16th of 20
User: Puffster
Company: ABR
Car: Rhino Nightshade
The Rhino Nightshade definitely wins at being the most practical car in the competition! This is primarily due to the fact that it’s an SUV, and the only SUV to be entered. But ABR has made some interesting choices with this vehicle.
First off is the engine. While the emissions are pretty low for an SUV, it is quite a surprise! Why? Well, there is a 5.6 Liter 570HP V12 that revs to 8500RPM under the hood. But I didn’t realize this when I first got in the unassuming SUV.
I did notice the very truck-like utilitarian styling; and the SPORTWAGEN logo on the back. The front end is kind of love it or hate it. I really like the top part, but the bottom part wasn’t my favorite. And other than the suicide doors and chrome trim, the side is pretty standard. Stepping into the inside, the car is pretty basic. The seats are nice, and there are 3 rows, which is handy. But the electronics are borderline bare minimum in today’s world, especially when you consider the $76,300 price tag. But once you fire it up, you know why it costs that much.
The aggressively cammed V12 barely holds an idle without vibrating the whole car. If you pop the hood, you can see the engine mounts struggling to keep the massive vibrating monster in place, like a Cobra that’s about to shed its skin before it strikes. But once you pull out and get over 2k RPMs, magic happens! The engine begins to come into its own. I pulled onto the highway near the dealer, put the 6 Speed Single Clucher Sequential in 4th and rode it all the way to the way to 120MPH. The torque is incredible! Despite its size, the SUV only weighs 4200 pounds, partly in thanks to the Fiber Glass body. So it moves with urgency; and its tires aren’t huge, so you will get some tire spin in first gear, even with AWD and some really nice, sticky rubber.
What else is special about this SUV? Pushroad rear suspension. Yeah, you may wonder why the trunk floor and rear seat are so high. That’s why. Expect to only put kids and short people in the back seat. But that helps keep the back end more controlled than any production SUV, well, ever. The aggressive active suspension system makes this SUV handle better than most family cars that weigh significantly less, and is quite admirable. If you’re the kind of Dad that likes to speed up to catch and drift through a yellow left turn light with 6 kids in the back so you don’t have to wait for the light, this is your Ute!
The Efficient Future Rank: 16/20 @ 1225.7 points
Summary: Fuel Economy was the Achilles’ heel of this car. While 18.3MPG is good considering that it’s a high speed race SUV, it is a weak spot in this competition. High running costs, low comfort and prestige don’t help its case, either. High Drivability, Speed, Safety, and Practicality helped put it where it stands on the rankings.
Carskick’s Overall Subjective Score: 8.5/10
Summary: I have a lot of respect for this aggressive design in and economy competition. Despite it being a very large and relatively heavy performance machine, it still manages to be somewhat environmentally friendly. So for taking the entry to an interesting extreme and creating a car that fills a cool niche, I give extra bonus points!