As to physical size, when put side by side, the commercial variant of the SmarTruck III clearly stands head and shoulders above the biggest (and heaviest) Hummer out there. However, where the International concept truck trumps the Hummer is in cost (pegged in the mid-$60,000 range to start) and payload (we're guessing somewhere in the three- to four-ton range)--two very important categories. We expect, even when fully armored, this chassis will carry many troops, boxes of ammo, and high-tech cargo.
To date, agencies like the Border Patrol, Forest Service, and Homeland Security are interested. And as popular as these might be with the work-truck crowd, it's our guess more high-profile truck enthusiasts (like the "Governator") might show particular interest in these vehicles, too. We'll take ours in camo.
SmarTruck III is equipped...
SmarTruck III is equipped with a weapons-station module featuring a remote-controlled .50 caliber machine gun that can rise from the back of the vehicle. The machine gun has a sniper-detection system able to locate a threat by tracing sound patterns.
Combined with this powerful...
Combined with this powerful 4.5-liter twin-turbodiesel V-6 is a Hydraulic Launch Assist tank that captures energy during braking, then injects the stored power into the driveline on takeoffs. The setup can improve around-town mileage by as much as 25 percent.