Did you ever look at Sebastian Loeb’s Dakar Rally racer, thinking it would make for a fine road-legal machine, albeit with extra oomph, more suspension travel, and a redesigned cockpit? We certainly didn’t, but if you somehow said yes, then your prayers have been answered.
Meet the Prodrive Hunter, a road-legal vehicle inspired by the Bahrain Raid Xtreme put through its paces in the Dakar Rally by nine-time World Rally Champion Sebastian Loeb. Just like its sibling designed for competition purposes, it is said to thrive in sand,and on arduous mountain tracks, and it is actually even more extreme.
You see, while the Bahrain Raid Xtreme has to comply with all sorts of regulations, the Prodrive Hunter doesn’t. As a result, the team behind it has increased the power of the twin-turbo 3.5-liter V6 engine by 50%. The 600+ hp (609 ps/448 kW) and 516 lb-ft (700 Nm) of torque produced, and channeled to the wheels via a six-speed automatic transmission with paddle shifters instead of the sequential gearbox used in the racer, enable a 0-62 mph (0-100 kph) in under 4 seconds, the company estimates, and a top speed of almost 186 mph (300 kph).
On top of that, it retains the racer’s double-wishbone suspension on both axles, with twin adjustable dampers on each corner, boasting 15.75 in (400 mm) of travel, a 2-in (50-mm) increase. Thus, it offers “a smoother ride and even greater ability to cross the roughest terrain at speeds unimaginable in any other vehicle,” Prodrive says. Stopping power is provided by the six-pot racing calipers and vented discs all around.
Contributing to its insane performance is the high-tensile steel space frame chassis. The light carbon composite bodywork retains the looks of the competition car, otherwise designed by Ian Callum, who contributed to this project by sketching out the new interior. Speaking of which, it has a center console that houses the traditional controls normally found in a street-legal car, as well as a digital display that provides critical information to the driver. The safety cage and bucket seats with racing harnesses are part of the build.
The first units of the Prodrive Hunter, which will take a massive swing at the upcoming Lamborghini Huracan Sterrato and new Porsche 911 Safari (Cross Turismo), will be shipped later this year. Pricing will start at £1.25 million, before tax, or over $1.6 million at the current exchange rates.
You see, while the Bahrain Raid Xtreme has to comply with all sorts of regulations, the Prodrive Hunter doesn’t. As a result, the team behind it has increased the power of the twin-turbo 3.5-liter V6 engine by 50%. The 600+ hp (609 ps/448 kW) and 516 lb-ft (700 Nm) of torque produced, and channeled to the wheels via a six-speed automatic transmission with paddle shifters instead of the sequential gearbox used in the racer, enable a 0-62 mph (0-100 kph) in under 4 seconds, the company estimates, and a top speed of almost 186 mph (300 kph).
On top of that, it retains the racer’s double-wishbone suspension on both axles, with twin adjustable dampers on each corner, boasting 15.75 in (400 mm) of travel, a 2-in (50-mm) increase. Thus, it offers “a smoother ride and even greater ability to cross the roughest terrain at speeds unimaginable in any other vehicle,” Prodrive says. Stopping power is provided by the six-pot racing calipers and vented discs all around.
Contributing to its insane performance is the high-tensile steel space frame chassis. The light carbon composite bodywork retains the looks of the competition car, otherwise designed by Ian Callum, who contributed to this project by sketching out the new interior. Speaking of which, it has a center console that houses the traditional controls normally found in a street-legal car, as well as a digital display that provides critical information to the driver. The safety cage and bucket seats with racing harnesses are part of the build.
The first units of the Prodrive Hunter, which will take a massive swing at the upcoming Lamborghini Huracan Sterrato and new Porsche 911 Safari (Cross Turismo), will be shipped later this year. Pricing will start at £1.25 million, before tax, or over $1.6 million at the current exchange rates.