SEMA 2008: Knight XV armored SUV lets you take your undergound lair with you

The first word that came to mind when we saw the Knight XV was this: warthog. Sure, there are other words you could use, but consider this: it's not attractive, it's ridiculously tough, it's called in to deal with nasty situations and it kills things, all of which tend to be the traits of vehicles that earn the moniker "warthog." Based on the Gurkha military vehicle, the 10,000-pound, Ford F-350 Super Duty-based Knight XV is armored to an unspecified degree, but looks like it will stop more than a pea-shooter. It's got a 6.8-liter V10 that packs 400 hp and 500 lb-ft to keep you moving, and inboard ABS brakes to get you stopped. Those tires are 40-inchers wrapped around 20-inch aircraft-grade wheels. Oh, and it also runs on E85, which means it's more environmentally friendly than any other warthog. Except the hairy one. Check out the specs after the jump, and the gallery of high-res photos below featuring details shots and images of the interior, as well.

PRESS RELEASE

CANADIAN COMPANY UNVEILS THE KNIGHT XV™ -- THE WORLD'S LARGEST, MOST LUXURIOUS, HANDCRAFTED, BIOFUEL POWERED FULLY ARMORED SUV

Las Vegas, Nevada, November 4, 2008 – Conquest Vehicles Inc., the Toronto-based company that specializes in the design and manufacturing of fully armored, ultra-luxurious, handcrafted sport utility vehicles has unveiled its flagship vehicle, the KNIGHT XV™ at the 2008 SEMA show in Las Vegas, announced William Maizlin, President, Conquest Vehicles, Inc.

Inspired by the Gurkha military vehicle, the KNIGHT XV™ is an ultra-luxurious handcrafted, Bio-fuel powered fully armored SUV. The KNIGHT XV™ is powered by a V10, 6.8-liter engine and sits on a commercial class chassis. It provides 400 hp and 498-ft lbs of torque.

The KNIGHT XV™ is priced at $295,000 USD. Only 100 will be made available as a limited first run. Each vehicle takes 1,500 hours to build by hand.

"Our goal with the KNIGHT XV™ is to deliver an ownership experience that is unrivaled in today's marketplace. The KNIGHT XV™ offers the very best in security and luxury while ensuring that the environment is positively impacted when the vehicle is on the road," said Maizlin.

The KNIGHT XV™ offers interior appointments including Wilton Wool luxury carpeting; Andrew Muirhead leather; 6-way electric leather boardroom-style seating; Tandem sunroof glass with privacy shades; Personal side-mounted lap top stations; LED cabin lighting; Alpine AM, FM, CD, DVD navigation and Bluetooth equipment; TV Monitors; Night vision and rear op camera system and Playstation 3 (PS3). The cabin's 283-cubic-foot interior is larger than the interior of most SUV's on the road today and can comfortably seat six professional basketball players.

"We believe that the combination of the secure exterior appointments and ultra-luxurious interior will appeal to high-profile individuals with discriminate tastes that place security and luxury at the top of their list when it comes to acquiring a bespoke luxury vehicle," said Maizlin.

The KNIGHT-XV™ is built using ballistic hardened steel making it fully armored including ballistic fiberglass fenders, bumper and up to 64 mm. (2.5 inches) transparent armor (glass).

The KNIGHT XV™ is 240" in length, 98" in width with a ground clearance of 14" and stands at 100". It's wheelbase is 141" and has an armored curb weight of 10,000 pounds. The vehicle holds 40 gallons of fuel and sits on four, LT40X13.50R20 Mickey Thompson Baja Radial ATZ tires with ballistic run flats.

Additionally, the KNIGHT XV™ contains an E-85 Ethanol conversion system (Flex Fuel) with California emission certification, thereby making it certified in all 50 States.

"We designed this vehicle with three goals in mind. To provide the ultimate in security and luxury while ensuring the vehicle is environmentally friendly," said Maizlin.

About Conquest Vehicles Inc

Conquest Vehicles Inc., specializes in the design and manufacturing of ultra-luxurious, fully armored, handcrafted sport utility vehicles. The company, headquartered in Toronto, Canada, is comprised of the automotive industry's most respected talent whose award-winning experience in engineering, fabrication, design, armoring and customization combine to create one-of-a-kind SUV's unrivaled and unmatched in today's automotive marketplace. Conquest Vehicles Inc., also provides auto customization and after-market design for luxury vehicles.

