It seems that the market’s insatiable appetite for SUVs is unstoppable today as they are now the second largest sector behind pickup trucks in America. SUVs are so common that even someone with no automotive knowledge could probably glimpse a list of top-selling models because they sit in so many family driveways.
But for every boring mass-market vehicle sold by the thousands, there is another intriguing SUV that disappears under the radar. These cars are some of the fastest, toughest, and most unique SUVs on the market, and yet no one has heard of them. There are some of these SUVs in every era of modern automotive history, including some that are currently for sale. So let’s take a look at ten of the best that every gear head should know.
10
Ineos Grenadier
Ineos Street
If this car looks a lot like a Land Rover Defender, that’s because it is. Somehow. A British billionaire hit upon the idea of building a modern Defender after seeing Land Rover put out the long-running model in 2015. He went to the pub with some of his wealthy friends, so the story goes, and came up with this, the grenadier.
Ineos Street
It’s reportedly named for the pub it was created in, and it’s as close as possible to the original Defender without getting a lawsuit from Land Rover. The Grenadier is gearing up for a launch in the UK next year, and rumors are rumored that Ineos could take the car to the States if it sells well in the UK.
9
Toyota Mega Cruiser
About Toyota UK
The Toyota Mega Cruiser is the Japanese answer to the Hummer that few know exists and even fewer have bought it. It is believed that only 133 were ever sold, making this one of the rarest Toyotas of all time.
About Toyota Global
Originally, the Mega Cruiser started out as a Japanese military truck, but thanks to the SUV boom of the 90s, Toyota began putting some for sale to civilians. The earliest models are now old enough to be imported into the US under the 25 year rule, so hopefully there will be mega cruisers on US roads soon.
8th
BMW X5 LM
Via BMW M
As one of the first true super SUVs, the X5 LM might not look like much, but it’s an incredible feat of engineering. It was built by the BMW M Division and features a 700 hp V12, the same engine used in the McLaren F1.
Via BMW M
BMW built the car as a design study and it was never intended for production, but one example is said to have survived to this day. For reference, 700 horsepower is roughly the same as a modern Ferrari 488, except that it’s an SUV that’s over 20 years old.
7th
SCG boat
Via Scuderia Cameron Glickenhaus
The SCG Boot unveiled in 2019 is probably the strangest American SUV sold today. It’s a racing machine built to race through deserts, and SCG sent a factory team to the Baja 1000 in 2020. It’s pretty ugly too, with oddly shaped bodywork and headlights that make it look like a spider.
Via Scuderia Cameron Glickenhaus
Other than that, this is one of the craziest street legal SUVs out there right now. Its V8 turbo engine is mounted in the rear of the car and has an output of 650 hp. It’s built to be sturdy, yet comfortable enough to be easily driven on long road trips into the wilderness.
6th
Range Rover 6×4 Carmichael
Via Carmichael
There are a lot of 6 wheel SUVs out there these days, but it seems they are intended as a toy for Middle Eastern billionaires rather than anything useful. The Carmichael Range Rover is the exact opposite, as it was designed primarily as an emergency vehicle.
About the Dunsfold Collection
Because of this, most of the 6×4 were work vehicles and were scrapped at the end of their life. It is believed that only 400 were ever made, making it nearly impossible to see any of them today.
5
Audi AI: Trail Quattro
Via Audi media
It looks a bit like a futuristic space buggy, but Audi’s goal for the AI: Trail Quattro was actually to create the next generation of electric off-roaders. It debuted as a concept at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 2019. It’s supposed to be an emission-free vehicle that is not only better for the planet but also for the driver.
Via Audi media
A futuristic car like this would never go into production, but these types of concepts often tend to anticipate a manufacturer’s design language in the years to come. So it will be interesting to see how many elements of this crazy SUV will actually go into production at some point in the future.
4th
Karlmann King
About Karlmann
The ultimate eye-catching SUV, the Karlmann King, is made for people with way too much money and a desire to show it all off. From a fraction under $ 2 million, this is the world’s most expensive production SUV. It’s built on the chassis of a Ford F-550 and reportedly weighs over 13,000 pounds.
About Karlmann
Its interior is of course covered with the most elaborate materials, with quilted leather everywhere and, strangely enough, with a PlayStation 4 as standard. It has a 6.8 liter V10 engine, but it is so heavy that it can only reach a top speed of 87 mph.
3
Toyota Land Speed Cruiser
About Toyota
Believe it or not, the modified Land Cruiser you are looking at is the fastest SUV in the world. Thanks to an incredible 2,000 horsepower engine, it reached a speed of 230.2 mph in 2017. The chassis was custom built by Toyota’s racing department, but it was designed so that a normal Land Cruiser body could be fitted on top with minimal modification.
About Toyota
The record-breaking car was shown at SEMA in 2016, but was never offered to the public for obvious reasons. Toyota never revealed how much it cost to build this insane SUV, but it sure is a staggering number.
2
GAZ M-72
About Interia Automotive
Soviet automaker GAZ is mostly an unknown name outside of Russia, but nonetheless they have a long and storied history of making interesting cars. One such car is the M-72, an off-road variant of their best-selling M-20, which is certainly one of the earliest SUVs of all time.
Via Reddit / DonTago
The M-72, launched in 1955, had all-wheel drive modeled after a Russian military truck, but could still carry five people. Only 4,677 units of the car were built and it is not known how many of them survive today.
1
Spyker D12 Beijing-Paris
Via Supercars Net
The ill-fated Dutch manufacturer Spyker has a history of making brilliant cars and then gets into trouble before those cars can go into production. Their 2006 D12 concept is one such example, as it featured a 500hp V12 and an ultra-luxurious interior that would have made it a surefire hit in the market today.
About Motorchase
Unfortunately, it was too far ahead of its time and Spyker couldn’t generate enough interest in the car to put it into production. Since then, the company has gone bankrupt several times and it is currently unclear whether it will ever build cars again.
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About the author
Mark Cowley
(230 published articles)
Mark covers a wide variety of topics for HotCars, from the latest pickups to obscure Japanese sedans. A regular feature at auto shows in the UK and Europe. If there’s a strange model or an obscure manufacturer, he probably knows about it. Having previously worked as a radio host, he knows his way around top 10 lists and enjoys writing them as much as presenting them. Mark is a graduate of the University of Sheffield’s English Faculty and currently resides in Birmingham, UK.
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