From the Latvian car manufacturer that once brought us the Prombron and subsequent variants of arguably one of the most unique armored cars in the world. If you are unfamiliar with Dartz, they are a privately held Latvian-based corporation, that designs, manufactures, and sells high performance armored vehicles. Dartz is based out of a renovated, former Russo-Balt factory in Riga, Latvia, where they built their previous model, the Prombron. Dartz and the Prombron received notoriety, impart because it was originally available in upholstered leather made from the foreskin of whale penises.
Now, Dartz is back with yet another creation: the Nagel Dakar. If the name strikes a bell, it is because the Nagel Dakar is named after Russian racing driver Andrew Nagel, the second place finisher at the 1912 Monte Carlo Rally.
Just like the Prombron, Dartz is wasting little time building up the Nagel Dakar, even going to the curious length of introducing it under a new class of cars it’s calling B.N.U.D.S.
What is B.N.U.D.S.
Bespoke – Every car is made specially for the customer. You can even decide what it looks like externally.
Noble – Dartz say they’re one of the oldest car names.
Urban – as it’s claimed to have an excellent ride for the city. As we found out when we gave a Dictator a lift, this means going over anything that’s in your way.
Desert – If you live in the desert, that’s fine. Dartz says the car works great there too.
Safety – Because of the use of a titanium tubular farme and the company’s previous exploits into bulletproofing.
Exterior and Interior
It’s pretty safe to say that the Nagel Dakar will be built along the same principles of the Prombon. The body will feature a titanium tubular frame chassis that will be standard for base models of the vehicle. If that material is a little too simpleton for your liking, the Latvian-based company can offer a Carbon Kevlar chassis. Quite a nice upgrade, right?
In all, the Nagel Dakar measures 4,620 mm in length for the two-door version and 4,920 mm for the four-door variant. The vehicle is also 2,000 mm wide, 1,700 mm high with a 250 mm clearance, and has a wheelbase of 2,910 mm for the two-door and 3,210 mm for the four-door.
No immediate details have been revealed about the interior, but expect Dartz to offer a customizable interior that includes a plethora of “unique” materials.
Performance
The Nagel Dakar will be powered by an AMG-sourced 5.5-liter bi-turbocharged V8 engine that produces in excess of 650 horsepower and 626 lb/ft of torque. The engine is mated to a seven-speed double-clutch transmission and is being pegged at possessing a top speed of 155 mph.
Pricing
Dartz’s sales plan for the Nagel Dakar will include 10 units sold in 2013, followed by 20 units for 2014. From 2015-2017 that number doubles to 40 units per year. As for pricing, the automaker has priced the car from €250,000 – €300,000 for the base model, which converts to around $390,000 – $468,000. Source: TopSpeed.