For more information about the KNIGHT XV™ or Conquest Vehicles, please visit www.conquestvehicles.com

Company Introduction
Conquest Vehicles Inc., specializes in the design and manufacturing of ultra-luxurious, fully armoured,
handcrafted sport utility vehicles. The company, headquartered in Toronto, Canada, is comprised of the
automotive industry's most respected talent whose award-winning experience in engineering, fabrication,
design, armouring and customization combine to create one-of-a-kind SUV's unrivaled and unmatched in today's automotive marketplace.

With the introduction of the KNIGHT XV, the company's first ultra-luxurious, fully armoured, environmentally respectful handcrafted SUV, Conquest Vehicles Inc., is setting a new benchmark in the global security and ultraluxury SUV marketplace.

Conquest Vehicle Inc.'s flagship vehicle, the KNIGHT XV defines the future of the ultra-luxurious, handcrafted
fully armoured SUV. This one-of-a-kind, V10, 6.8-litre, Bio-fuel powered SUV was inspired by the Gurkha military
vehicle and features security appointments that are unrivaled in today's SUV marketplace. The KNIGHT-XV is
an armoured vehicle and not a vehicle that has been armoured. This means that unlike most vehicles that are
armoured after-market, the KNIGHT XV is manufactured using military-grade armouring materials and
technique. The innovative and incomparable KNIGHT XV takes approximately 1,500 hours to hand build.
The production of the KNIGHT XV will be limited to 100 vehicles.

Exterior Appointments
The KNIGHT XV is built using ballistic hardened steel, making it fully armoured including ballistic fiberglass
fenders, bumper and up to 64 mm (2 and a 1/2 inches) transparent armour (glass).

Ballistic Run-flat tire system:
Tires and Rims: 40" tires with specialized custom designed and engineered 20" rims that utilize forged 6061
aluminum - the same used on commercial aircraft landing gear. The outer flange was reinforced to exceed to four times the normal impact testing required for standard wheels. Coupled with its ballistic run flat tire system it
creates the pinnacle of safety in tire and wheel system exceeding anything on the market today.

Our ASC Ballistic Run-Flat System:
Our ballistic run flat system is custom build for the KNIGHT XV vehicle by one of the most reputable manufacturers in the industry. This lightweight, high strength tire insert adds a real measure of safety and performance to the KNIGHT XV vehicle (for more information please visit our website).

Interior Appointments
Interior features:
• Wilton Wool luxury carpeting
• Andrew Muirhead luxury leather
• Spacious extended interior
• Leather 6 way electric conference seating
• Tandem sunroof glass with privacy shades
• Personal side mounted lap top stations
• LED cabin lighting
• Alpine AM,FM,CD,DVD Navigation and Blue tooth equipment
• TV monitors
• Night vision** FLIR PathfindIR Thermal imaging Camera (front & back) with rear op camera system
• PlayStation 3® (PS3) gaming console
• Cabin's interior: 283-cubic-feet

** FLIR PathFindIR is standard equipment on all Knight XV vehicles sold in North America.

Knight XV Specifications
Length 240" (6096 mm)
Width 98" (2489 mm)
Ground clearance 14" (355 mm)
Height 100" (2540 mm)
The KNIGHT XV is built on a Ford F350 commercial platform chassis (making parts easily accessible globally)
Engine: 6.8L V10 gas power plant with E-85 Ethanol Conversion system - Flex Fuel with California emission (making it certified in all 50 US States). Flexible fuel vehicles (FFVs) are designed to run on gasoline or a blend of up to 85% ethanol (E85).
Horsepower: 400 HP and torque 498 ft lbs.
4 X 4: Four wheel drive with locking hubs 4.30 ratio limited slip differential transmission: 5-speed automatic
Brakes: Four-wheel disc anti-lock brakes
Wheelbase: 141" (3576 mm)
GVWR: 13,000lbs (5,896 kg)
Armoured Curb Weight: The finished vehicle weight is approximately 10,000 lbs. (4,545 kg)
Fuel tank: 40 gallons (US) (151Litres)
Air conditioning: Factory Air conditioning
Tires: Four LT40X13.50R20 Mickey Thompson Baja Radial ATZ with ballistic run flats
Vehicle armour: The armour specifications as well as the levels of armour are available upon request.