Outback EP-700 Namarrkon
Manufacturer: Outback Manufacturing Co.
Nationality: Australia
First assembled: October 8th, 2049
Birthplace: Campbellfield, Victoria, Australia
Engine: 6.2 L Supercharged V8
HP: 773
0-60: 3.4 seconds
Top speed: 205.00 MPH
Outback's EP platform is mostly known for its use as the basis for their Utes. This was even the primary reason it was developed in the first place, but its far more adaptable than that. EP-series cars have come in the form of sedans and wagons as well, but the EP platform's adaptability goes deeper than what's on the outside. Outback designed it with performance in mind as well, which makes it great for building something a bit more spirited than a humble workhorse. Something that can run with some of the fastest cars on the road while still being quintessentially a product of the land down under.
With Outback's Ute's being so ubiquitous to Australia's roads, its not surprising that some more "creative" owners would have some fun with them. Modified Outback utes have been a thing since they first appeared back in the 50s and only got more ambitious with time. The most common type of modding people did to these Utes is generally the same pretty much every other type of car sees: whatever makes them go faster. Outback Utes share the same platform as Outbacks saloons and coupes, meaning parts were plentiful and well-studied by mod shops everywhere down-under. Not to mention that these platforms were smaller and lighter, making them a better choice for high-performance mods than say, a full-sized pickup. Hot-rodded Utes became a staple of Australian car culture to the point where an official race series using race-prepped Utes was established. This race series grew to not just be one of the biggest in Australia, but in all of Oceania and parts of Southeast Asia. What could be taken from all this is that people liked fast utes, and there was great potential in making a sportier model from the factory. Which is just what Outback did. It began in the 90s with a simple "GT" trim that featured some more sportier bodywork and subtle tuning, but this was just humble beginnings. Outback would build greater, more heavily-modified variants that could give legitimate sportscars something to think about. It wasn't until the mid 2020s when the undisputed king of fast utes first appeared. Or perhaps more appropriately due to the name, the God of fast utes.
In Aboriginal mythology, Namarrkon is one name for the god of lightning. He rides a storm cloud from where he throws lightning at trees and unfortunate mortals, and speaks with thunder itself as his voice. Its alot to live up to, so when you give this name to a car, it certainly sets up some high expectations. Fortunately it didn't take the first iteration of the Outback Namarrkon long to meet those expectations if not outright succeed them. Built off of data received from the aforementioned ute racing series and even using race derived components, the Namarrkon would earn the prestigious title of the world's fastest ute/pickup truck in the world, with a top speed of over 170 MPH. High speed wasn't all it could do, with the Namarrkon posting track records on par with some outright supercars from Europe's finest. While certainly surprising, one has to remember that the Namarrkon has legitimate motorsports pedigree behind it thanks to the ute racing series. The Namarrkon became Outback's most desirable model about as quickly as it appeared and sold well enough to stick around for later iterations of their Utes. This takes us to Outback's new EP platform, Where the wrath of the lightning god would be unleashed with greater ferocity than ever before.
First appearing in the 2048 Australian International Auto Show held in Outback's home city of Melbourne, the EP-700 Namarrkon had possibly one of the greatest debuts one could ask for. On the day it was unveiled, Melbourne was getting hit with a big thunderstorm. The appearance of Outback's own storm god was backed up by actual thunder and lightning, which couldn't be more appropriate considering how outright menacing this latest iteration of Outback's fastest model was. If it wasn't for the cargo bed in the back, the latest Namarrkon would easily classify as a bona fide supercar. The biggest hint towards this is right there in the name, EP-700. For EP-series vehicles, the number in the title simply designates horsepower by divisions of 100. The division however doesn't designate the total HP, however. So yes, while the latest Namarrkon has HP in the 700 range, that doesn't accurately tell the whole story. Using a new variation of Outback's own in-house 6.2 L V8, the EP-700 gets the fun addition of a beefy twin-screw supercharger. This supercharger is massive, coming in at 2.5 liters and needs about 85 HP from the engine just to run. The payoff is more than worth it as this powertrain gives the Namarrkon over 770 HP. That's an impressive number in any sportscar, so to see it in a ute is the stuff of insanity. Of course this helps give the Namarrkon lightning speeds, but raw power alone isn't all that makes it the fastest utility vehicle on the planet.
