An Italian-made 1 million euro ($1.5 million) super luxury SUV made its global public debut this week in Dubai, where the company also confirmed its first sale to a UAE businessman.
The Aznom Palladium is a super-luxury, 6-meter all-terrain limousine, based on the Ram 1500 Limited pickup truck before being stripped down and rebuilt into a luxury 4-seater all-terrain saloon.
Inspired after seeing the purpose-built armored limousine carrying the President of the United States during his visit to New York, Aznom CEO Marcello Meregalli decided to elaborate on his interpretation of the story. President’s Cadillac and was willing to buy it, given his interest in the Middle East.
“I didn’t expect the President’s Cadillac to be so big. We’ve worked for other brands in the auto industry and I’ve always wanted to do something that wasn’t centered around the standard Italian supercar concept of two seats and a top speed of 300km/h. So when I watched ‘The Beast’, I thought we could do something like, “Mr. Meregalli said.
“We chose the UAE to reveal the Palladium because of the size of the vehicle and the usage. I think this is the best area for such a vehicle. It will only be limited to a maximum of 10 units, so we can’t sell it everywhere and I think focusing on the GCC where it has more space and better fuel prices will make it a big hit. into the best region in the world for such cars. ”
Using the flagship 1500 Limited RAM as a base, Aznom has replaced its 5.7-liter V8 with a modified version of the RAM performance engine from TRX that now has a turbocharger pair and has been boosted up. 6.4 liters.
It develops 634kW and 1050Nm of torque which should make its performance almost four seconds to 100km/h with top speed reaching 250km/h.
Other mechanical tweaks include two water-air coolers, forged pistons, custom steel H-beams, reinforced nimonic valve springs, rebalanced camshafts and driveshafts, and a bespoke head gasket, bearings and fuel injectors.
It runs through an enhanced eight-speed automatic transmission and all-wheel drive starts with rear-wheel drive but can switch to four- or four-wheel-drive automatics with locking differentials and covers. includes a shorter ratio for heavy duty off-roading.
“RAM is the best thing for making such a big car because you can’t find another body-on-frame chassis this big and all the electronics are brand new too. We reinforced the chassis with a roll cage and we also completely changed the dynamics of the suspension and brakes,” Grandfather Meregalli added.
It now sits 30mm lower and rides on new shock absorbers made specifically for Palladium that can operate in 30 different configurations. 408 x 34mm ventilated front discs are paired with six-piston Brembo brake calipers, with four-piston calipers working with 380 x 28mm discs at the rear.
Grandfather Meregalli said.
Meregalli added that the production was limited to 10 pieces because each one took eight months to build, giving it a production life of almost seven years.
“We started the design process at the end of 2018 and defined all the design requirements by the end of 2019, so we are now ready to start producing the first panels for the production models. export.”
The Monza-based company is collaborating with Turin’s Camal design studios under design director Matteo Bertinelli.
“The idea was to make a very large vehicle that doesn’t look too big when you see it parked alone. Bertinelli said.
At 5960mm long and 1971mm tall, it’s undoubtedly the biggest four-door pickup on the road, coming from one of the biggest SUV trucks on the market.
“We had to respect some basic points, so the A, B and C pillars are the same but we can play with the rear. Back there, we had more freedom, so we removed the scavenger hunt and started from zero to create something special,” Mr. Bertinelli added.
“The boot opened up like a drawer because I wanted to create something different but very practical. By sliding out, you can get things in the back easier, and you can adjust it to fit whatever you need, whether it’s camping gear or even a wedding dress.
“We were more restrained at the front but wanted to increase the size, so I added 15cm from the Ram to emphasize the size of the car.”
With a background in bespoke leather jackets that provide the right luggage for the likes of Pagani, Aznom has come into town with interiors that dwarf even the largest Rolls-Royce.
Two separate recliners and legrooms in the back, separated by a fridge with a sliding beverage cabinet with crystal glasses. Rear seat occupants can lean back in the c-pillar area behind the door for better privacy and protection, but still be able to look out the small, slim window.
The car is named after the rare mineral Palladium, which is widely used in the jewelry industry and also features a very expensive detachable watch mounted between the seats.
CAN (Control Area Network) works simultaneously with the main avionics for the vehicle’s powertrain and mechanics, but remains independent to allow passengers to control all comfort features from the small screen mounted in each car door.
While the driver’s display controls the locks and all windows as well as the temperature of the refrigerator, drawers, cockpit lights, front air conditioning and hidden compartment entrance, rear passengers operate operate a stand-alone feature set for their seats including their own a/c, seat adjustment, window and entry fridge and glass cabinets.
The Palladium is the first of four cars from Aznom Automotive with three more on the drawing board a far cry from the giant SUV in the concept.
The upcoming Aznom Serpas is based on the Rapture SL produced by British sports car specialist Radical to replace the highly successful SR3 race car.
Followed by the Serpas hardtop coupe from Lotus Emira’s starting point and headed by Aznom DolceVita, this model resembles a touring GT with an AMG transmission and is most likely tuned by a driver. Mercedes SLC assistance.
