M-Truck, the new SCORE M for mystery class…
Since SCORE announced the new M-Truck class the guessing is going on within the race community. “What vehicles are this?” 18,000lb garbage trucks on steroids?? Dakar Rally style trucks like the Kamaz or MAN’s or slightly smaller like the 1985 Paris-Dakar Rally overall truck class winning Mercedes Unimogs??? The SCORE rules state: “Stock production medium utility, minimum wheelbase 125 inches, maximum track width 102 inches, minimum weight 12000 pounds, must have a GVW of 18,000 pounds minimum” A Puro Off-Road editor got curious and we start researching. The 3 drivers/individuals named with SCORE M Truck class Baja 1000 entries to locate was easy, well their addresses….. M1: Glenn Harris – California Gold Products, Inc – Automotive supplies and equipment. M2: Donald Verhoff Executive Vice President, Technology Oshkosh Corporation and for M 3, James McAvoy we found also a connection to California Gold Products, Inc within different search-engine inquiries. Ok, now the mystery starts if you want to call getting no info mystery. First phone call to California Gold Products, Inc got a friendly gentleman on the phone yet o tone “can give absolutely no information about the vehicle”. It was a short conversation and it appear they do not want give any info as well he was not aware if there will be any press releases at all and if then only very short before the Baja 1000. Is that cause it is a vehicle not intended to be sold to the general public?? Why otherwise keep it secret?? Could not have a better promo as the Baja 1000 and the media hype leading to it…..
At Oshkosh the folks are out “traveling” (that’s another way of saying pre-running 
) but at least their is some material to do some contemplating as “is that the base for the M truck Baja 1000 Class???”
Puro Off-Road predicts it will be somethings like the “Sandcat” a Oshkosh Tactical Protector vehicle. Oshkosh Corporation designs and builds the world’s toughest specialty trucks and truck bodies. “High-speed response and security missions with a totally new vehicle capability: The SandCat™ protected multi-role vehicle. This high-speed, highly-protected, highly-maneuverable vehicle can be specifically configured to fulfill a variety of roles in any type of mission: military, homeland defense, global war on terror, law enforcement and security, special operations, disaster aid and peace-keeping missions. It is tailored to meet your operational environment, so you’ll get the perfect balance of mission performance, protection and payload to meet your rigorous demands. Because the SandCat vehicle concept uses a commercial chassis and kitted hull, it is manufactured rapidly and efficiently, so you can have it quickly.”
Doesnt that fit the class basic requirements?? Built on a modified Ford Heavy Duty F-550 chassis, the TPV sports a reconfigured rear suspension that replaces the standard Ford leaf-spring suspension with beefy coilovers. This allows much better suspension articulation and control on and off road, as well as a better ride. This rear suspension rework has allowed Oshkosh to push the wheelbase as far to the corners as possible, which makes for more interior space, better handling and a more stable platform. It also means better approach and departure angles off road, which are 38 and 30 respectively.
The TPV has a Ford 6.4-L twin-turbo diesel engine that churns out 325 hp and a whopping 650 lbs./foot of torque. Fuel capacity is 31.7 gallons. Transferring this torque to the part-time 4-x-4 system with electric transfer case, traction control and auto-locking hubs is a TorqShift five-speed electronic automatic transmission with overdrive. Add in a rear limited slip differential and locking front, and the TPV can climb a 60% grade like a goat. On the road, the powertrain combination translates to a maximum governed speed of approximately 75 mph. That s plenty for a vehicle of this type because the protective goodies that make the TPV so strong also make it heavy, with a curb weight of 13,300 15,280 lbs., depending on configuration and options. Add in the payload capacity, and the TPV tips the scales at 19,500 lbs. total GVWR for the Utility and Transport models.
Fuel capacity is 31.7 gallons according to their specs sheet. I guess the fuel capacity needs to “up”ed a little if they don’t want to stop at every corner……
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Oshkosh’s Patented TAK-4®
Independent Suspension With unmatched off-road mobility and enhanced maneuverability, TAK-4 has equipped combat and tactical wheeled vehicles with a dominating performance edge, accelerating the pace of the modern battle. TAK-4 provides up to 16 inches of independent wheel travel, increasing mobility and ride quality compared to straight-axle vehicles. And with combat-proven success on over 10,000 tactical trucks since its introduction on the Marine Corps’ MTVR in 1998, it continues to be a critical component to mission accomplishment. With that success, TAK-4 has most recently been applied to the Marine Corps’ and the Army’s ultimate heavy 10x10s: the LVSR and the PLS A1.
Now Oshkosh is bringing that performance and engineering expertise to aftermarkets and other OEMs. Conditions that require increased GAWRs, smooth off-road ride quality and confident mobility over arduous terrain are applications for TAK-4. <<<<<<< ( there we go, wouldn't Baja 1000 look good in the resume for going aftermarket????) Oshkosh has been retrofitting TAK-4 onto its own legacy platforms since 1999, and most recently more than 1,500 fielded MRAPs that required capabilities beyond their initial scope. Whether Oshkosh is needed as a mature, dependable subsystem provider or as a complete system integrator, the TAK-4 will equip your severe duty vehicle for the next decade's performance expectations.
Section of the content and some of the images credits Oshkosh Tactical Protector Vehicle
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This post was compiled by Dirty Sanchez