Outback has always taken pride in the fact that Namarrkon is built off of motorsports data, and that couldn't be more true with the EP-700. This time its not just the ute racing series they studied from, however. Outback has since looked at various other disciplines like Touring Car championships, GT-Class, and even a little bit of LM Prototype. Aerodynamics were a major concern for the EP-700, which can be seen with its aggressive bodykit. A prominent front splitter, side strakes, and even a rear wing integrated into the bed cover make sure all 770+ horses hit the pavement thanks to a healthy serving of downforce. Said bed cover is designed to reduce as much drag behind the cabin as possible, which is an area pretty much all utes struggle with aerodynamically. The bed cover is also removable in case someone wants to carry some oversized cargo in their EP-700, with the cover being pretty easy to remove thanks to it being made from carbon nanocomposite. In fact, most exterior panels on the EP-700 are nanocomposite to help cut down on weight. What also helps cut weight while improving performance are the forged magnesium rims. These cut weight while offering heat transfer, taking excess heat from the brakes and moving it to the performance-spec tires to keep them warm and grippy. Said brakes are also made from carbon ceramic, giving the EP-700 supercar levels of stopping power. Further improving the EP-700's handling is the suspension. Dumping the simple leaf springs from lower models, the EP-700 uses a race-derived double wishbone independent suspension system with MR-fluid shocks. This allows the EP-700 to adjust its ride, from near-racecar levels of stiffness for hardcore track performance to cloudlike smoothness for long journeys on the road. The chassis itself has even had some performance-minded alterations as well. While it is fundamentally the same welded steel frame found on lower, non-performance models, Outback fitted it with aluminum reinforcements and subframes made from carbon-titanium composite. The use of the composite subframes negates the marginal weight penalty of the aluminum reinforcements while both the subframes and reinforcements greatly increase chassis stiffness. With all this hardcore performance hardware combined with the monstrous powertrain, its no wonder the EP-700 Namarrkon is able to take the title of world's fastest utility vehicle. 0-60 is in the low 3-second range, and the EP-700 takes its crown with a maximum speed of exactly 205 MPH. Rather humorously, this record-claiming top speed is what Outback electronically limits the Namarrkon too, meaning it likely could go faster but was reeled in for just being too insane. Not that it matter much, as besides being the fastest utility vehicle in the world, the Namarrkon also holds the privilege of being the only utility vehicle to break the 200 MPH barrier.
The EP-700 Namarrkon was brought to the market as a 2049 model, and quickly showed the world just how formidable it was. Besides having its centerpiece world-record top speed, the EP-700 made waves by posting numerous lap records across Oceana, Asia, and parts of Europe. Most infamously, the Namarrkon showed up in Germany, where it was given to a major Automotive Media outlet for testing and review. It was taken to the Hockenheimring race track for performance testing, where it posted a hot lap time. When the time was posted, the Namarrkon put in a time that surprisingly beat out numerous supercars, including the Holzer 3000 LM/S, the track day variant of the legendary 3000 sportscar. This made the EP-700 rather notorious in enthusiast circles, and quite desirable as well. Despite the EP-700 Namarrkon selling for a base price of $165,000 AUD, Outback couldn't make them quickly enough despite production being limited to 1,000 a year. Global interest in the EP-700 Namarrkon also greatly increased upon its unveiling, with plenty of enthusiasts in the western hemisphere lamenting that it wasn't available in North America. There are rumors that Outback isn't totally ignoring the potential of the North American market, however. Rumors that state that Outback in in talks with a relatively fresh face in the industry, Rogue Automotive, to potentially bring Outback's more high-performance models to the states, just simply wearing the badge of the fledging American automaker and sold in their dealer network. How far along these talks are or if they're even happening in the first place is anyone's guess.
