US all-terrain vehicle (ATV) manufacturer Polaris has revealed its latest military-grade transport, which is distinguished by its use of airless tyres.
Dubbed ‘Terrain Armour’, the non-pneumatic tyres (NPT) are standard fitment on the new Polaris Sportsman WV850 HO and are claimed to never go flat, even after being shot by a 50-cal round.
Polaris says apart from providing “a highly-capable work and hunting partner”, the ATV with Terrain Armour tyres offers a better centre of gravity, improved cornering and the capability to have tyres designed for a diverse range of applications.
Featuring a military-grade fully automatic single-speed transmission, upgraded shocks, increased cooling capacity and a 680kg towing capacity, the Polaris Sportsman WV850 HO also comes with steel racks and a 1588kg winch.
Polaris off-road division vice president David Longren said the company had enjoyed great success with NPTs in military and disaster relief scenarios and was excited to bring the technology to the consumer market for extreme work applications.
To be sold in “very limited quantities” from December, the Sportsman WV850 HO comes exclusively in Avalanche Grey paint and starts at US$14,999 ($15,945).
The concept of an airless wheel-and-tyre unit for cars was recently seen at this year’s Frankfurt motor show via the Hankook i-Flex. This was preceded by Bridgestone’s airless tyre in 2011 and Michelin’s ‘Tweel’.
