Is the Rezvani Tank the All-American SuperTruck?

While we often think of the Automotive industry as being composed of just a handful of billion dollar companies, for as long as vehicles have been produced there have been smaller companies that make their way into the limelight by producing limited runs of lesser known vehicles. Sometimes these smaller companies produce a vehicle that becomes a one hit wonder; a perfect example of this would be DMC’s DeLorean. Other times these companies hit their stride for a couple of years and then fade into obscurity, like the fateful tale of the Fisker Karma. But every once in a while there’s a company that pushes through the challenges of being a small manufacturer, and make a name for themselves in the automotive industry. Today I’ll be telling you all about one such company named Rezvani. 

If you recognize the name, it’s likely because you’ve heard of their massive trucks with absolutely absurd features that sound like something straight out of the Fast and Furious franchise. You may have seen one of these trucks online taking up a ridiculous amount of space in a parking lot or on the road. If you’re lucky, you might even be able to claim that you’ve seen one of these monsters in person. But whatever you’ve heard about them, I’d be willing to bet you didn’t know this company started out producing sports cars.

Rezvani was founded in 2013 in Irvine, California by Ferris Rezvani; the Iranian-American son of an Iranian fighter pilot. When he founded the company, it was with one goal in mind: to create an extreme sports car that gave drivers the opportunity to experience the same exhilaration as flying an f4 fighter jet. True to this vision, the company’s first release was the Rezvani Beast, a 500hp open-top 2-seater that weighed 700lb. less than a Miata.

These vehicles started life as Ariel Atoms, before being stripped to the chassis and bodied with a 350lb. carbon fiber shell. Customers had the option to pick which Atom variant they wanted underneath before the build process started. After stripping the Atom down to its chassis, Rezvani’s team would swap in a custom supercharged Honda k24 with an in-house tune, mated to a 6-speed manual from the Honda Civic Type R. This 500hp powerhouse could propel the 1,650lb. car from 0-60 in just 3.2 seconds! When the car was released in 2014, it was featured on Jay Leno’s Garage. Leno called it “a Supercar on a budget” as it cost only $160k when it was released. In the years to follow, Rezvani would release several variants: the Beast X, Beast Alpha, and Beast Alpha X “Blackbird”. While these variants saw price hikes that lead up to $325k, they also progressively got new features like a hardtop, power windows, power locks, airbags, climate control, and most importantly an upgraded 2.5L 700hp twin turbo engine. 

In 2019, the company brought a completely new concept to the market – the Rezvani Tank. While many outlets covered this as an SUV (Sports Utility Vehicle), Rezvani contests that it’s actually a TUV; a Tactical Urban Vehicle. I would agree with that assessment. Based on the JL generation of the Jeep Wrangler platform, this TUV comes with a few premium truck features – a heated steering wheel and seats, a 3 inch FOX off-road suspension, a 4×4 drive mode, and a built-in top light bar – but this is where the similarities with mass-produced vehicles stop. While the base model comes with thermal night vision by FLIR, the Tank X and street-legal, consumer-available Tank Military Edition are the vehicles that made headlines upon release. Just because they can, Rezvani has added a laundry list of ridiculously unnecessary features. These include: Bullet Proof Glass and Body Armor, Underside Explosive Protection, Ram Bumpers rated to sustain a hit of up to 8,000lb., a built-in Smoke Screen feature, Military Runflat Tires, DOD certified Electromagnetic Pulse Protection, Electrified Door Handles – which aren’t even legal to activate in the United States, Strobe Lights, Kevlar wrapped Battery and Radiator, an Intercom System – which is illegal to use in most US states, Magnetic Deadbolts, Gas masks, a First Aid kit, a Hypothermia kit, FLIR Thermal Vision, and a Pepper Spray Dispenser – which, you guessed it, cannot be legally used in the United States unless you’re on private property.

If that wasn’t enough features to satisfy you, don’t worry, there are more options available if you have more money to burn. While the base model Tank comes standard with a 270hp Jeep 4 cylinder, there are options to upgrade to a 285hp V6, a 500hp SRT V8, a 707hp Supercharged V8 Hellcat, or the 1,000hp Dodge Demon supercharged V8. If you’re scared of how much gas costs these days, there’s also an option for a Hybrid drivetrain that’ll get this 7,150lb. vehicle an impressive 49MPGe. While the Tank comes standard with an 8-speed automatic, you can take your customization to the next level and have the factory swap in a 6-speed manual, or even a sequential gearbox. But that’s not all! There are additional optional features if the previous list didn’t address all your concerns. You could get a Center Console Handgun Safe, Explosive Device Detection, Armored Escape Hatch, Continuous Video recording, 360° Blinding Lights, Siren and Horn Options, Tire Inflation/Deflation System, Vehicle Tracking System, and if you want a touch of luxury, they offer Interior Mood Lighting, custom fitted Seats in 10 styles, and Rolls Royce’s Starry Night Headliner. Of course this can all cost upwards of $460k, but that’s honestly not bad for a mobile Fort Knox.

In 2021, only a few months after dealerships started stocking the Jeep Gladiator, Rezvani introduced its 3rd model: the Rezvani Hercules. The Hercules is a 6-wheeled behemoth, weighing over 7,000lb. and having even larger dimensions than the Mercedes 6×6. Its tuned Dodge Demon engine produces 1,300hp and 989lb.ft. of torque. Based on the Gladiator’s platform, the Hercules is a Tank with 2 extra wheels and an 8 foot bed. Like the Tank, the Hercules has a consumer-available Military Edition with all the same added features and options as the Tank Military Edition. The key differences between the Tank and Hercules come from the powertrain. While the base model comes standard with a 285hp V6, you also have the option to upgrade to the 500hp SRT V8, the aforementioned tuned 1,300hp supercharged Demon V8, or a 480hp Turbo Diesel V6. Unlike the Tank, there isn’t a Hybrid option or any transmission options. All Hercules variants come with an 8-speed automatic. Additionally, there’s a “sporty” exhaust option, a 12,000lb. winch, and you have the ability to upgrade to an auxiliary 18-gallon fuel tank. You still have access to all the luxury interior options that the Tank offers, with the highest spec running you around $545k. 

