Meet the Most Expensive SUV in the World

When thinking about asymmetrically-styled cars, what do you think about them? Examples of such vehicles are the first-generation Hyundai Veloster and.. Karlmann King – if you’ve heard of it. Never heard of it? Then get ready to spend several minutes with the thing that is called the most expensive SUV in the world.

The clip below is from the Bacroft Cars’ YouTube channel, giving us some details on the King’s features and introducing us to who is responsible for the design of the car, Luciano D’Ambrosio. According to the designer, the exterior takes inspiration from the ‘Tumbler’ Batmobile used in Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight Trilogy. He believes it has an excellent design language that is also suitable for the big machine.

The uniqueness of the King is reflected by its shape. There was no attempt to “find the perfect combination of surfaces”. Instead, “a break in the surfaces” was what thought to be the best thing for the SUV. Sure, it has to be large and “dominant”, but the level of aggressiveness still can’t go too far. That’s how it’s “absolutely unique”.

Yes, the design is indeed praiseworthy for its distinctiveness. But in terms of underskin technology, the King remains very common. How not? It’s based on the Ford F-550 packing a 6.8-liter V10 engine which is capable of 420 hp. Previously, there were reports claiming that the vehicle maxes out at only 87 mph (140 km/h). The reason behind this slowness is unquestionably the King’s weight which is above 13,000 lbs (5,896 kg). In the clip, though, D’Ambrosio says it can actually hit 137 mph (220 km/h).

The size of the car might be an issue that is bigger than what the engine’s grunt can effectively handle. But that might also not if owners don’t plan to pit this up against something faster on the drag strip. Judging from its size, it’s almost like an “elephant”, that’s probably what you think. But the designer has a slightly different opinion about it. Given its “flexible” nature and the “nice” driving experience that it has to offer, yes, it can be called an elephant, but perhaps a “flexible elephant”.

To satisfy your curiosity, the SUV’s price is just as big as its size, starting at $1,085 million for the base model. If you include all the optional features, the cost to drive one home will go up to as much as $3 million. Interested in buying the King? Watch the following clip before you go shopping – only if you have millions of dollars not used.