Armored formations need reconnaissance elements that are extremely mobile, produce little noise to avoid detection, and have a large combat radius. The Luchs Armored Reconnaissance Vehicle was designed to fill that role.

The Luchs is a direct descendant of the 8-wheeled heavy armored cars developed during World War II, and it replaced the M41 Walker Bulldog light tank and the Hotchkiss reconnaissance vehicle, neither of which met all the necessary requirements.

Development of the Luchs began in 1964, with prototypes submitted by the Joint Project Office and Daimler Benz. The Daimler Benz design was selected for production, which began in 1975 and amounted to 408 vehicles.

The Luchs has a fully armored hull mounted on an 8x8 wheeled chassis that features all-wheel steering that provides unparalleled maneuverability. It is fully amphibious, being driven in the water by two steerable propellers and stabilized by a trim vane in the front.

The turret is located slightly forward of the hull center, and mounts the same 20mm dual-feed cannon as mounted on the Marder Infantry Fighting Vehicle. It also carries a 7.62mm coaxial machine gun, plus a 7.62mm weapon mounted on the turret roof for air defense. Two quadruple smoke dischargers are provided for battlefield obscuration, and the vehicle is fitted with an NBC protection and ventilation system.

The crew comprises four men: the driver (forward), commander, gunner, and radio operator/reard driver.

Power is provided by a 390hp Daimler Benz ten-cylinder diesel engine, which provides a top speed of 90 km/hr on roads, and 10 km/hr in water. The vehicle carries sufficient fuel to provide an 800 km cruising range.

The vehicle on display is a Joint Project Office prototype, which differs significantly from the Daimler Benz production vehicle.