SUV Not Big Enough for You? Try an XUV

[Mugu]

Daily Tech

While most automakers are jumping on the trend of smaller, more fuel-efficient cars, Alton Manufacturing has taken the opposite route. They've created a whole new vehicle category with their extreme-SUV variant, the "XUV"

The XUV weighs in at an eye-popping 13 tons, and includes such features as hardwood floors, a 42 inch plasma TV, two smaller drop-down TVs, a 42-speaker sound system, custom captain's chairs, and four computer workstations.

Oh, and a train horn too ... in case someone doesn't see you coming.

Based on a modified Ford F-650 platform, the XUV is powered by a 7.2L turbocharged diesel engine built by Caterpillar. The purchase price will set you back nearly 200 gran, a figure that likely pales besides the estimated annual fuel bill.



Complete article

[Hawkeye-X]

1. Probably carries .01 to the gallon

with about 30-40 gallon tank, but the looks of it *shrug*

[Ellen Forradalom]

2. Is that thing even street legal?

What the hell??

[catnhatnh]

20. Yes-it is....

a normal class 1 (automobile) liscence is rated good for vehicles under 26,500 GVW-hence 13 tons means any rich asshole can drive one.....

[NutmegYankee]

35. Mostly.

It may not be allowed over smaller 2 lane bridges with 8-10 ton capacities. I'm sure the asshole driver will actually obey the signs:eyes:

[Starbucks Anarchist]

3. Wearing a T-shirt that says "I'm an asshole" is much cheaper.

[margotb822]

13. hahahaha

maybe they could throw in a free one if you buy it.

[jhrobbins]

40. I'm getting on the waiting list right now-fuck the environment.

:sarcasm:

[lonestarnot]

51. ROFL

:rofl:

[proud patriot]

4. holy eXcess Batman

x(

[Ellipsis]

5. Yes, but does it have stow away seats?

:P

[varelse]

6. 200k? The elective surgery is probably a better bargain...

Comment from the link:

That thing looks like a joke. Anyone who buys it will be pimping there ride, it's just to stupid looking to even show a girl or drive down the highway in.

Women the world over will be wondering how small your johnson is if you buy this vehicle.

:rofl:

[FVZA_Colonel]

30. I'm pretty sure that

even female astronauts on the International Space Station will be wondering that once these things start hitting the streets.

[silverweb]

7. Who would actually buy that monstrosity?

I just can't see any individual even wanting it.

Maybe a corporation to shuttle around groups of execs? That's absolutely the only use I can see for it.

:shrug:

[LeftyMom]

10. I'm thinking it's for celebrities, athletes- people who suddenly come into money but lack sense.

It's ostentatious and it's got room for a whole clique of sycophants, it's perfect for the celebrity party circuit.

[silverweb]

15. Ah, yes!

I never thought of them. Yup, I think you're right. Showoffs with sycophants and no sense -- what a perfect match.

[Ellipsis]

19. LOL! Shaq has one.

[Rosemary2205]

56. Good call. LOL

:)

LOL

[XOKCowboy]

44. Most F650 Pickups I've seen are bought by businesses..

as a rolling billboard. Put your companies logo on it and take it to trade shows to draw people to your booth. A commercial F650 is usually sold for use with an 16'-20' box on the back like this



Nice medium duty truck.

Then some people decided that their F350s were for for pussies and took that same chassis, put a pickup bed on it and started coming out with these.




Oh and there's even a video about offroading one.. Isn't this special.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DsD4QnKS7Xo

The XUV is just the same but with a built-in play area in the back.

Hey I like Ford pickups. I grew up driving them. This is just a rich mans toy though. Like others have said some much more eloquently than I ever could. :)

[silverweb]

69. Those are truly hideous.

n/t

[nashville_brook]

63. Ashton Kutcher drives a similar vehicle...

i'm told by my car-enthusiast b/f.


ick.

[silverweb]

70. Ick is right.

n/t

[housewolf]

8. Don't worry, Congress will probablly "fix" the tax code

so as to give a 200K tax deduction for it, like they did for the Hummers when they were mass-produced

[hellbound-liberal]

9. You probably get a tax break for buying one too!

I expect to see oil company execs driving around in them. And we'll be paying for their gas.

[Fox Mulder]

11. Jesus Christ.

It's a bit excessive, isn't it? Just what we need, many of them driving on the roads.

[calimary]

12. Reminds me of what Chevy Chase drove in the National Lampoon's Vacation movies.

What a monstrosity. And yeah, one of the responses was spot-on. Women all over the world will be wondering how small your package is if you're lumbering around in this - uh - thing.

Go figure.

[shadowknows69]

14. That's bigger than my first apartment

And costs more than my mother's house.

