Tata is a giant automotive corporation in India that produces both mass-market cars and military vehicles. The Tata MBPV pictured here belongs in the latter category and serves a few unique purposes that you will be interested to learn about.
Did you even know light armored army vehicles could be supermini-sized? We neither! Nonetheless, the mission statement of this particular model makes good sense: the car is intended for use against terrorists in enclosed spaces, such as large shopping malls, airports and railway stations, where deployment of larger military equipment might be challenging or downright impossible.
According to Tata, it pioneered the concept of the bulletproof microcar and was also the first company worldwide to implement it in a real-world prototype. We here at FormaCar won’t attempt to prove or disprove it, and will instead focus on other noteworthy aspects – primarily the technical ones, of course, because those are the most interesting ones.
It is reported that the Tata MBPV can climb and descend staircases, and even ambush perpetrators thanks to its silent powertrain. It has no firearms mounted on its body, but tiny loopholes all around enable the spec ops inside to aim and shoot using their own weapons.
The exact specifications of the vehicle remain unknown – the company doesn’t even reveal how many people can fit inside. The only characteristics disclosed thus far are “ultra-compact” (which is obvious) and “good power-to-weight ratio” (kind of nice to hear).