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Terradyne Gurkha RPV Civilian Edition Is the Closest Thing to a Tank on the Road

When a car needs to have the “Civilian Edition” in its name to separate it from the “non Civilian Edition,” you just know you’re in for something special.
2015 Terradyne Gurkha RPV Civilian Edition 11 photos
Photo: Terradyne
2015 Terradyne Gurkha RPV Civilian Edition2015 Terradyne Gurkha RPV Civilian Edition2015 Terradyne Gurkha RPV Civilian Edition2015 Terradyne Gurkha RPV Civilian Edition2015 Terradyne Gurkha RPV Civilian Edition2015 Terradyne Gurkha RPV Civilian Edition2015 Terradyne Gurkha RPV Civilian Edition2015 Terradyne Gurkha RPV Civilian Edition2015 Terradyne Gurkha RPV Civilian Edition2015 Terradyne Gurkha RPV Civilian Edition
Terradyne Armored Vehicles is a well-known Canadian manufacturer of... armored vehicles that are normally destined for military or police use. Whether you’re aware of it or not, you’ve probably already seen some of them on the news or in the movies, but they were most likely LAPV or MPV versions.

The one you see here is the RPV, equipped with five seats, windows all around and military grade armor. Why would you need that? Well, just ask the people buying those armored limousines like the Mercedes-Benz S-Class or Audi A8.

Unlike those cars, the Terradyne Gurkha RPV Civilian Edition doesn’t even make the slightest attempt to pass as a regular car, opting instead for an aggressive look that will undoubtedly clear its path on a busy avenue.

The whole project is based on a Ford F-550 pickup, but use that simply as a reference since very little is left untouched. The Gurkha RPV Civilian Edition comes with a 40-gallon fuel tank (151 liters), a size it will surely need since the 13,500 lb (6,123 kg) weight won’t help with the fuel consumption.

Neither will the 6,7-liter V8 turbodiesel engine developing 300 hp and some much needed 660 lb-ft of torque (894 Nm). If those 300 hp seem a little underwhelming, then try to focus on the delivery of torque - while not exactly drag racing material, this car will have no problem reaching that 68 mph (110 km/h) top speed imposed by the off-road tires.

In terms of actual protection, besides the scary looks that will fend off all but the most determined wrongdoers, the Gurkha comes with a cabin that can withstand attacks from 7.62 X 51 mm armor piercing rounds thanks to a dual wall high-density steel construction.

Now, here comes the fun part. You would expect this car to cost nothing short of a fortune since it’s very close to the kind of equipment bought by army forces around the world, and we all know the budgets they have and how eager they are to spend them. Instead, the 2015 Terradyne Gurkha RPV Civilian Edition costs a mere $278,000 in its base spec. Plenty of money, but it will bring you complete peace of mind no matter where you go.

Find out more about the Gurkha RPV by visiting Terradyne’s website.
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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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