Width: 9 ft, 9 in.
Height: 9 ft, 4 in.
Weight: 42,990 lbs.
Crew: 4
Power: Daimler-Benz, 10-cyl, horizontally opposed, turbocharged, multi-fuel, 290 bhp (Diesel) or 300 bhp (gasoline)
Armament: one Rheinmetall Mk-20 20-mm auto-cannon, one 7.62-mm machine gun
Speed: 56 mph, forward/reverse
Range: 500 miles