California-based Morgan Clarke Design aspires to challenge the next year’s Dakar Rally with a hardcore off-roader based on a regular Range Rover Velar. Don’t fret, though: only a few body panels stay stock, while everything else is a custom fabrication.
The so-called Dakar Prototype rides on a stainless-steel aftermarket chassis with King shock absorbers and sand-terrain tires. The engine bay at the front is empty, because the engine – a 5.2-liter V10 sourced from a Lamborghini Huracan – resides at the back. Another tuner, Underground Racing, is currently working on a twin-turbo setup capable of driving it to a sky-high 2,000 horsepower (2,028 PS / 1,492 kW).
The interior is as basic as you’d expect and features a safety cage where the rear seats usually are. The front ones come from a McLaren 720S, and the console draws attention to a five-speed gated manual shifter. It’s a lot of horsepower to shift by hand, isn’t it?
Morgan Clarke has plans for seven such vehicles, but it looks like only one of them will be getting a Lambo V10.