Invented in Israel and built in Australia, this unique utility vehicle promises to be ultra-tough and user-friendly.
You may not yet have heard of Tomcar, however there’s a fascinating back-story to an all-too-rare phomenon: that is a local vehicle manufacturer who’s actually starting up rather than threatening to shut down.
The vehicle in question is the brianchild of a former Israeli soldier whose very well-being was put at risk by vehicles that weren’t up to a demanding task. The basic concept and design of the Tomcar was his solution.
Enter David Brim, CEO of Tomcar, who is having the vehicles built in Melbourne.
“These are the best in the world,”he says, with complete sincereity.
A big claim? Maybe, but he backs up the comment with a fairly compelling case.
The hand-constructed steel spaceframe chassis, he says, has a military service life of 17 years.
Overall the machine is designed to be easily repaired in the field, with as much use as possible of common componentry.
It’s also designed to survive an air-drop…
Independant suspension and boosted disc brakes feature all round, while the steering is by rack and pinion.
On the mechanical front, you get the choice between a one-litre four cylinder petrol engine or a 1.4 litre diesel. No power output is mentioned, but the petrol version claims 100km/h.
Behind that is a continuously variable transmission, linked to a final drive that includes a diff lock which can be engaged on the fly.
The two-seater shown here weighs in the region of 700kg.
Clearly a lot of thought has gone into the dynamics, as it boasts a healthy 38cm ground clearance, with all mechanical componentry tucked out of harm’s way, along with an impressive side slope ability of up to 45 degrees.
The example used in the video is a test mule, which happily made short work of a challenging motocross and trials track.
There are three models in the range: the two-seater you see here, a four-seater, plus a utility version.
Prices start at $24,950 including GST and you can buy them online at tomcar.com.au