Photo: Applied Minds
Think your father's V8-powered recreational vehicle is cool? That might be so, but it's not as cool as the KiraVan, which looks like it could go across Mongolia, survive the zombie apocalypse and double as a gaming room, all at the same time.
This awesome-looking RV turned offroader is the work of inventor Bran Ferren, who wanted to make a mobile home away from home for himself and four-year old daughter Kira, after who he named the vehicle.
Ferren is co-founder and chief creative officer of tech firm Applied Minds. Over the years, he's worked as a location scout for Hollywood movies and built another expedition vehicle called the MaxiMog a few years ago. Like that model, KiraVan is based around a Mercedes-Benz Unimog, but has been heavily modified.
What you guys are looking at is only a rendering of the real thing. But when everything is finished at the end of the year, KiraVan will be able to travel for up to 2,000 miles without needing fuel supplies. This self-sustained home on wheels can traverse rivers and climb 45 degree slopes, thanks to the sturdy 260 horsepower Mercedes diesel engine.
Though it is articulated, don't think of it as a tractor+trailer. Like some military vehicles, even the rear-most axle can be powered, making this a 6x6. Normal tires would have been a liability if one of them were to develop a puncture hundreds of miles away from any roads. So KiraVan is equipped with 46-inch tires with Kevlar shields like some armored personal carriers.
The rear passenger cell is complete with a 25 kW diesel electric generator that's very quiet, a mobile office for geological research and a fully stocked kitchen. There's even a sleeping area for three people and a working bathroom with a multi-faceted skylight. The on-board toilet incinerates all waste into non-toxic powder.
Ferren is co-founder and chief creative officer of tech firm Applied Minds. Over the years, he's worked as a location scout for Hollywood movies and built another expedition vehicle called the MaxiMog a few years ago. Like that model, KiraVan is based around a Mercedes-Benz Unimog, but has been heavily modified.
What you guys are looking at is only a rendering of the real thing. But when everything is finished at the end of the year, KiraVan will be able to travel for up to 2,000 miles without needing fuel supplies. This self-sustained home on wheels can traverse rivers and climb 45 degree slopes, thanks to the sturdy 260 horsepower Mercedes diesel engine.
Though it is articulated, don't think of it as a tractor+trailer. Like some military vehicles, even the rear-most axle can be powered, making this a 6x6. Normal tires would have been a liability if one of them were to develop a puncture hundreds of miles away from any roads. So KiraVan is equipped with 46-inch tires with Kevlar shields like some armored personal carriers.
The rear passenger cell is complete with a 25 kW diesel electric generator that's very quiet, a mobile office for geological research and a fully stocked kitchen. There's even a sleeping area for three people and a working bathroom with a multi-faceted skylight. The on-board toilet incinerates all waste into non-toxic powder.
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