Scarbo Vintage, a California-based manufacturer who likes to revive classic designs, has unveiled the Rover. It takes inspiration from the classic Land Rover Defender but takes pretty much everything else to the extreme, including its 1,000 hp electric drivetrain… and its price tag.

While Scarbo Vintage may not ring a bell for most, it has built Ken Block’s Porsche 911-based Hoonipegasus in the past. Now, the Californian firm has unveiled its third model, next to the 911-based RSR and the sixties-inspired F1, which is also the first to feature an electric drivetrain: the Rover.

Classic looks, modern drivetrain

This brute is inspired by the classic Land Rover Defender, including the square body shape, the two-tone color scheme, and the round headlamps and rear lights, but it serves another purpose. This bespoke but street-legal can tackle “technical off-road trails and traverse desert terrain at extra-legal speeds.”

To do so, Scarbo Vintage gives its customers the choice between a 1,100-horsepower supercharged V8 or a 750 kW (1,020 hp) electric drivetrain. Four-wheel-drive is standard (and selectable), and the EV version gets a 75 kWh battery pack. Scarbo Vintage mentions no performance figures, but the Rover is clearly not built for efficiency.

No creature comforts

Other features include a carbon fiber and aluminum bodywork to keep the weight down, four-wheel steering, air, and pushrod suspension, a digital cockpit with a 12.3-inch instrument cluster, and a 12.8-inch multimedia display (an iPad Pro), and not much in terms of comfort features.

Scarbo Vintage calls the Rover a Hypertruck, “setting new standards for performance, sustainability, and design.” It does differentiate itself from other high-powered EV trucks, such as the Munro Mark 1 or the GMC Hummer EV, which is much heavier and more focused on comfort.

$1.5 million

But the SV Rover is also much more expensive, with its bespoke design and artisanal build process resulting in a $1.5 million price tag, according to MotorAuthority. So don’t expect more than a handful to be built, and the question remains if the EV powertrain will be a popular choice.