Outback EP-700 Namarrkon
Manufacturer: Outback Manufacturing Co.
Nationality: Australia
First assembled: October 8th, 2049
Birthplace: Campbellfield, Victoria, Australia
Engine: 6.2 L Supercharged V8
HP: 773
0-60: 3.4 seconds
Top speed: 205.00 MPH
Outback's EP platform is mostly known for its use as the basis for their Utes. This was even the primary reason it was developed in the first place, but its far more adaptable than that. EP-series cars have come in the form of sedans and wagons as well, but the EP platform's adaptability goes deeper than what's on the outside. Outback designed it with performance in mind as well, which makes it great for building something a bit more spirited than a humble workhorse. Something that can run with some of the fastest cars on the road while still being quintessentially a product of the land down under.
With Outback's Ute's being so ubiquitous to Australia's roads, its not surprising that some more "creative" owners would have some fun with them. Modified Outback utes have been a thing since they first appeared back in the 50s and only got more ambitious with time. The most common type of modding people did to these Utes is generally the same pretty much every other type of car sees: whatever makes them go faster. Outback Utes share the same platform as Outbacks saloons and coupes, meaning parts were plentiful and well-studied by mod shops everywhere down-under. Not to mention that these platforms were smaller and lighter, making them a better choice for high-performance mods than say, a full-sized pickup. Hot-rodded Utes became a staple of Australian car culture to the point where an official race series using race-prepped Utes was established. This race series grew to not just be one of the biggest in Australia, but in all of Oceania and parts of Southeast Asia. What could be taken from all this is that people liked fast utes, and there was great potential in making a sportier model from the factory. Which is just what Outback did. It began in the 90s with a simple "GT" trim that featured some more sportier bodywork and subtle tuning, but this was just humble beginnings. Outback would build greater, more heavily-modified variants that could give legitimate sportscars something to think about. It wasn't until the mid 2020s when the undisputed king of fast utes first appeared. Or perhaps more appropriately due to the name, the God of fast utes.
In Aboriginal mythology, Namarrkon is one name for the god of lightning. He rides a storm cloud from where he throws lightning at trees and unfortunate mortals, and speaks with thunder itself as his voice. Its alot to live up to, so when you give this name to a car, it certainly sets up some high expectations. Fortunately it didn't take the first iteration of the Outback Namarrkon long to meet those expectations if not outright succeed them. Built off of data received from the aforementioned ute racing series and even using race derived components, the Namarrkon would earn the prestigious title of the world's fastest ute/pickup truck in the world, with a top speed of over 170 MPH. High speed wasn't all it could do, with the Namarrkon posting track records on par with some outright supercars from Europe's finest. While certainly surprising, one has to remember that the Namarrkon has legitimate motorsports pedigree behind it thanks to the ute racing series. The Namarrkon became Outback's most desirable model about as quickly as it appeared and sold well enough to stick around for later iterations of their Utes. This takes us to Outback's new EP platform, Where the wrath of the lightning god would be unleashed with greater ferocity than ever before.
First appearing in the 2048 Australian International Auto Show held in Outback's home city of Melbourne, the EP-700 Namarrkon had possibly one of the greatest debuts one could ask for. On the day it was unveiled, Melbourne was getting hit with a big thunderstorm. The appearance of Outback's own storm god was backed up by actual thunder and lightning, which couldn't be more appropriate considering how outright menacing this latest iteration of Outback's fastest model was. If it wasn't for the cargo bed in the back, the latest Namarrkon would easily classify as a bona fide supercar. The biggest hint towards this is right there in the name, EP-700. For EP-series vehicles, the number in the title simply designates horsepower by divisions of 100. The division however doesn't designate the total HP, however. So yes, while the latest Namarrkon has HP in the 700 range, that doesn't accurately tell the whole story. Using a new variation of Outback's own in-house 6.2 L V8, the EP-700 gets the fun addition of a beefy twin-screw supercharger. This supercharger is massive, coming in at 2.5 liters and needs about 85 HP from the engine just to run. The payoff is more than worth it as this powertrain gives the Namarrkon over 770 HP. That's an impressive number in any sportscar, so to see it in a ute is the stuff of insanity. Of course this helps give the Namarrkon lightning speeds, but raw power alone isn't all that makes it the fastest utility vehicle on the planet.
