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Rezvani TANK Is Your U.S.-Made Alternative to the Dartz Armored SUV

The name Rezvani has long been associated with "the Beast" - a tiny sports car with not so tiny performance figures. It was based on the already radical Ariel Atom and spawned several versions including the top-of-the-range Alpha X with 600 hp and a 0-60 mph of 3.2 seconds.
Rezvani TANK 36 photos
Photo: Rezvani Motors
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The California-based coachbuilder has now moved as far away from what the Beast stands for as possible with its new project it teased earlier this year. The starting point this time was a Jeep Wrangler, and the end product - a weird-looking SUV that Rezvani calls the "world's first true tactical urban vehicle." Whatever that means.

We guess the name - spelled with capitals - says it all. The TANK is as close as you can get to owning a vehicle that can get you out of any situation without having to give the Latvians at Dartz a call. It looks like something you can only buy if you can prove you already own a cave, you lost your parents, and you have a butler. It has "crime-fighting machine" written all over it.

And it's not just a visual thing. The Rezvani TANK actually gets optional Kevlar ballistic armor, a Kevlar constructed fuel tank, B6 glass everywhere, and even night vision and thermal cameras. Nobody will probably ever use these things other than to have some fun, but they make the whole vehicle sound a lot more interesting.

All that weight added on the Jeep Wrangler chassis required a new engine, so Rezvani installed an SRT 6.4-liter V8 unit capable of delivering 500 horsepower. The very high ground clearance and bulky off-road tires coupled with the Jeep underpinnings mean it's perfectly capable of taking its life-saving attributes off the beaten track as well, though we suspect the main reason behind them was the more imposing presence.

If the exterior is rugged in appearance, the interior has been tuned for luxury. The dashboard is still instantly recognizable, but you get soft carpets, a new suede headliner, seats wrapped in stitched leather, a head-up display, and a 7.9-inch infotainment touchscreen. Rezvani also installed a pair of suicide doors in the rear for improved ease of access as well as a bit of drama.

The SUV is expected to cost $178,500, but that's without the optional protective elements. We can only guess what the price of a fully-loaded one will be, but if you really need all that stuff, then you probably won't care what it costs as long as it might save your skin one day.

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About the author: Vlad Mitrache
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"Boy meets car, boy loves car, boy gets journalism degree and starts job writing and editing at a car magazine" - 5/5. (Vlad Mitrache if he was a movie)
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