Military auto news

Auctions: 1959 Vespa ACMA is the ultimate road-rage vehicle

If you've never laid eyes on a Vespa ACMA, allow us to introduce you. Manufactured for use in World War II, the scooter came equipped with a small cannon designed to launch rocket-propelled grenades.

Soldiers found an advantageous firing position, deployed stabilizers, plucked a grenade from a stylish wicker basket and fired upon the enemy, which, we should point out, was probably rolling happily along in a tank. Vespa ACMA, thy name is David. For obvious reasons, ACMA examples are plenty scarce. You can still find them, though, and if you want one to call your very own, we have good news for you.

The ACMA-obsessed crew over at Hemmings found an original example stored at a Messina military camp for the past 30 years. While the cannon has been deactivated, the rest of the Acma is in original and complete condition right down to the khaki green paint. If you like what you see, you'd better get your check book ready. This particular version is up for auction with an estimated final bid of $16,000 to $20,000. Head over to the COYS auction site for more information.

Report: Army trying to figure out what to do with 20,000 mine-resistant trucks

The venerable HMMWV served the United States military as the go-to vehicle for 25 solid years. Before that, various militarized Jeep models had been pressed into service since 1941, when the army first identified the need for a lightweight, all-terrain vehicle capable of carrying a few troops and all their gear into battle.

It seems the so-called Mine Resistant Ambush Protected Vehicle (MRAPS for short) aren't going to have the same kind of life expectancy as their predecessors. According to CNN, the military is finding it difficult to cook up uses for the 20,000 MRAPS it possesses that are no longer needed for the war in Iraq, where the threat of improvised explosive devises necessitated gigantic V-shaped hulls and several tons of armor.

Due to the sheer size and weight of the machines, along with the specialized nature of their design, the military isn't likely to continue using MRAPS in differing battlefield conditions after troops are pulled from Afghanistan in 2014. So, what will become of these 20,000 MRAPS? So far, the only option on the list is for mine clearing and explosive ordinance disposal. Thing is, they don't need 20,000 of them for that.

In any case, one thing is for certain: Lives were saved due to the ability of the MRAPS to protect U.S. troops from roadside explosives (see above). And for that, everyone is thankful. As far as the future goes... may we suggest heavily armored food trucks? Or perhaps the SEMA Show circuit?

Video: Watch a vintage Lamborghini Cheetah SUV promo

Lamborghini was in the off-road business before the cult classic LM002, cooperating with MTI on a military vehicle concept dubbed Cheetah in the mid-seventies that it hoped to sell to the U.S. armed forces. The 4,500-pound, fiberglass-bodied troop carrier used a 5.9-liter, 180-horsepower Chrysler engine mounted in back. Hardly Cheetah-like, the vehicle delivered lackluster performance and didn't handle well.

Even worse, it was a badly translated copy of a vehicle already made by another firm, which landed MTI and Lamborghini in court when the Cheetah was revealed at the 1977 Geneva Motor Show. The U.S. military tested the sole prototype and totaled it.

Perhaps this is the worst part: the Cheetah was such an expensive failure for Lamborghini that it was one of the reasons the company was unable to follow through on its commitment to BMW for the M1 project.

And with that history lesson digested, you'll get even more wry satisfaction from the narrator's dialogue in the Cheetah promo video, which you'll find just below.

Continue reading Watch a vintage Lamborghini Cheetah SUV promo

New York: Acura MDX ready to S.H.I.E.L.D. the Avengers from harm

Move over, Batmobile, and make room in the geekosphere for the latest comic book superhero ride.

Acura, as you may be aware, signed a multi-picture deal with Marvel to have its cars featured in a raft of superhero movies. The Japanese luxury brand's cars were there at the end of Captain America, they were there in Thor, and they'll be there in full force in the highly anticipated upcoming superhero spectacular, The Avengers.

Most prominent of these will be the NSX-like roadster Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) has been spotted driving on set, but that won't be the extent of it for the Honda brand. Feast your eyes on the MDX which Acura has prepared for the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement and Logistics Division - the fictitious government agency that brings the gang together.

The S.H.I.E.L.D. MDX with the Sentinel Package is, according to its ficticious Monroney, packs the same Palladium-powered titanium engine, nine-speed transmission and diamond quartz brakes as the Stark roadster, albeit packed into a more capacious form. It's got an aerial drone stored in a briefcase in the back, a cloaking device, bulletproof body, repulsor cannon and advanced targeting system.

So what would a fictitious vehicle like this set you back? MSRP (with destination and Sentinel package) is pegged at a nearly $6 million. Suck on that, Bugatti Veyron.

Video: Sand Flea robot goes where your R/C car can't

Your nitro-fueled R/C racer may look all badass and be really fast, but it's got its limitations. Namely, walls. The Sand Flea robot shown above, developed by Boston Dynamics, won't win any races or beauty contests, but it laughs at walls. More precisely, it just leaps over them.

The little bot, which scoots around like a regular all-terrain R/C car, is equipped with a CO2-powered piston that gives it the ability to leap 30 feet in the air. When presented with a challenge, the Sand Flea stops, tilts, and launches up and over the obstacle in front of it. The video showing it in action, posted after the jump, is simultaneously astonishing and hilarious (especially when you mentally add this sound effect to each leap). On a full charge, the Flea can make 25 jumps. A gyroscope keeps it stabilized while airborne, and its wheels act as the cushion upon landing.

Funding for the project comes from DARPA, the Joint IED Defeat Organization, and the Army's Rapid Equipping Force, and it's meant to bolster the military's ever-expanding arsenal of reconnaissance tools. As such, PopSci reports that the Sand Flea is headed to the Army Test and Evaluation Command for safety certification, after which several examples will head to Afghanistan for some real field testing.

