Waterboro, Maine - Howe and Howe originally developed its Ripsaw EV2 as a rapid response, go-anywhere tracked vehicle for military interdiction.
Powered by a 441kW turbodiesel, its performance was awe-inspiring and, even at more than $500 000 (R6.75 million) each, the company found more demand for luxury versions, as a sort of extreme snowmobile, than from military customers.
And, inevitably, somebody with more money than brains asked for more power. Lots more.
727 cubic inch (12 litre) V8 delivers 1100kW. Picture: Howe and Howe
The result is the Ripsaw SSR1, the ultimate sports tank. In place of the EV2’s modified Duramax engine, there’s a 12-litre naturally aspirated petrol V8 delivering an insane 1100kW - and judging from the soundtrack of the video below, we have no reason to doubt that.
While it is almost certainly the most impractical vehicle ever built, it must be an absolute blast to drive and if we could afford it, we’d have one just to go and play on the mine-dumps at weekends.
It’s not only the world’s fastest tracked vehicle by a decisive margin, it’s also the first tank capable of pulling a wheelie - or should that be a trackie? Crank up the amps and check out the video to see what we mean.