IAT Kalman
Of all the weird and wacky
cars we’ve seen at this year’s Beijing Auto Show, nothing comes even remotely
close to IAT’s Kalman SUV. With more angles than a spiral staircase, this
6-meter long beast was designed to make extreme SUVs like Hummer’s H1 and
Dartz’s Kombat look utterly banal.
China-based IAT says it will build 10
examples of the Kalman, each carrying a mind-blowing price tag of 12 million
RMB or about US$ 1.85 million at today’s exchange rates! That’s 26 times the price
of Ford’s most expensive F-450 Super Duty model, the US$ 71,320 Platinum.
We mentioned Ford’s F-450,
because according to China’s Auto Sina, the Kalman was built on the
underpinnings of the Blue Oval’s truck, using its 362 hp 6.8-liter
Triton V10 gasoline engine.
Take your eyes off that
angular body that makes Lexus’ LF-NX Concept seem rounded and head inside, and
you’ll find the familiar interior of a 2014 Ford F-150, although heavily
customized in a Chinese fashion with gold accents making their appearance felt
just about everywhere. Wherever you look, you’ll see surfaces finished in black
leather or alcantara with IAT also splashing the interior with as much wood as
it could get its hands on.
The Kalman seats four, with
the rear passengers getting the royal treatment, including a very Rolls-Royce
like ‘Starlight’ headliner, tablet holders, a fridge and even matching teacups
in different sizes.