[baldguy]

22. In a pinch you could live in it.

[Earth_First]

16. Explain to me how you wouldn't need a CDL to drive this vehicle?

If the GVW of the vehicle is 13 tons; why wouldn't you need an endorsement to drive this vehicle?

In New York State, you need a CDL-A to drive anything over and including 26,000 GVWR, which is 13 tons.

[A HERETIC I AM]

32. Because it is probably just under 26,000 pounds....

It isn't a commercial vehicle and it probably does not have air brakes. On edit to add this link; http://www.thef650.com/extreme_ford_f650.html which states "The Extreme Ford F650 has a heavy-duty braking system. The high-efficiency hydraulic brake system is standard on 18,000-pound, 24,500-pound, 26,000-pound and 30,000-pound GVWR models. The air brake system is standard on 33,000-pound GVWR models and optional on others."

Bear in mind you can buy one of these:

which is MUCH heavier and does have air brakes and not need a commercial license to drive it.

[XOKCowboy]

46. That truck doesn't weigh 13 Tons

Our 24' truck had a heavier suspension and we loaded it with some super heavy stuff (sound and light gear) to get to 25950 lbs (it's GVWR).

I believe the article noted the GVWR of the vehicle and confused it with the weight of the the vehicle.

[JohnyCanuck]

17. I'd get one,

but only if it came with a built in hot tub. :rofl:

[FVZA_Colonel]

31. Don't laugh,

there are probably already plenty of assholes hoping to add that as a custom feature.

[ZombieHorde]

18. These types of vehicles are great for instantly recognizing idiots.

Very handy.

[BlooInBloo]

21. I hate everything the very few rich people do and buy! wah!

[Liberal_in_LA]

23. damn. Looks like a bus

[baldguy]

24. I'm sure it comes in tangerine yellow

[ThatsMyBarack]

71. How about hot pink?

:puke:

[and-justice-for-all]

25. Do you need a CDL to drive that Earth Destroyer? nt

[pansypoo53219]

26. more reason for georgie to

cut taxes for the rich.

[Ilsa]

27. How much you want to bet that the govt starts using them? nt

[Solly Mack]

28. If I saw that coming down the street I'd wonder who was invading us

[HughBeaumont]

29. That wasteful beast costs twice as much as my house does.

Probably gets 15 gpm.

[Initech]

33. Wow.

You know that, in an age where the high cost of gas is killing industries left and right, you know some jackass is going to buy one of those to "one-up" the competition. :eyes:

[AlCzervik]

34. Just another way to seperate idiots from their money.

[DaveJ]

36. Are those flashing lights on top legal?

It looks like it's manufactured to survive the collapse of society, which Repukes are trying to make happen.

Too bad there would be no way to fill up then.

[Fumesucker]

37. Not exactly a new idea..

[stubtoe]

66. Ack! What the hell is that thing?

Is that a photoshop or is it for real?

[flvegan]

38. They'll be lucky to sell 20 of these ugly things.

Hey, note to engineer: that back wheelwell looks as empty as your cranium, dude.

[BlooInBloo]

41. Yup - that's why there's aboslutely no environmental or economic impact here.

[flvegan]

42. That's not true.

If Alton thinks there's a market, then there probably is one. Which is sad.

[XOKCowboy]

48. Don't bet on it

I've seen several F650 pickups. There's a very profitable industry turning this medium duty hauling truck

Into these...




As I said a few threads up most of the F650 pickups I've seen were at trade shows. Construction companies and outdoor related companies bought the trucks, put their logo and a loud paint scheme on them and put them in their booths to draw traffic.

I'm sure they'll sell as many as they can produce. This is America ya know.

[Skittles]

55. are you kidding?

look how many assholes bought SUVs

[JI7]

39. eww

[DaveJ]

43. Usually these monsters only have 1 driver, and nobody else...

In most cases it's a guy who buys a ridiculous vehicle like this with family outings in mind, forgetting his family resents him so much he'll spend virtually all his time in it alone, quenching his tears.

[Stinky The Clown]

45. That's just fucking stupid

Anyone how buys one of these ought to be recalled back to their maker.

[BreweryYardRat]

47. If ever a vehicle clamored for an RPG...

...it's this one.

Ugh.

[Marr]

49. Hey, oil executives want to survive their car accidents.

You and your economy car will be smeared all over the highway of course, but you're just a serf.

[Strelnikov_]

50. "Like Easter Island chiefs erecting ever larger statues, . . "

As our fifth strand, we have to wonder why the kings and nobles failed to recognize and solve these seemingly obvious problems undermining their society. Their attention was evidently focused on their short-term concerns of enriching themselves, waging wars, erecting monuments, competing with each other, and extracting enough food from the human peasants to support all those activities. Like most leaders throughout human history, the Maya kings and nobles did not heed long-term problems, insofar as they perceived them.

