The Rapid Intervention Vehicle, designed for UAE special forces

Created in just 12 months from start to finish, Horiba-MIRA’s British-designed military jeep will do 100mph on sand and out-sprint many family cars.

The RIV, or Rapid Intervention Vehicle, has been put together by Horiba-MIRA, a Warwickshire-based test facility that also supplies development and consultancy services to vehicle makers. It was commissioned by a United Arab Emirates-based military vehicle manufacturer.

The brief was to design and build, from scratch, a rapid-insertion high-performance vehicle for desert use by up to four heavily-armed members of UAE special forces weighing about 120kg each.

Most of the body and a spaceframe chassis structure is steel, with composite wings and bonnet. Big entry and departure angles and a flat floor combine to allow 36-degree dune gradients to be tackled without grounding.

Independent fluid- and nitrogen-filled Horstman hydrostruts give up to 300mm ground clearance, and have the facility to be lowered to 120mm for easier loading into a Chinook helicopter. Heat adds firmness to the ride, signalling any potential overheating. The tyres are inflatable from the cabin.

Under the bonnet is a heavy-duty version of Maserati’s 3.0-litre V6 diesel, producing 296bhp and 443lb ft. It drives all four wheels through an eight-speed ZF automatic gearbox, with Torsen T2R torque-sensing differentials and a transfer ’box with lockable diff.

At 4000kg, the RIV is no lightweight, but it can still charge through the 0-62mph test in a highly respectable 10.5sec and go on to 100mph, with or without the windscreen. The body is designed to divert sand over the top of the vehicle at speed. At a constant 62mph, the RIV will manage around 600 miles without refuelling.

“It’s the fastest vehicle across the desert,” said chief project engineer Jim Hopton. “Its secret is getting into and out of combat quickly, reliably and safely, going where few other vehicles can, so avoiding the Improvised Explosive Devices that cripple those using traditional routes.

“A lesser vehicle lasts about six months in the hands of the military before it’s wrecked. Not one frame has broken during testing, and we believe an RIV could last at least three years.”

What’s it like to drive? To get in, you have to grab the rollcage, put your foot on the sidestep and hoist yourself into the deep bucket seat. That no-nonsense external styling continues into the cabin where there are plenty of exposed metal surfaces on display, along with a baffling battery of dials and buttons.

A multi-function screen at the top of the centre console displays power distribution data. Just below that are the tyre inflation and ride height adjustment controls, with a stubby ZF shift lever to the left. Turn the key and press ‘Power’ to unleash a diesel rumble from the V6 engine, accompanied by a hiss of compressed air from the turbocharger. Slot the precise lever into Drive and pull away.

Perhaps the most impressive thing about the RIV is how seamlessly it integrates such a sophisticated driveline into such uncompromising battle-ready hardware: the ZF gearbox changes gear effortlessly, accelerating the jeep in a determined but drama-free manner utterly belying its size.