For those of you who are unaware, I’m a professional photographer. I founded Stinger Auto Photography in 2017, and have been blessed to shoot an absolutely amazing lineup of vehicles. Shortly after the release of the Hercules in 2021, I was contacted by an owner and had the opportunity to shoot the Hercules you see below. I also had the opportunity in 2022 to shoot the Tank pictured above. If you’re in need of a photographer, I’ve been hired in 10 states and I shoot everything automotive, including Motorsports. I also offer a wide variety of non-automotive photography services, and you can find out more at StingerAuto.com.

In late 2022, Rezvani introduced the 4th model to their lineup: the Rezvani Vengeance. This vehicle is based on the Cadillac Escalade, but somehow it’s even bigger. This full-size SUV (TopGear called it an “XUV”; Xtreme Utility Vehicle) weighs over 8,000lb. and has three rows of seats and can comfortably fit 8 adults! With the tagline “Where luxury meets military”, it’s clear the company spent more time focusing on passenger comfort for this model. Even so, they didn’t compromise on any of their standard military features. New luxury features include: A curved OLED digital dashboard, an Augmented Reality Navigational System, Ventilated Seats (in addition to the heated wheel and seats), Wireless Device Charging, both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a Heads Up Display, 360° Backup Camera System with a Rearview Mirror Screen, and a Teen Driver Mode. 

If you’d rather be driven around in style, Rezvani offers an Executive Seating option which replaces the 6 rear seats with 2 reclining seats that rival those offered by Mercedes and Rolls Royce. This option offers more than just added legroom. The chairs are heated and ventilated leather, with massage capabilities. You’ll also find 2 built-in bars, premium wooden tray tables, cotton window shades, carpeting, a driver partition with an optional big screen tv, individual screens, and your choice of Rolls Royce’s Starry Night Headliner or custom trim overhead lighting. As you may imagine, this all comes at a price. The max spec of this vehicle (all luxury features plus all military features and packages) will cost you $790k – so much that the company is only building these to order. 

As for the drivetrain, you have 4 options. The base model is equipped with a 420hp V6. You can optionally upgrade to a 650hp supercharged V8, an 810hp supercharged V8, or a 277hp I6 Diesel. No matter which engine you choose, they all come paired to Cadillac’s 10-speed automatic transmission. This vehicle comes with all the same features as the Tank, plus an optional Rifle Compartment, a Night Vision System (different from the Thermal Imaging System), Rear Seat Entertainment, and an optional Solar Package that includes panels for the roof and a battery bank for “off-grid power”. Unlike the Hercules and Tank, the Vengeance doesn’t have an all-encompassing feature-packed Military Edition. Rather, customers have the option of equipping the Military Package or the Security Package. To be clear, you can equip both packages when ordering this vehicle, but for two separate costs. Below are a side-by-side of these packages so you can see which features get categorized where, and how much they cost.

That brings us to the present. It’s currently the second week of February in 2024 and  Rezvani has just unveiled the return of the Beast! This vehicle has been completely redesigned from the ground up. Gone are the days of the Ariel Atom; the new Beast is built on the Corvette C8 platform and boasts a 1,000hp 6.2L turbocharged V8. Paired to an 8-speed dual-clutch transmission, this machine can run the ¼ mile in just 9.6 seconds! Because of the amount of carbon fiber that’s been used, the Beast weighs in at just 2,960lb. which is 1,000lb. less than the Corvette!!

There are a few similarities between the C8 and the Beast: most notably the front trunk, performance focused gauge cluster, and a targa top. The interior is almost unchanged, although it has been reskinned with leather and stitching as well as Rezvani emblems. As for new features, Rezvani has added a steering wheel which follows a “yoke” design similar to what we’ve seen in the Tesla Plaid and Formula 1 cars. Additionally, Rezvani has given this car a variation of “Dihedral doors” called Dragon Wings, and they look very similar to the classic “Lambo doors” from the Aventador. Additionally, the standard C8 gauge cluster has been optimized for racing offering a heads up display with RPM, speed, and custom performance statistics. This list of meager features may seem tame compared to the vehicles that have come before it, but we’re just getting started!

Even though this is a sports car built for speed and track performance, Rezvani has recognized the popularity of their absurdly unwarranted Military Editions. If you’re looking for a sports car with bulletproof armor, electromagnetic pulse protection, and gas masks, the Beast offers a 007 Package with all your favorite Rezvani military features! However, like its predecessors, these features will cost a pretty penny. While the base spec “normal” sports car costs $485k, the top spec 007 Package will set you back $600k. Unfortunately, the news gets even worse as Rezvani will be limiting the production of the Beast to just 20 units. Though you may not be one of the lucky 20, Rezvani’s website has a very comprehensive spec builder where you can customize your dream vehicle. This option is available for all the current models, and it’s fun to play around with. 

All in all, Rezvani is a one of a kind company that continues to push the limits of what you can pack into a single vehicle. They’re forging their own path, chasing their own dreams, and they don’t care what others think they should or shouldn’t do. So far they’ve proven they can bring their concepts to life, and deliver a consistent and strong product to a market that hungers for a badass, rebellious brand.