Image via TikTok.
Say hello to the Rezvani Vengeance: a car loaded with features like electrified door handles, gas masks, and bulletproof glass. It does not, however, come with a window in the back. That would be unsafe.The Vengeance is a new car first manufactured by Rezvani in 2022. It starts at $285,000. The military package, which includes the features highlighted in a Mobile_Mama TikTok video making the rounds on social media, will run road warriors an extra $125,000.According to the car’s website, the Military package includes “bullet proof glass and body armor, underside explosive protection, smoke screen, military run flat tires, thermal night vision system, reinforced suspension, electromagnetic pulse protection, steel ram bumper, optional explosive device detection, continuous video recording, electrified door handles, siren and horn options, strobe lights, blinding lights, intercom system, magnetic deadbolts, pepper spray dispenser, 7 bullet proof vests, 7 bullet proof helmets, gas masks, first aid kit,” and a “hypothermia kit.” What’s obviously bizarre about the video and getting it a lot of attention is that it’s not being pitched to private military contractor heading into a war zone, but seemingly average suburbanites picking up the kids from soccer practice. The Mobile_Mama account reviews other huge if less combat-oriented cars, and the Vengeance is the latest in a long line of military-style vehicles that are becoming increasingly popular in the United States. Vehicles like the Hummer and H2 have appropriated the aesthetic of the military if not the functionality. During the SUV boom in the U.S., the years just after 9/11, Americans bought a lot of giant vehicles. They wanted to intimidate other people on the road and in their neighborhood. They wanted a car that said “I’m dangerous, don’t steal from me.” Cars like the Vengeance are the next logical step—overtly turning cars into weapons under the guise of “safety.”Other countries have long been far ahead of America when it comes to tactical safety vehicles. South Africa, in particular, has been a pioneer of this kind of technology. In the 1980s and 90s, a man attempted to market an aftermarket flamethrower for cars that would discourage car thieves. There’s also the Marauder, a South Africa car that looks more like a prison transport vehicle than a luxury SUV. Brazil has also long been a pioneer of armored luxury vehicles.Now the trend has come to North America and Rezvani is doing a huge marketing push.