IF you’re both a supercar and an off-road fan, the latest product from the Rezvani stable might just suit your needs.
So far the California-based maker of strange vehicles, like their formidable Tank, has released only two dark ‘teaser’ images of the Dune, which they say ‘was born to conquer the dunes.’
It’s claimed to be ‘the world’s first off-road supercar’ apparently unaware of Porsche’s 911 Dakar and Lamborghini’s Huracán Sterrato.
How many people in the world would want such a vehicle?
Rezvani reckons there are seven of them, so they’ve limited production of the Dune to that number.
“For decades, supercars have been built to chase perfect roads,” Rezvani says.
“Dune was created to give you the freedom to escape them.
“Powered by an intoxicating supercharged V10 producing 800 HP (that’s 596kW) Dune tears down the wall that has always separated exotic performance from untamed adventure.
“It brings the speed, sound, and emotion of a supercar into a world where pavement ends, boundaries disappear, and the horizon becomes the only destination.
“With its fully bespoke wide-body carbon fibre exterior, lifted performance suspension, aggressive tyres, supercharged powertrain and extensive suspension upgrades, Dune transforms one of the world’s most celebrated exotic platforms into something the automotive industry has never seen before.
“It is the thrill of a supercar set free.”
Not short of imagination, the makers say that behind the wheel, the Dune is designed to make every landscape feel like an invitation.
“Desert roads become runways. Mountain trails become racetracks. The sound of the supercharged engine cuts through the open air like thunder rolling across an empty canyon.”
If Tom Petty was still alive he’d probably have used those words in a song.
“Dune is much more than simply a lifted supercar.
“It is an entirely new species of performance vehicle — a machine that combines the pulse-raising theatre of an exotic car with the freedom to travel far beyond the places exotic cars were ever meant to go.
“It delivers a sensation that is difficult to compare to anything else: the feeling of piloting a supercar with no cage around it, no velvet rope in front of it, and no road telling it where it belongs.
“For the driver, Dune turns performance into discovery.
“It replaces the familiar ribbon of asphalt with sand, gravel, dirt, and open terrain. It transforms driving from an act of speed into an act of escape.”
At the heart of the Dune is a 5.2-litre supercharged V10, paired with an all-wheel-drive system engineered to dominate the dunes, or the roads.
“True to Rezvani’s DNA, Dune will offer aggressive and gorgeous design, paired with a powerful engine and off-road features.
“Supercars have always been designed for perfect roads,” company CEO Ferris Rezvani said.
“What if they weren’t?” we asked ourselves,
“Dune represents a new vision of what a supercar can be — not a machine confined to polished streets, but one built to chase the unknown.
“It was created to shatter expectations by combining the thrill of exotic supercars with the confidence to tackle terrain that exotic cars would never survive.
“It represents a completely new category of performance vehicle, and it’s unlike anything we’ve ever built.”
The Rezvani Dune will make its global debut any day now with full specifications, design details, and ordering information.
Meanwhile, insiders reckon the Dune most likely gets its power from a Lambo 5.2-litre, with a supercharger adding some 200hp to reach the claimed 800 ponies — or 596kW.
It will also get a full carbon fibre body for reduced weight, and the widebody stance and reinforced suspension bits should give it some impressive stability in off-road conditions.
Rezvani has in the past produced products such as its Tank and Vengeance.
The Tank is a military-inspired SUV for civilian and tactical use.
It’s built on a Jeep Wrangler chassis, and its high-end Military Package features B6 ballistic armour, run-flat military tyres, thermal night vision, and wild options like a 1000-horsepower (745kW) supercharged V8 and electrified door handles.
Vengeance is a heavily armoured, luxury three-row SUV based on the Cadillac Escalade.
There’s also the Rezvani Knight, a bullet-proof Lamborghini Urus, of which only 100 were built.
The images of the Dune suggest it’s lines are based on those of the off-road Huracán, but with a more aggressive roof-mounted air scoop.
Why will only seven Dunes be built?
One unkind source says it’s probably limited by the availability of factory-fresh Huracán Sterratos.
Anyway, if you’re one of the seven people worldwide who wants to tackle the dunes of the Great Victoria Desert, or any similar terrain at warp speed, you can book yours by sending US$1500 to Rezvani Motors.
The final price has not yet been announced, but we think you should brace yourself for about a million in Australian folding money.
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