Continue reading Sand Flea robot goes where your R/C car can't

Breaking: From Super Duty to Call of Duty: Ford could power U.S. military's future

The future of the U.S. Army's Joint Light Tactical Vehicle program might be powered by a Ford Motor Co. V-8.

BAE Systems, Northrup Grumman and Meritor Defenses said this afternoon that their proposed light fighting vehicle, which is called the Valanx, will have a Ford Power Stroke 6.7-liter diesel engine under its steel hood. (And likely a .50 cal on its roof.)

If it's good enough for the Super Duty, it's good enough for a Call of Duty.

"Ford products have a reputation for dependability and performance, even under challenging conditions," said Ann Hoholick, BAE Systems Vice President of Amphibious & New Programs in the release.

Ford had dropped out of the JLTV program, which is searching for the next fighting machine to replace the venerable Humvee for the U.S. military. Ford is not a partner with the group but did provide a statement this afternoon.

"We're proud of Ford's 6.7-liter Power Stroke V8 diesel engines and their best-in-class power, durability and fuel economy," said Ford spokesman Mike Levine. "And we are proud the engines were chosen to be part of BAE's JLTV entry."

Let's just hope that engine is as bulletproof.

Continue reading From Super Duty to Call of Duty: Ford could power U.S. military's future

Chicago: U.S. Army's CERV puts a machine gun on a "green" military vehicle

It used to be that we couldn't even find a picture of the U.S. Army's Clandestine Extended Range Vehicle (CERV), but times have changed.

At the 2012 Chicago Auto Show, the Army's Tank Automotive Research, Development and Engineering Center (TARDEC) displayed the CERV, which uses a diesel-hybrid "Q-Force" powertrain from Quantum that Quantum says, "saves taxpayer dollars and - most importantly - saves Soldiers' lives."

With a top speed of 80 miles per hour and a "run-silent" range of eight miles (we assume this means all-electric range), the CERV prototype can produce over 5,000 pound-feet of torque and go up hills with up to 60-percent grades. It does all this while using 25 percent less fuel, which is critical when you have to pay up to $400 a gallon to use the stuff in theater.

The Army says that today's soldier uses an average of 22 gallons of gasoline a day. In World War II, it was one gallon a day.

Continue reading U.S. Army's CERV puts a machine gun on a "green" military vehicle

Drive a Tank adds mobile home crushing

We checked driving a tank off our list of 1,001 Car Things To Do Before You Die in The List #0433 - or at least our hosts, Jessi and Patrick, did. They performed this feat at the aptly named Drive A Tank company in Kasota, Minnesota.

Drive A Tank offers a number of packages that include not only piloting up to three tanks in a day, but also history lessons on the usage of tanks in battle, a tour of their facilities and the chance to fire some historic military firearms. As Jessie herself experienced, there's even a Car Crush package that lets you drive a Chieftain Main Battle Tank over an auto that's past its prime.

But crushing a car may not be enough for you, which is why Drive A Tank just added mobile home crushing to its list of options. According to co-owner Tory Borglum, crushing cars has been a big hit with customers, but once the crush bug had bitten them, people wanted more. And so, Tony and company began intercepting mobile homes headed to the junkyard for one more fling on their tank course.

The Mobile Home Crush package starts at $500 and goes up to $3,495. Drive a Tank has also expanded its fleet of available military vehicles to drive with some non-treaded transports. New to the company this year are two M35 2½-ton cargo trucks and a GMV-spec military Humvee.

Continue reading Drive a Tank adds mobile home crushing

Report: Small town up in arms over armored transport vehicle purchase [w/video]

Despite tight budgets at all levels of government, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is still giving local law enforcement agencies military vehicles. According to a report in The Huffington Post, a small town in New Hampshire was set to receive an armored personnel vehicle before one local resident launched a petition drive to block the acquisition.

The Keene, NH, police department was going to get its own Lenco BearCat, a vehicle the town's mayor reportedly described as a "tank." However, citizens in the town of 23,000 revolted, according to the article, with nearly 100 of them packing a city council meeting in opposition. Critics said the vehicle promoted violence, and cited a promotional video for the BearCat that shows gun-wielding cops using one of the armored trucks to knock down the door of a house and spray tear gas inside. The issue is scheduled to come up again at next month's meeting.

A $285,933 grant from DHS would pay for the eight-ton military truck. The Huffington Post cites a report from the Center for Investigative Reporting stating that $34 billion of similar grants have been issued since Sept. 11, 2001.

A Lenco spokesman criticized some of the citizens who spoke out against his firm's vehicle, calling them "crazy" and saying, "When a Lenco Bearcat shows up at a crime scene where a suicidal killer is holding hostages, it doesn't show up with a cannon. It shows up with a negotiator. Our trucks save lives," according to the article.

Click past the jump to watch the Lenco BearCat promotional video, featuring AC-DC's "Thunderstruck."

Continue reading Small town up in arms over armored transport vehicle purchase [w/video]

Video: Chinese military truck shows off its all-terrain chops

The Chinese automotive industry is an emerging force. Never mind all the foreign automakers setting up joint ventures in the world's most populous country, or the recognized European marques being gobbled up by Chinese conglomerates. The Chinese domestic brands are also capable of making serious vehicles with serious capabilities. Like this off-road military truck, for example.

Built by Wuhan-based Xiaolong Automotive, the XLW2090 is one of a dozen or so configurations the company builds on an adaptable chassis. The three-axle off-road truck packs a 4.5-liter Cummins four-cylinder diesel engine, over 17 inches of ground clearance, a 55.5-degree approach angle and a claimed 7,700-pound payload. That's all well and fine, but what really impresses us is what it can do when the road gets more than a little bumpy. Follow the jump to watch the brief video clip.

Continue reading Chinese military truck shows off its all-terrain chops