In 1940 Willys built the Jeep in response to a US Army requirement for a tough, all-wheel drive light military transport.
And this is the 2012 version of the same thing, as envisaged by German armaments manufacturer Rheinmetall Defence.
Based on the South American-built VW original, the Rheinmetall Amarok M (militär) Light Multi-Purpose Vehicle has a reinforced chassis, raised suspension, heavy-duty off-road tyres and an “off-road anti-blocking system.”
So far, it sounds like something built in Krugersdorp for a local 4x4 enthusiuast - but then it gets a bit more warlike with rifle racks, hidden storage bins, advanced communications equipment and an electrically-powered ring-mount for a medium or heavy machine gun / automatic grenade launcher.
The Amarok M is available as either a single or double-cab vehicle, with any of the VW range of petrol or diesel engines from 90-132kW, with either a six-speed manual or an eight-speed auto transmission and permanent all-wheel drive.
Rheinmetall says the Amarok M can tow up to 2770kg with a Nato-spec towbar and, even fully armed and armoured, is good for 177km/h - which is considerably better than the CJ2 could do!
The prototype Amarok M is on display this week at the 2012 Eurosatory International Defence Exhibition in Paris.
