When you think of military vehicles, you probably think of something along the lines of the M1 Abrams tank, Oshkosh’s MRAP, Polaris’ MRZR, or the A-10 Warthog. Armed with teeth. Armor as thick as your arm. And ready for war. Vehicles that are massive, animal-like things that look like they can take a hit and keep moving. Because they can, because that’s what they’re designed to do.
I’m not sure I get that impression with Massimo Group’s adorable little two-seat armored UTV, which was recently produced through a contract with both the Department of Defense and the US Army. It gives kids a chance to play the role of a soldier versus a specops warfighter.
Either way, it’s in the military now, and it’s going to have to show up and maybe get a bit of Steve Rogers’ super serum, because it’s going to war, and these skinny weapons won’t cut it against Hydra or the Red Skull. Or whoever we are fighting these days.
The brand’s press release begins, “Massimo Group, manufacturer and distributor of powersports vehicles and Tritoon and pontoon boats, today announces continued momentum within its expanding government and military fleet business, including confirmed purchase orders from the U.S. Department of Defense and the U.S. Army.”
Okay, so they’re not combat-focused, but rather designed to help support base activities, logistics, and more, which makes sense when you look at UTVs. They can be armored, in drag sand, and have all the roll bars and protections you’d expect in a Humvee or GM’s UTV-sized Colorado, but it’s for getting around and bringing supplies to places.
The Warrior UTV, which has a payload of 1,500 pounds, may be one of the UTV Massimo builds the DoD has on offer, and features a roof rack and rear bed, seating for two to four, and an 85-horsepower engine. Again, not MRZR.
That said, I would love to see a .50 cal attached to it and fired, as the recoil must be hysterical.
Massimo is based out of Garland, Texas, and focuses its business on fleet sales versus consumer sales, i.e., it’s similar to John Deere versus Polaris or Can-Am. Terms of the contract have not been released to the public at the time of this writing, but DOD recently placed a $100 million order with Polaris for the brand’s MRZR and other UTVs, supporting a number of conditions and requirements.
“Our confirmed purchase orders from the Department of Defense and the U.S. Army represent an important milestone for Massimo’s expanding fleet business,” says Quenton Peterson, Chief Executive Officer of Massimo Group. He added, “These orders demonstrate the practical value of Masimo vehicles in operational environments where durability, versatility and cost efficiency are critical. We believe our increased traction with government and military customers further validates our fleet strategy and our ability to meet the demands of institutional buyers.”
