Top 20 Best Cars For The End Of The World
Apocalypse Rapture AKA October 21 2011, Part 2
By Lynn Julian, (http://PopSuperhero.com & http://Facebook/CookieCutterGirl.com)
OK...So people have been saying “The End Is Near” for decades now. We all waited in anticipation for May 21 2011, but nothing happened. Yet, after suffering through a long line of floods, tropical storms, tornadoes and hurricanes this year, “The End” feels a little closer than before. The new date for the “End Of The World” Rapture is December 21 2012. (If you're reading this after that date, then I assume you survived...CONGRATS!) Even though it may not be “The End Of The World As We Know It,” I feel we ought to be better prepared for natural disasters. NO...I’m not talking about hoarding more bottled water, dry goods, flashlights, batteries and radios. I don’t want to simply survive. I want to escape death. In order to do this, I’ll need a Superhero style vehicle. I’m talking about one of the top twenty best cars to survive the apocalypse...LET THE RAPTURE BEGIN!
10. Military Tank
Let’s talk tanks, for starters. (NOTE: I do NOT recommend raiding what’ll be left of military bases in the post-apocalypse. This student had the skills to build his own tank.) This tons of fun is pumped up by a powerful, diesel motor, so he can rest assured of it’s ability to push through the worst Mother Nature can do. The pneumatic paint ball canon he equipped it with is NOT just for fun. It doubles as a flame thrower or napalm launcher. This is the kind of friend we all want on your side when the world falls to pieces!
9. ZIL 29061 AKA ZIL Screw Drive
Off-road vehicles are a Soviet specialty. The ZIL 29061, AKA “Screw Drive,” was a prototype from the Cold War era designed for the vast expanses of inhospitable terrain which cover much of the U.S.S.R. What’s better than a Soviet tank? A Drill Tank! This Russian beauty can maneuver her way out of...anything.
8. DAF Turbo Twin
Being chased by a mutant breed of...anything...would give anyone a need for speed. I got your “speed” right here. (No, I’m not making an obscene hand gesture. I mean this next car, man.) The DAF was designed to complete in the 1988 Paris-Dakar Rally, featuring two 11.6 liter diesel engines to power out 1200hp and @3500 ft-lbs of torque...each.
OH YEAH...That’s a whopping total of 2400hp and 7000 pounds of torque taking this truck’s up to 150mph in no time. Bring it on, bad guys! Catch me if you can...
7. The Landmaster from Damnation Alley
The Landmaster was specially built for the 1977 Sci-fi film, Damnation Alley. It would cost over $1,200,000 to build today. This versatile, 12-wheeled tank is fully amphibious...like a “Duck-Boat”...on steroids! Popular Science had this to say about the Landmaster: “Three independent drive sources running from a gasoline power plant. Uses semi truck parts in the drive train. Can operate with the front or rear wheel trinary out of commission. Side and top hatches on the main unit and rear and top on the after section. Full running lights and brake lights for urban street use. External video camera is mounted on the forward pylon located just behind the front top hatch. Could also house the antenna. All pylons are hardened and armored. Can operate in water and will remain sealed when fully submerged. Can float while half full of water.” I always wanted to live on an island anyway...
6. The Dreadnaught from Death Race
Is this a real vehicle? Technically not, but the design appears to be pretty straight forward. Start with one tanker truck, fully coat it in armor, then fill up it’s storage with 50 caliber machine guns and missiles. Under attack by other world enemies... or even zombies? Have no fear...The Dreadnaught is here...Sci-Fi villains...BEWARE!
5. Steelwheels Draco
Let us return to our proud military, with it’s unlimited budget and teams of scientists. The Draco’s was built from the Oshkosh M1000 platform, which was used for military applications. This apocalyptic Super vehicle features steel reinforcements, elaborate communications array and a Caterpillar drivetrain, whichs gives off 335hp and 1000fl-lbs of torque. Worried about missing the comforts of home? No need...This baby is loaded for bear with a stainless steel kitchen! Bully your way through bad guys while grilling up an eco-friendly, veggie burger. NOTE: The Draco sold at Barrett-Jackson for the bargain-bomb shelter price of only $45,000. Just so you know who to make friends with!
4. Bagger 288
What if you don’t have any friends in high military places? Then, my advice is to try and hook up with this guy. When the apocalypse hits, even the tanks will get out of your way! The Bagger 288, designed in 1978 by the German steel company, Krupp, was conceived as a faster means of completing massive excavations. The scary thing on the front that looks like a ferris wheel for sadists is really a circle of shovels for scooping up dirt. Technically, the Bagger 288 was designed as a harmless, utility vehicle, so you need to load it up with artillary. I won’t tell the aliens, vampires, werewolves or zombies!
3. The Wothahellizat
The Wothahellizat (pronounced “wha’ the hell is ‘at”) was designed by an Australian nature photographer who needed to spend long periods in the wilderness, but did not wish to go without basic human comforts. This “Rapture Rover” has too many features to list, fusing a luxury condo, an armored car, and an urban assault vehicle into one hell of a happy ending...even if it is the apocalypse. This diamond plated, Green Machine even uses solar panels. The Wothahellizat is Maximalist Motorhome on wheels. Making it the perfect vehicle for those of you don't want to leave anything behind in your underground fallout shelter. The only thing that might stop this ride is not zombies. It’s those low overhangs at fast food drive throughs! (Do NOT ask me how I know this. Just trust me...I’m right.) I think this looks like a food truck for war times. (Can’t you just see them selling hot dogs out the side window? *smile*
2. Ford Falcon Interceptor XB
No article on apocalypse vehicles would be complete without mentioning Mel Gibson’s Aussie-built Interceptor from the Mad Max movies. The Interceptor has all the makings of a “badass dystopian vehicle” – monochromatic black color, quad side pipes, a big V8 engine, and a weird weapon on the hood. It may not have an arsenal of weapons or a coat of armor, but it’s built for speed and maneuverability...and it’s SUPERBAD!
1. The Killdozer
A welder and muffler shop owner in Granby, Colorado, Marvin Heemeyer, finally reached the end of his patience in 2004. Frustrated over a zoning dispute forcing him to close his business, he solely created the ultimate vehicle for the apocalypse, The Killdozer.
This survival vehicle starts with a Komatsu D355A bulldozer, armored with layers of steel and concrete, and added lots of cameras for visibility, then mounted several high powered rifles within the cab for safety’s sake. Once his Komatsu was completed, he created his own chaos by destroying the town hall, the judge’s home, and other buildings in his path.
In the wake of his destruction, Heemeyer himself was the only one killed, from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, after the bulldozer became immobilized by a failed radiator. The one thing no survival vehicle built for the apocalypse can save you from: YOURSELF.
Check out the "Star Cars" section of http://GearheadDIVA.com to discover cars #11-20, along with articles on how to build all your favorite movie vehicles too.
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