Skip to main content

Electric shocks, Kevlar, and retinal scanners? Dartz’s Black Shark SUV is built for spies

I get the feeling that the product designers over at Dartz aren’t told ‘no’ very often.

An SUV covered in gold? Please do. Ruby encrusted gauges? Easily approved. A 155-mph, 2000-horsepower armored yacht tower? Dear god yes.

Recommended Videos

The Latvian manufacturer has created yet another example of concentrated Soviet chutzpah, one that the company calls the “first real SpyKar.”

Designated the Prombron Black Shark, the Kevlar-coated titanium SUV was devised to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Dartz’s militaristic ancestors, the Russian Motorized Infantry.

To honor its battle-hardened past, Dartz has equipped the Black Shark with an array of superspy-worthy gadgets. The most notable is the “anti-paparazzi shock device” fitted to the disappearing door handles, but there’s also a retinal scanner, a rotating bulletproof grill, and a BlackJet system that allows drivers to book private international flights with just two clicks of a button.

It doesn’t get any more “SpyKar” than that.

Moreover, the Mercedes GL 63-based Black Shark can be armed with one of two AMG engines, a biturbo V8 or a biturbo V12. With the larger engine, Dartz offers a maximum output of 1500 hp.

Related: The Dartz Kombat Gold is 24 karats and 6,600 pounds of pure, unadulterated hubris

If the Black Shark doesn’t make it into the upcoming Bond 24 movie, something is wrong with the world.

Imagine Daniel Craig roaring around the streets of an ominous Slavic village, his sleek Aston Martin howling in the wind like a crazed wolf. Behind him, an enormous, tank-like brute thrashes through cobblestone byways, its cacophonous engine punctuated by the sporadic gunfire of a thousand unnamed baddies.

I don’t know about you, but I’d pay to see it. Dartz will fully detail the Black Shark on October 19th.

Andrew Hard
Andrew first started writing in middle school and hasn't put the pen down since. Whether it's technology, music, sports, or…
Plug-in hybrids are becoming more popular. Why? And will it continue?
Kia Niro EV Charging Port

There's a lot of talk about the idea that the growth in electric car sales has kind of slowed a little. It's not all that surprising -- EVs are still expensive, early adopters all have one by now, and they're still new enough to where there aren't too many ultra-affordable used EVs available. But plenty of people still want a greener vehicle, and that has given rise to an explosion in hybrid vehicle sales.

That's especially true of plug-in hybrid vehicles, which can be charged like an EV and driven in all-electric mode for short distances, and have a gas engine as a backup for longer distances or to be used in combination with electric mode for more efficient driving.

Read more
EV drivers are not going back to gas cars, global survey says
ev drivers are not going back to gas cars global survey says screenshot

Nearly all current owners of electric vehicles (EVs) are either satisfied or very satisfied with the experience, and 92% of them plan to buy another EV, according to a survey by the Global EV Drivers Alliance.

The survey of 23,000 EV drivers worldwide found that only 1% would return to a petrol or diesel car, while 4% would opt for a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) if they had to replace their car.

Read more
Trump team in sync with Tesla on ending crash-reporting requirements, report says
Beta of Tesla's FSD in a car.

The transition team of President-elect Donald Trump is planning to end existing car-crash reporting requirements to safety regulators, according to a Reuters report.

The report cites a document obtained by Reuters that lays out the transition team’s 100-day strategy for automotive policy. In the document, the team says the crash-reporting requirement leads to “excessive” data collection, Reuters says.

Read more