Rheinmetall Caracal
VDL Special Vehicles has won a special order: it is allowed to assemble special G-classes on behalf of Rheinmetall that will go to the Dutch and German armed forces. It concerns the Caracal, a heavily modified G-class for military use.
A nice boost for VDL: its Special Vehicles branch has landed a sizeable order. The German Rheinmetall is allowed to build a total of more than 3,000 copies of the Caracal pictured here for the Dutch and German Defense. VDL Special Vehicles has been appointed by Rheinmetall for the assembly of part of it.
Rheinmetall will also assemble part of the cars in its own facility here in the Netherlands, namely in Ede. For Rheinmetall it is an order worth €1.9 billion, it is not yet known what the VDL will yield. VDL Special Vehicles, which has its headquarters in Eindhoven, will house the assembly of the Caracal in Born. According to the Eindhovens Dagblad, it will initially be 250 copies, with the option of another 250 pieces.
Rheinmetall Caracal
Of the total of more than 3,000 special G-classes to be built, more than 1,000 will go to the Dutch armed forces. The first units should be delivered in the first quarter of next year. The basis for the Caracal is the current G-class introduced in 2018. “The Caracal offers maximum mobility, a lightweight design and optional mountable protection elements to counter ballistic and landmine threats,” says Rheinmetall. At its heart is a 249bhp 2.9-litre straight-six diesel engine, the same engine found in the G350d, only with slightly less power. It is a heavy boy: 4,900 kilos. For Dutch soldiers it will be a familiar sight: the G-class has been an indispensable part of our armed forces for decades.
.
– Thanks for information from Autoweek.nl