Play GI Joe? Then buy this military buggy from Bear Grylls

We have no knowledge of military vehicles, but it seems to us that being a soldier in this Ricardo Cobra makes you so vulnerable. Yes, you have a Browning .50 machine gun available, but where’s the armor? Maybe Bear Grylls can tell us more about that.

Because the former soldier and today’s TV presenter owned this device. What did he do with it? No idea. Originally, the Longline Light Strike Vehicle – as it is actually called – was developed for the special command troops.

Bear Grylls bought an old Special Forces scout

The LSV is compact and fast. Perfect for reconnaissance work behind enemy lines. It uses a tubular frame chassis with modified Volkswagen wheel suspension and a water-cooled four-cylinder boxer engine from a Volkswagen T3 at the rear.

The military buggy can be hung under the helicopter

Its top speed is around 100 km/h. The power source, manual four-speed gearbox and other technical components are protected by a skid plate that runs under the entire vehicle.

The Ricardo Cobra can be hung under a helicopter and equipped with a machine gun, grenade launcher or anti-tank missile system. There are three variants of this: the Mk1 with two-wheel drive, the Mk2 with four-wheel drive and the Mk3, which had a diesel engine.

One of only five copies for the British SAS

It is not known exactly how many copies were made, but it is said to have been eighteen or twenty. The LSV in the photos is a Mk2, only five of which were built in 1990 for the British SAS, who used it in the first Gulf War.

Seven years later, the Department of Defense sold the Ricardo to a private individual at auction. It was restored by a later owner and brought back to Gulf War condition.

Browning gun is officially disabled

In case you’re wondering if the Browning cannon still works? No, it is disabled and there is an official certificate for it. Still interested in this military buggy? In England you can buy it for just under 58,000 euros.