Lamborghini LM002- the original
The one that started it all. Trust the crazy Italians to stick a V12 Lamborghini Countach engine into a massive military grade off road vehicle. In the end the military wasn’t so keen so it went on sale to the public.
Now that those huge tyres are being made available again, let’s hope we see some of these 444bhp beasts on the roads once more.
Lamborghini URUS-only here as a warning!
Well it was inevitable that this was going to happen, the world has gone crazy for the sporty SUV and while the LM002 was a hard sell back in 1986, this umm ‘thing’ will undoubtedly sell like hotcakes.
Apparently it can go off-roading too but until someone is brave enough to try we will have to assume it can’t.
So please do your part and rather get a nice Huracan or Aventador instead.
Land Rover Range Rover
Now here is something a bit more like it, a proper luxury off-roader with the ability to clamber right across the Urals and a URUS if needs be.
The top of the range SV Autobiography has more luxury and convenience features than most stately homes too.
Bentley Bentayga
The 600bhp Bentayga takes things one step further, it may not be quite so capable off road but it boasts an even more sumptuous cabin and is even quicker on road.
If only it didn’t look like it had already been in an accident straight off the production floor.
Mercedes G-Wagen
The G-Wagen has no problems in the looks department, its ‘70s chunky styling still looks purposeful today, although most, especially the AMG versions, tend to be found idling along swanky suburbs.
Still, equipped with a decent set of tyres, they are still massively capable off-road.
Mercedes-Benz 6x6
If you like the idea of a G-Wagen but want more of everything then the 6-wheel drive G63 6×6 should be the perfect fit.
37-inch wheels and a twin-turbo 536bhp 5.5-litre V8 will ensure that nothing short of Armageddon will make you late for that important meeting.
Toyota Land Cruiser
The trusty old Land Cruiser is a lot tamer than anything else on our list so far but it is supremely capable in tough conditions and it offers just enough luxuries to keep you comfortable out on the dunes.
It all sets us up nicely for our next batch of off-roaders which trade in some comfort for the kind of off-road skills that are usually reserved for mountain goats.
Bowler Wildcat
This is essentially a Land Rover Defender on steroids, Bowler offer a Fast Road Defender or Challenge Kit which transform your trusty old Defender into an aggressive off-road racer.
Fancy doing a rally in your car, well they will happily prepare your Defender for that too.
Zarooq Sand Racer
The Sandracer 500GT is the first Emirati car ever and it features a Corvette derived 6.2-litre V8 with 525bhp, a full carbon fibre body and the ability to flatten the most challenging sand dunes.
A mere 35 will be built so if you want this Ferrari of the dunes you better hurry.
Ariel Nomad
The Ariel Atom was the distilled essence of a race car, its minimalist approach made it one of the most intoxicating things on four wheels, ever.
The Nomad is that idea translated into a package for when there are no roads, but you still want to go fast, real fast.
Toyota UUV
The UUV or Ultimate Utility Vehicle is a one-off prototype and back in 2015 it was used as the mobile operational headquarters for a gruelling 16,500-mile off-road trip featuring a range of Toyota vehicles.
Other than being packed with communication equipment it also featured some serious suspension and tyres to cope with the arduous conditions.
Few would guess that its body was derived from the Sienna minivan.
Howe and Howe Ripsaw EV3
This futuristic machine is called a ‘luxury high performance lightweight go fast super tank’ by the manufacturer and once you see it blast across the most unforgiving terrain with ease it all starts to make sense.
The Ripsaw EV3 can be had in either one, two or four seats configurations, power outputs range from 500bhp right up to 1500bhp if you so desire.
Trekol 39294
This snappily named off-roader is our first of three suitably unhinged Russian designed off-roaders and while this one is not particularly speedy, courtesy of the Hyundai sourced small truck engine, the Trekol is able to keep you warm at sub-zero temperatures and being amphibious it will happily cross rivers and streams too.
Sherp ATV
With only 44 bhp the cute looking Sherp isn’t going to win any races, but what it can do is cross just about any obstacle, rivers included.
Thanks to its massive paddle tread tyres it is equally capable of ploughing through snow and ice too.
Avtoros Shaman
This one can get up to a heady 50mph on land and while it is legal to drive it on the roads in Russia, most owners will prefer to scale mountains in their 8-wheeled Shamans.
Here's more you might like