SUVs have come a long way, from being tough and humble utility vehicles to 300 km/h achieving, ultra luxurious Bentleys that don’t mind getting their feet dirty once in a while. The boundaries of the utility vehicle are being stretched far beyond functionality, more so with cars like the upcoming Lamborghini Urus and the Rolls-Royce Cullinan. Nobody’s tried crossing a mid-engined super-car with a SUV so far, so the Camal Ramusa has to be the first one.
Built by Italian design studio Camal, which is run by ex-Bertone employee Alessandro Camorali, the Ramusa Concept is being touted as a hyper-SUV. The name Ramusa means lizard in Piedmontese; choosing a name in that particular, north Italian dialect is Alessandro’s way of paying homage to Nuccio Bertone and design centre Stile Bertone, which ceased to exist a while back.
The Ramusa looks like a high-riding super-car with its engine behind the driver, and in essence, actually is. That engine is significant though, because its a 3.5 litre, 60-valve, V12 unit with quad turbochargers borrowed from the iconic Bugatti EB110. Power is sent to the rear wheels via a six-speed manual transmission, while a central electric motor powers the front wheels during quick acceleration runs or situations with limited traction, bringing the total power output to over 800 hp.
Measuring 4,320 mm long, 2,020 mm wide and 1,300 mm high, along with a SUV rivalling ground clearance of 250 mm, the Ramusa is based on the Bugatti’s carbon fiber chassis as well. Styling is admittedly exotic, but we’re not too fond of the uncharacteristic front and rear ends. Being a SUV of sorts, it even features subtle body cladding, but the hyper prefix predicates that all of the cladding is crafted out of carbon fiber.
Camal Studio intends to build a limited production run in the near future. Sign us up!
doesn't look like SUV