. . .

Like Easter Island chiefs erecting ever larger statues, eventually crowned by pukao, and like Anasazi elites treating themselves to necklaces of 2000 turquoise beads, Maya kings sought to outdo each other with more and more impressive temples, covered with thicker and thicker plaster, reminiscent in turn of the extravagant conspicuous consumption by modern American CEO's. The passivity of Easter chiefs and Maya kings in the face of the real big threats to their societies completes our list of disquieting parallels.

From Chapt. 5, 'The Maya Collapses', from 'Collapse: How Societies Choose To Fail Or Succeed’ by Jared Diamond

[NuttyFluffers]

52. yeah, but i also need a jet engine as a cigarette lighter and marshmallow toaster...

i don't know if this comes with that upgrade, and wanton wastefulness is absolutely crucial to my buying needs.

i wonder if it can comes standard with Xenon gas headlamps -- y'know akin to the lamp that is used at the top of The Luxor in Vegas (but far smaller in scale of course).

true they'd explode like a hand grenade in a fender bender, and cost around $6000 per, and need its own coolant system because it has a surface temp of 1,300 degrees, and shine like the sun at high noon, but think how safe my family will be driving down the road at night. if a deer tried to jump in front of your car you'd see it. the deer would also likely burst into flames, but anything for the safety of my family.

in America excess means power and safety, even if it doesn't. genius marketing model...

[KillCapitalism]

53. Great, just what we need on the roads!!!

I for one, do not wish to be driving in front of some suburban mom who's behind the wheel of one of these monsters while talking/texting away on a cell phone.:scared:

[dorktv]

54. I was leery of a Governing Magazine discussion of a tax on larger cars

for their paying on the wear and tear of the roads.

This has put me in the camp of okay, tax them.

[taterguy]

57. I have a question for folks who say there's a correlation between vehicle size and male anatomy

When you buy a larger vehicle does that make you shrink?

If I ever replace my bicycle with a car how much will I lose?

[erpowers]

58. Women Buying Hummers

I think some of this is a response to so many women buying H2 Hummers and H3 Hummers. When Hummers first came out they were supposed to be the ultimate man vehicle. However, in recent years women have started to buy more Hummers. Women actually buy more Hummers than man. According to a Hummer spokeman the ratio is 2:1 for the H2 and 4:1 for the H3. It seems that the CTX or CXT was the first attempt to make an more mucho SUV. It looks like this may be the second attempt.

If this goes to the market do not be surprised if you see Shaq driving one of these. When I first saw the picture I thought it looks a great deal like Shaq's truck. Shaq drives either a F-650 or an F-750. His truck looks similar to the one in the pictures it is just not as high off the ground and maybe not as long.

[erpowers]

59. Sorry, Everyone Money Is the Only Issue

For anyone thinking this vehicle would not make it in the market you are probably wrong. From a number of responses on a discussion board that has pictures of Shaq and his f-650 it seems the only reason more will not be sold is because they cost too much. A number of people said they would buy one if they had the money. In minor defense of Shaq he is 7"1" and was married with six kids for a time. I realize he could have gotten a minivan, but for Shaq it seems minorly reasonable in that he did have a large family.

http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?t=42015

[Ikonoklast]

60. Meh. I'm gonna get one of these, as soon as they come up as surplus

http://www.worldwide-military.com/Army%20Material/EU,US%20Tanks%20plaatjes/groot/Abrams%20M-1A1%20Kuwaiti.jpg

I'll use those glorified delivery truck-looking things for traction.



And always get the parking spot of my choice.
:nuke:

[erpowers]

61. More Pictures

Just in case anyone wanted to see more of the vehicle, espically the inside there is a link to more pictures. I did not really like the interior. Maybe if a sat in a acutal one I would like the interior more, but from the pictures the interior was not that great.

http://www.autoblog.com/photos/alton-mfg-f-650-xuv/628747/

[A HERETIC I AM]

62. Well, that answers my question in post 32.

Picture 10 clearly shows an air brake parking knob

The square yellow knob marked "Parking Brake" is typical of an air brake system.

[Bluebear]

64. Wow, my undershorts are feeling all tingly just looking at it!!

:eyes:

[hatrack]

65. The question to me is simple - who's the bigger idiot?

The company which brought forth a turd like this in the age of $4.00 diesel, or the assclown who buys it?

Just when you think the bar can't go any lower in this country . . .

[leeroysphitz]

67. Canyonero! It's deer smackin' squirell squashin' son of a gun! n/t

[malaise]

68. WTF??? n/t