Like a Defender from hell — or heaven — the Scarbo Vintage SV Rover is a custom-built monster of a street-legal off-roader. Constructed of aluminum, carbon fiber, and a choice of four figures of electric or gasoline V8 power.
It’s hard to see anything other than a Land Rover Defender in the styling. The SV Rover is more like a Defender that’s been pounding action-star levels of HGH and other supplements, though. It’s definitely not your typical stiff upper lip Brit SUV bodywork.
The SV Rover is massively wide thanks to fenders that are flared out to the moon. Those fenders are possibly the coolest thing to hit the road in decades, as they hinge upward out of the way as the wheels go up.
The fenders are connected to the suspension so that the tires can never hit them. Yes, active fenders! This allows for massive tires (40s) and massive wheel travel (30 inches at each corner) while still giving the vehicle a low, planted look.
“The SV Rover represents a new extreme in terms of off-road power, maneuverability and capability,” said Joe Scarbo, CEO of Scarbo Performance. “We are thrilled to unveil this revolutionary vehicle, which combines the nostalgia of classic British design with modern American muscle and technology to deliver a driving experience beyond anything this side of a trophy truck.”
Off-Road Race Car Suspension
There’s no back seat here, and just two front seats. Instead, the SV Rover has an inboard-mounted pushrod suspension taking all of the space behind the driver. The front suspension uses a similar racing-style setup.
Scarbo says it has up to 30 inches of total wheel travel at each corner. The air ride system has user-adjustable height control and suspension damping to customize the ride to the terrain.
Between the fully independent suspension at all four corners, four-wheel steering, insane suspension, and massive tires, there is likely little that can stand in the way of this machine off-road.
1,000+ Horsepower From Gas or EV
Scarbo Vintage can fit a pushrod suspension in the nose because the engine is in the back. Shoved between the driver and those rear shocks is a 1,100-horsepower supercharged V8. Alternatively, the buyer can pick a 1,006-horsepower electric power system.
The V8 gets an eight-speed automatic. Both versions get a driver-selectable 4×4 drive system with a two-speed transfer case. To ensure as many of those horses are sent to the dirt as possible, the SV Rover has selectable front and rear locking diffs.
Scarbo’s bodywork is a mix of carbon fiber and aluminum. The combination is so extreme that it manages to make 40-inch tires on 20-inch wheels look downright small. Give some of the credit for that to the brakes, because the 15.7-inch carbon ceramic rotors with Brembo six-piston calipers really fill in the wheels.
Racy, but Polished, Cabin
The cabin manages a strange blend of luxury and spartanness. It’s basic, with exposed aluminum and visible welds. But the aluminum looks great, with details like exposed fasteners. And Scarbo will add plenty of Alcantara material throughout to make it feel racy.
Scarbo will do pretty much whatever you want to the cabin, in fact. It has a 12.3-inch digital dash and a 12.8-inch center screen. It has power locks and windows, and there is room for cargo in the back.
But this is bespoke. The company will change finishes, surfaces, colors, pretty much whatever based on how much a buyer is looking to spend.
Third Model From Scarbo Vintage
The SV Rover is the So Cal-based company’s third model. It follows up another pair that includes the SV RSR. That’s an extreme widebody racer built on a vintage Porsche 911. You might already know it as the Hoonipigasus, the car Ken Block took to the Pikes Peak Hillclimb.
Scarbo Vintage’s first model is called the SV F1. It’s a reimagining of a 1967 Ferrari 312 Formula 1 race car. The $250,000 car has all of the minimalism and fragility of the real thing, without being unobtanium.
Scarbo SV Rover
If you want your own SV Rover, you should reach out to Scarbo Vintage soon. We have no doubt they’ll have their order books filled soon, as this vehicle just saw the light of day at the F.A.T. International Ice Race in Aspen, Colo. And, that prediction of sales is even considering that the price tag of the SV Rover will be considerably north of $1 million.
