The modern automotive sector is all about sustainability. Sustainability of manufacturing, supply chains, and the sustainability of environments that cars and trucks drive around in. That's why everything's going all-electric, and you, the consumer, don't have a gosh darn say in the matter. But what if a notion like that really ticks you off? What if you want a full-sized custom luxury SUV that doesn't give a rat's behind about any of this?
This is the Hardman Label, the kind of baller custom truck for people who have enough money to decide not to participate in the global electric revolution. It's here right at the front entrance to the 2023 New York International Auto Show, so it must be something truly special. The kind of big-baller athletes that absolutely have to drive the meanest vehicle at the practice facility parking lot in order to maintain their larger-than-life public images. Never mind that the darn thing runs on the same chassis as the all-too-common Ford F-150. It's all about what's rocking on this truck's exterior.
From a distance, you almost get the impression the Hardman Label is some kind of police or even a tactical military vehicle. At least, the black-painted example parked to the left of the gold-painted blingmobile looks a bit like an APC. It's easy to assume there are mounts for machine guns or grenade launchers on the Hardman's stylized, flared roof. But no, any inclination you may have that the hardman label is a military vehicle comes from the liberal use of flared body panels and wheel arches.
Meaning, of course, if one were to fire an anti-tank round at a Hardman Label, it's going to explode into millions of tiny pieces. A bit of a worry if you're in a city under active military siege, but not all that concerning cruising the streets of New York to the tune of sub-ten MPG fuel economy. You can thank the Hardman Label's pants-splitting curb weight of 5,778 lbs (2620.8 kg). That's roughly half a ton more than the stock F-150 chassis with a 3.5-liter, twin-turbo V6 the Hardman Label is based upon.
So then, so much for environmental sustainability. After all, that's only something people who can't drop $198,000 on a whim for a non-Bentley and non-Rolls-Royce luxury SUV based on a pickup truck have to contend with. Moving to the interior, there are all the luxury accouterments any certified baller can't live without. Items like hand-trimmed and polished wood with acres of plush carpets, soft brown leather, and a wealth of integrated audio equipment make for a nice place for a pop artist to listen to their new album on the way back from the hotel from the release party.
Photo: Benny Kirk/ autoevolution
With the traditional three rows of seating standard in SUVs this size replaced with four leather captain's chairs, there's a sense everyone who rides in the back of a Hardman Label is meant to feel like a king. Or, more accurately, feel like a baller. We must admit, as much as we were ready to open the taps on this interior for feeling cheap or not as well put together as a mainstream luxury SUV. But the truth of the matter is the passenger cabin in the Hardman label is its pound-for-pound best attribute.
The super expensive bottle of top-shelf liquor located in the front of the passenger compartment only accentuates the idea that this is an ultra-exclusive, VIP kind of place to spend your time. Never mind that a Bentley Bentayga likely has all the same luxurious attributes at roughly the same price point, with the benefit of Audi/VW making sure all the fit and finish leaves the factory as it should.
When you have a vehicle that's this customized and this special, you can at least understand why some millionaires might prefer this over something more established.Then again, that all falls apart when you take a seat inside the driver's compartment. At which point, you'll find, apart from the nicely trimmed leather seats and wood accents on the door cards, the Hardman Label sports the same steering wheel, gauges, instrument cluster, and the same gear stick arrangement you'd find in a Ford F-150 pickup truck.
You even get the same iconic Ford door chime every time you open the door. After all the effort Hardman went through to make their Label SUV special, skimping out on the driver's cabin is a dubious choice. Indeed, it's kind of difficult to envision anyone who isn't a pop star, a very well-paid pro athlete, or a social media influencer having any interest whatsoever in driving around in or being chauffeured inside a Hardman Label.
Photo: Benny Kirk/ autoevolution
That's a clientele pool that's roughly a mile wide but about as shallow as a birdbath. Besides, if we were Logan Paul, Drake, or Aaron Judge, we'd have probably just wound up in a Lamborghini Urus or a Bentley Bentayga anyway. Though it must be said, having the option of something custom is always a positive.
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