There’s a certain allure in driving a vehicle from a movie, even if it’s something as far off as the Ripsaw Tank from The Fast and the Furious franchise. If this is the kind of attention you like on the road, then the Ripsaw tank could be yours, as long as you have extra thousands to spare. That said; given that it’s something that took a quarter of a million to make, it will still cost you, just not as much as you think.

What is it that makes military-grade vehicles so fancied by gearheads? It’s this need for rough and tough mechanical beasts that made the Hummer so vaunted by fans, as demand rose for a toned-down, civilian-use vehicle modeled on the HUMVEE. While we can’t quite imagine a car made on the lines of the Ripsaw tank, the cool bit is that you can just buy it instead. So what is the story of the Ripsaw tank, and how much do you need to pay for it?

The Ripsaw Tanks Is Now A UGV In The US Military

The Ripsaw brand debuted in 2000 as the brainchild of twin brothers Michael and Geoffrey Howe, who founded the Maine-based Howe & Howe Technologies. Their idea was to create a never-before-tracked vehicle that could take on any terrain with ease and speed. So, the first Ripsaw tank, the MS1 debuted in 2001. It was a small, lightweight vehicle that could double up as a recreational ride. U.S. Military found it impressive enough and by 2005, they were on board for the Ripsaw MS2, which was more robust and a military-grade version of the MS1 with better everything. Plus, it also came remotely operated, making it the perfect UGV (unmanned ground vehicle.)

Since then, the Ripsaw project kept on evolving with the MS3 in 2010, and later the Ripsaw EV and Ripsaw EV2, given that each newer iteration comes with morre autonomy and better military-grade functions. It’s a continuously evolving project with Howe & Howe working in tandem with the US Military to keep the Ripsaw updated with the top of military and mechanical tech to fulfill the needs of any combat situation.

The Ripsaw Tank Is Quite The Fast & Furious Movie Star

Given that the Ripsaw tank featured in The Fate of the Furious, as in F&F 8, it’s a fairly recognizable vehicle. Driven by Chris “Ludacris” Bridges in the movie, and seen in the trailer above, there’s a stunning scene on ice that shows the prowess of the tank, F&F style. It’s a prominent star of the movie which also stars Vin Diesel, Dwayne Johnson, Jason Statham, Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson, Kurt Russell, and Charlize Theron.

Later, this very Ripsaw tank also came into the G.I. Joe movie franchise, although it came under the spotlight because of the F&F franchise. Probably why the Ripsaw tank is also the quintessential American dream vehicle for many.

Coming to what lies under the hood, various versions of the Ripsaw tank ply with different engines, although most are diesel in nature. This particular Ripsaw tank that is being auctioned by Mecum bears a 2007 6.6-liter LBZ Duramax turbodiesel engine jetting 360 horsepower and 650 lb-ft of torque. The mill is cast iron block and comes with aluminum heads, forged steel connecting rods, and cast aluminum pistons. Power goes to the tracks via a 6-speed Allison 1000 automatic transmission with a rather impressive 60 mph speed, off-road.

The Pre-Auction Estimate Shows The Ripsaw At A Massive “Discount”

Built at a whopping cost of $750,000, this particular Ripsaw tank is the prototype of the Ripsaw RS1 and bears the VIN 000000001. After being with Universal Studios for F&F 8 and the G.I. Joe franchise, it later went to a museum. Since then, it’s been on static display and will need some repair work and recommissioning as well.

It still bears the original coat of paint, although there is a little surface rust now with the patina showing. Both the interiors and exteriors are in combat green. It will go to the lucky buyer with a bill of sale and a copy of the certificate of authenticity from Howe and Howe, Inc.

Mecum Autions is selling the Ripsaw tank as part of its Indy 2023 auction, from May 12-20, and features some 3,000 vehicles. Surprisingly, the current pre-auction estimation is a lot less than what the tank cost, standing at $150,000-180,000. While this is still supercar money, remember, it cost almost five times that money, so the Ripsaw tank is not as expensive as you’d imagined it to be, but then again, some military-grade vehicles do come affordable because of lower demands. Given that Paul Walker’s Toyota Supra sold for $555,000, this is cool beans.