Like M. Schmidt, I too miss our dearly departed 2010 Ford SVT Raptor.
Maybe we can replace it with this.
I spotted this bad boy, property of the US Navy, at the 2011 X-Games over the summer.
It's called M-ATV, a Special Forces All Terrain Vehicle with USN markings. This vehicle is used by US Naval Special Warfare Command (NSW) by our top Special Operations sailors.
If you're in the Teams and have actually driven this thing, let me know and I'll post your driving impressions (it's supposed to drive like a dump truck.)
More photos and a brief spec sheet on the jump.
Albert Austria, Senior VE Engineer
DLu says:
06:38 AM, 09/23/11
Meh, the Raptors and H2s of the world looks like little bunnys and kittens next to the Maurauder (not Mercury), a la Top Gear.
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tWX0hFKThu4/Tgify9MPQdI/AAAAAAAEnlo/As3tUW4qZ0I/s1600/Marauder_1.JPG
ed124c says:
06:52 AM, 09/23/11
I would like to see Leroy Jethro Gibbs driving this. I imagine Ziva already has-- the Israelis get all the good stuff.
I am also imagining an Edmunds editors conference*, revolving around how to get hold of one of these and test drive it. Car and Driver still does this kind of off-the-wall stuff.
*Ladies not allowed, of course. (Except maybe Erin)
DLu says:
07:21 AM, 09/23/11
Can this thing survive an explosing like the Maurauder did (Top Gear Season 17 Ep 1)? :)
breif says:
08:23 AM, 09/23/11
DLu,
This will survive the explosion in better shape than the Marauder did. This is a generation newer.
lazyhater says:
08:41 AM, 09/23/11
ed124c, car & driver did test drive it and have a full detail article on it:
http://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/car/10q1/oshkosh_m-atv-specialty_file
My cousin is in fact, a sales person for the M-ATV, I am not kidding. Maybe she can arrange for a test drive for Edmunds :p
fiberglassfly says:
08:51 AM, 09/23/11
Our son drove both this week.Said the M-ATV drove like a Miata compared to the MRAP.
bodyblue says:
10:37 AM, 09/23/11
"I would like to see Leroy Jethro Gibbs driving this. I imagine Ziva already has-- the Israelis get all the good stuff."
The NCIS and LA premier was this week! Yaaaaaay! They have new Chargers this season....
agentorange says:
12:56 PM, 09/23/11
I'll have one in light metallic blue with the 7.62 NATO Gatling gun option.
hybris says:
02:52 PM, 09/23/11
I'll take one with in Matte Nightmare Black with a dual M2 Browning .50 turret and the optional Mark 19 "Grenadier's Delight" package.
dracy69 says:
08:58 PM, 09/23/11
OshKosh placed a huge order from the company i work at last year
one of our cooler customers I must say
onkeludo says:
04:35 AM, 09/26/11
ed124c said:
"I would like to see Leroy Jethro Gibbs driving this. I imagine Ziva already has-- the Israelis get all the good stuff."
The Isreali's and South Africans (depending on who you ask) created this class of vehicle. The water-filled v-hull mine resistant vehicle. For a while the US bought Casspirs and Mambas from South Africa for use in Iraq. Then they produced a few under license. The portal axles (Mamba) made field repairs easy and the narrow width made urban warfare in tight streets possible...so what did we come out with....
The enormous series of ever larger MRAPS with solid axles, the ability to carry a squad and no ability to maneuver in a market town. They can survive all but the most powerful or well designed shape charges but it rolls over at the slightest provocation (most deaths are from gunners in a roll-over). Also, the lack of independent suspension made them all but useless in a lot of areas of Afghanistan...so, we came out with the M-ATV.
I never got to the drive the M-ATV but I rode in one. Seemed about as agile as A1 Humvee before up-armoring. Friends in Afghanistan report that they are much better in the road-less terrain but they are suffering a lot of fast-track deployment issues...much like the MRAP's.
dmos says:
10:14 AM, 09/27/11
When I go by the motor pool tomorrow I'll ask one of the yankees for their thoughts on the three vehicles. All of them (HUMVEE, MATV and MRAP) are in use where I'm currently in Afghanistan.