With so many choices in motordom sometimes it becomes difficult to narrow your sights. But with the release of the Ripsaw EV3-F4 personal recreation luxury tank in 2020, you can forget about all of the other choices. For convenience, safety, luxury, power, and most importantly; the wow factor, this is what we all need. 

Where’s the Ripsaw tank cannon?

You may be asking, “Where’s the cannon?” Why would you need a cannon in the middle of Manhattan, or out for a drive in the country? Sure, it has some tactical equipment, but there is nothing that shoots anything. And who would mess with the Ripsaw EV3-F4 anyway? 

So no flame throwers, water cannons, or machine guns on board. But it does have 360-degree views from two 12-inch Garmin touchscreens. There is the added advantage of thermal views and/or infrared for sneaking around at night from one, with the other providing your typical driving info.

For that luxury ride the Ripsaw cabin is suspended with an air-spring suspension

The way the cabin is configured, it is suspended by an air-spring suspension. There are also high-intensity LED lamps, an infrared lightbar, remote spotlight, remote image-stabilizing FLIR camera, a rear vehicle extraction winch and cargo winch, and dual external watertight cargo boxes. A Bose aviation intercom system compatible with both VHF radio and stereo helps with passenger conversations or just a relaxing bit of tunes. 

Gullwing doors reveal the inside, where you’ll find seating for four with two Recaro leather seats up front. They’re both heated and ventilated for that extra notch of comfort. You’ll also note the yoke-type steering wheel just like Tesla has. This is yet, another reason you need the Ripsaw over one of those. 

The Ripsaw needs all of that 800 hp packing 4.5 tons of high-strength steel

That 800 hp comes from a 6.6-liter turbo diesel Duramax V8 with an electric assist. Combined with a 600 kWh electric system you get 1,500 lb-ft of torque. And you’ll need every ounce of that as this sucker weighs over 4.5 tons. With all of that weight and power, you can cruise all day long at a top speed of 60 mph. As long as the fuel and charge hold out, anyway. The Duramax spins an Allison 1000 “extreme duty” automatic five-speed transmission

Built by Howe & Howe Technologies in Old Orchard, Main, with the motto “Tread Boldly,” it says that the Ripsaw is the fastest tracked vehicle in the world. It better be, for right now the bidding is at $425,000 over on Hemmings Auctions. But it is practically brand new with under 100 miles on the ticker. 

So far Howe & Howe has only built six of these four-seaters. It mostly builds unmanned tanks for the military. With 20-inches of ground clearance, the Ripsaw can handle just about any terrain. So you need not be shy at the next Jeep Easter Safari.