---
title: "Bowler’s One-Off Military Truck Concept With a 300-HP Land Rover Turbodiesel Is Up for Grabs"
description: "A racing chassis with a V6 diesel packing 516 pound-feet of torque? Sign us up."
date: "2021-02-25"
modified: "2021-02-25"
authors:
  - name: "Máté Petrány"
    job_title: "Contributor"
    link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/mate-petrany"
url: "https://www.thedrive.com/news/39430/bowlers-one-off-military-truck-concept-with-a-300-hp-land-rover-turbodiesel-is-up-for-grabs"
categories:
  - "Land Rover News"
  - "News"
  - "News by Brand"
tags:
  - "Bowler"
  - "Bowler Motorsport"
  - "Bowler Rapid Intervention Vehicle"
  - "Bowler RIV"
  - "concept car"
  - "land rover"
  - "LUW"
---

# Bowler’s One-Off Military Truck Concept With a 300-HP Land Rover Turbodiesel Is Up for Grabs

![](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/images-by-url-td/content/2021/02/2017-Bowler-CSP-R-I-V-Concept-_0.jpg>)
*\<em\>www.thedrive.com</em>*

Two years before [Jaguar Land Rover took over the company](<https://www.thedrive.com/news/37427/classic-land-rover-defender-110-is-reborn-as-566-hp-supercharged-v8-bowler>), off-road racing specialist Bowler sent its Rapid Intervention Vehicle (RIV) prototype to the 2017 Defence and Security Equipment International expo. Halfway between an extreme safari truck and a light utility vehicle ready for conflict zones, the RIV was built as a collaboration between Bowler and the U.K. Ministry of Defence. It showcased how [Bowler's brand new Cross Sector Platform (CSP)](<https://www.thedrive.com/news/39095/five-of-the-greatest-collector-cars-to-grab-from-rm-sothebys-2021-paris-sale>) could answer the call of a wide range of customers, starting with defense and emergency services.

Finished to military-grade standards, the Bowler RIV is powered by Land Rover's turbocharged V6 diesel tuned to 300 horsepower and 516 pound-feet of torque, sent through ZF's eight-speed automatic to an all-wheel-drive system with a two-speed transfer case. Thanks to its long-travel independent suspension and rigid spaceframe, once in low range, the RIV is pretty much as unstoppable as four-seater trucks can get. Switch the drivetrain back to high, and this prototype will show plenty of all-terrain speed as well because that's how they do things at Bowler.

![message-editor%2F1614180273020-2017-bowler-csp-r-i-v-concept-\_7.jpg](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/content-b/message-editor/1614180273020-2017-bowler-csp-r-i-v-concept-_7.jpg>)
**RM Sotheby's**

With its riveted aluminum body and cleverly lightened chassis, the 2017 Bowler Rapid Intervention Vehicle is a modular vehicle with OEM JLR parts and a payload rating of 4,400 pounds. It is also rarer than [Bowler's Bond-rated Spectre Defender pickups](<https://www.thedrive.com/news/22061/land-rover-defender-from-the-bond-film-spectre-pops-up-for-sale>), or in fact any other racing truck they built around Land Rover's wildest powertrains.

![message-editor%2F1614180315195-2017-bowler-csp-r-i-v-concept-\_1.jpg](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/content-b/message-editor/1614180315195-2017-bowler-csp-r-i-v-concept-_1.jpg>)
*RM Sotheby's*

![message-editor%2F1614180342826-2017-bowler-csp-r-i-v-concept-\_8.jpg](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/content-b/message-editor/1614180342826-2017-bowler-csp-r-i-v-concept-_8.jpg>)
*RM Sotheby's*

![message-editor%2F1614180404447-2017-bowler-csp-r-i-v-concept-\_4.jpg](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/content-b/message-editor/1614180404447-2017-bowler-csp-r-i-v-concept-_4.jpg>)
*RM Sotheby's*

![message-editor%2F1614180424445-2017-bowler-csp-r-i-v-concept-\_53.jpg](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/content-b/message-editor/1614180424445-2017-bowler-csp-r-i-v-concept-_53.jpg>)
*RM Sotheby's*

![message-editor%2F1614180502587-2017-bowler-csp-r-i-v-concept-\_3.jpg](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/content-b/message-editor/1614180502587-2017-bowler-csp-r-i-v-concept-_3.jpg>)
*RM Sotheby's*

![message-editor%2F1614180529336-2017-bowler-csp-r-i-v-concept-\_13.jpg](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/content-b/message-editor/1614180529336-2017-bowler-csp-r-i-v-concept-_13.jpg>)
*RM Sotheby's*

![message-editor%2F1614180549249-2017-bowler-csp-r-i-v-concept-\_14.jpg](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/content-b/message-editor/1614180549249-2017-bowler-csp-r-i-v-concept-_14.jpg>)
*RM Sotheby's*

![message-editor%2F1614180947207-2017-bowler-csp-r-i-v-concept-\_17.jpg](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/content-b/message-editor/1614180947207-2017-bowler-csp-r-i-v-concept-_17.jpg>)
*RM Sotheby's*

![message-editor%2F1614181583098-2017-bowler-csp-r-i-v-concept-\_29.jpg](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/content-b/message-editor/1614181583098-2017-bowler-csp-r-i-v-concept-_29.jpg>)
*RM Sotheby's*

![message-editor%2F1614181605099-2017-bowler-csp-r-i-v-concept-\_31.jpg](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/content-b/message-editor/1614181605099-2017-bowler-csp-r-i-v-concept-_31.jpg>)
*RM Sotheby's*

![message-editor%2F1614181624197-2017-bowler-csp-r-i-v-concept-\_33.jpg](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/content-b/message-editor/1614181624197-2017-bowler-csp-r-i-v-concept-_33.jpg>)
*RM Sotheby's*

![message-editor%2F1614181641735-2017-bowler-csp-r-i-v-concept-\_35.jpg](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/content-b/message-editor/1614181641735-2017-bowler-csp-r-i-v-concept-_35.jpg>)
*RM Sotheby's*

![message-editor%2F1614180476710-2017-bowler-csp-r-i-v-concept-\_2.jpg](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/content-b/message-editor/1614180476710-2017-bowler-csp-r-i-v-concept-_2.jpg>)
*RM Sotheby's*

Never registered for the road and maybe difficult to do so in certain countries due to its prototype nature, this now four-year-old military concept shows just 170 miles on its Motec digital instruments. Offered at no reserve, RM Sotheby's estimates [this online-only unicorn item](<https://rmsothebys.com/en/auctions/0221/open-roads--february/lots/r0061-2017-bowler-csp-riv-concept/>) to fetch $90,000-$120,000, with collection from Chobham in the United Kingdom.

In case you're now wondering, yes, this is indeed a way better proposition [than the U.S.-intended Lamborghini Cheetah](<https://www.roadandtrack.com/car-culture/classic-cars/a26411304/driving-the-rambo-lambo/>) was in the '70s. Good luck and, if you get it, please let us know when we at *The Drive* can go for a spin.

https://youtube.com/embed/Q7a1YpUP3V4

*Got a tip? Send us a note:* *tips@thedrive.com*

## Author
As a fan of old cars, new cars, trains, planes, buses, and you-name-it, Máté can sometimes be seen driving an Autobianchi around Budapest, much to the amusement of the children, mostly. When not time-traveling, he continues to report from the future to his American colleagues, often talking about Lotus, Ozzy Osbourne, or both.

### Author social links  
[Instagram](<https://instagram.com/mpetrany>)  
[Twitter](<https://twitter.com/petrany>)