Outback has always taken pride in the fact that Namarrkon is built off of motorsports data, and that couldn't be more true with the EP-700. This time its not just the ute racing series they studied from, however. Outback has since looked at various other disciplines like Touring Car championships, GT-Class, and even a little bit of LM Prototype. Aerodynamics were a major concern for the EP-700, which can be seen with its aggressive bodykit. A prominent front splitter, side strakes, and even a rear wing integrated into the bed cover make sure all 770+ horses hit the pavement thanks to a healthy serving of downforce. Said bed cover is designed to reduce as much drag behind the cabin as possible, which is an area pretty much all utes struggle with aerodynamically. The bed cover is also removable in case someone wants to carry some oversized cargo in their EP-700, with the cover being pretty easy to remove thanks to it being made from carbon nanocomposite. In fact, most exterior panels on the EP-700 are nanocomposite to help cut down on weight. What also helps cut weight while improving performance are the forged magnesium rims. These cut weight while offering heat transfer, taking excess heat from the brakes and moving it to the performance-spec tires to keep them warm and grippy. Said brakes are also made from carbon ceramic, giving the EP-700 supercar levels of stopping power. Further improving the EP-700's handling is the suspension. Dumping the simple leaf springs from lower models, the EP-700 uses a race-derived double wishbone independent suspension system with MR-fluid shocks. This allows the EP-700 to adjust its ride, from near-racecar levels of stiffness for hardcore track performance to cloudlike smoothness for long journeys on the road. The chassis itself has even had some performance-minded alterations as well. While it is fundamentally the same welded steel frame found on lower, non-performance models, Outback fitted it with aluminum reinforcements and subframes made from carbon-titanium composite. The use of the composite subframes negates the marginal weight penalty of the aluminum reinforcements while both the subframes and reinforcements greatly increase chassis stiffness. With all this hardcore performance hardware combined with the monstrous powertrain, its no wonder the EP-700 Namarrkon is able to take the title of world's fastest utility vehicle. 0-60 is in the low 3-second range, and the EP-700 takes its crown with a maximum speed of exactly 205 MPH. Rather humorously, this record-claiming top speed is what Outback electronically limits the Namarrkon too, meaning it likely could go faster but was reeled in for just being too insane. Not that it matter much, as besides being the fastest utility vehicle in the world, the Namarrkon also holds the privilege of being the only utility vehicle to break the 200 MPH barrier.
The EP-700 Namarrkon was brought to the market as a 2049 model, and quickly showed the world just how formidable it was. Besides having its centerpiece world-record top speed, the EP-700 made waves by posting numerous lap records across Oceana, Asia, and parts of Europe. Most infamously, the Namarrkon showed up in Germany, where it was given to a major Automotive Media outlet for testing and review. It was taken to the Hockenheimring race track for performance testing, where it posted a hot lap time. When the time was posted, the Namarrkon put in a time that surprisingly beat out numerous supercars, including the Holzer 3000 LM/S, the track day variant of the legendary 3000 sportscar. This made the EP-700 rather notorious in enthusiast circles, and quite desirable as well. Despite the EP-700 Namarrkon selling for a base price of $165,000 AUD, Outback couldn't make them quickly enough despite production being limited to 1,000 a year. Global interest in the EP-700 Namarrkon also greatly increased upon its unveiling, with plenty of enthusiasts in the western hemisphere lamenting that it wasn't available in North America. There are rumors that Outback isn't totally ignoring the potential of the North American market, however. Rumors that state that Outback in in talks with a relatively fresh face in the industry, Rogue Automotive, to potentially bring Outback's more high-performance models to the states, just simply wearing the badge of the fledging American automaker and sold in their dealer network. How far along these talks are or if they're even happening in the first place is anyone's guess.