In the modern age of automobiles, nothing goes too far. In fact, many OE supercar manufacturers revel in their reputation for excess, catering their features to the luxurious whims of their clientele, who are growing increasingly keen on buying their SUVs rather than the traditional sport coupes. But what happens when you grow bored of reclining massage seats with footrests, heated steering wheels and flat screen displays? One company out of Irvine, California seeks to cure the biggest problem with modern luxury SUVs—they’re no fun.
Introducing the Rezvani Tank. Not your typical 4x4 by any stretch, the Tank is the latest creation from auto manufacturer Rezvani Motors, which first arrived on the scene with their debut supercar, called “Beast.” Soon after, they saw the opportunity to bring an exciting new 4x4 SUV to the market. While the engineers and designers at Rezvani focused on building a highly capable off-road vehicle, they left room for some of the coolest and most unique features found on any civilian vehicle on the road today. The end result was the Tank, Tank X and Tank Military edition. With three trim levels, each carrying a list of standard and optional equipment packages, Rezvani brought the imagination of spy movie cars to a fun and exciting 4x4 SUV, and made it available to the public. Here are six of the coolest optional gadgets and features of the Rezvani Tank.
1. Hellcat V8
Kicking off our list is probably the most boring feature of them all, but that’s hardly an accurate word to describe it. The Tank comes standard with a 6.4L Hemi V8, but has the option for a 707hp supercharged Hellcat crate engine. While Hellcat-powered SUVs aren’t exactly new to the automotive world (Jeep’s new Grand Cherokee Trackhawk has one in it), it’s definitely cool to see a powerful motor under the hood of an already very capable 4x4.
2. Bulletproof Armor
This is where things begin to get interesting. Rezvani outfitted the Tank with bulletproof glass and body armor as added safety measures. The Military version even has underside explosive protection. Essentially, this would be the safest vehicle to be inside if you lived in a war zone. The reality is that most of the Tank’s consumer base will likely never have a need for this level of protection, but it’s pretty cool to brag about.
3. Shocking Doors
If the bulletproof doors weren’t enough to deter the bad guys, and an attacker tries to force their way into the Tank, one flip of a switch on the dash arms the door handles with a high voltage electric signal. Anyone who grabs the handle will undoubtedly be needing some new pants, and definitely won’t be getting into the vehicle. This kind of defense mechanism is one we hadn’t seen on any kind of vehicle before, and it was certainly one of our favorite features of the Tank. However, we opted-out of experiencing a first-hand “demonstration.”
4. Thermal Night Vision
The Tank isn’t all about defense. This next feature can be used as more of a surveillance tool than anything else, but it does serve some practical purposes in when off-roading. The front of the Rezvani Tank is outfitted with a FLIR (forward-looking infrared) camera, capable of projecting heat signatures onto the in-dash display. It also works as a night-vision camera, which makes it possible to see in front of the vehicle in complete darkness. Not only does this give the Tank a stealthy way of sneaking around with the lights off, but it can aid the driver in driving through bad weather conditions such as fog or heavy rain, as well as detecting any animals that may be on the trail ahead.
5. Tack Deployment
The Tank’s defense mechanisms aren’t only useful while stationary. One of the most interesting (and effective) optional features you can add onto your Tank build is a tack deployment system. The idea is simple. Push a button on the dashboard and a compartment under the rear cargo area of the Tank deploys several dozen steel tacks onto the roadway behind you, puncturing the tires of whatever vehicle that may be following you. It’s like something right out of an old Bond movie, leaving your enemies in the dust, scrambling to hijack another car to continue the chase!
6. Smoke Screen
Speaking of Bond films, our last feature is also inspired by the gadgets you’d find on a secret agent’s getaway car, but slightly less damaging than a bunch of tacks on the road. Push a different button on the dash and smoke will begin to bellow out from behind the Tank, obscuring the vision of the bad guys behind you, letting you escape freely. We were really interested in how exactly this system worked, so we took a closer look. A separate reservoir under the hood holds coolant, but it’s not for cooling the motor down. When the system is activated, this coolant is injected into the exhaust, where it instantly evaporates into a thick white smoke and is forced out a separate tailpipe by the pressure in the exhaust system. Simple, yet very effective.
The Rezvani Tank is one of the most imaginative vehicles on the market. Its long list of unconventional features may not be useful to the average American, but then again, it’s not marketed to the average American. With price tags beginning at $165,000 and jumping to more than $350,000 for a Military edition with all the options, this big boy toy will likely be seen in the garages of Hollywood stars, pro athletes and featured in blockbuster films. One thing is for sure: The Tank definitely captures the imagination of the geeky, action movie nerd inside all of us.
