Karlmann king is the world's most expensive SUV
Imagine that you have really deep pockets and have a liking for SUVs. But you are looking for something exclusive, something in the league of the Lamborghini Urus or even beyond! Well, then your quest should end at the Karlmann King, the world's most expensive SUV ever! It has been designed by a Chinese company called IAT and was built by a European team which comprises of over 1,800 people. The company says that it will build precisely 12 units of the Karlmann King but we do not know if all the models have already been booked or sold. It was first displayed at the Dubai International Motor Show in 2017.
The SUV is built on a Ford F-550 platform and weighs a portly 4,500 kg. Should you want your SUV to be bullet-proof; the weight can go up to a massive 6,000 kg. It is almost six metres in length. Under the hood is a massive 6.8-litre V10, from the Ford F-550 itself. The engine churns out close to 400 bhp, a little less for something that weighs 4.5 tonnes. This explains the lowly top speed of just 140 kmph!
As far as features go, the Karlmann King gets Hi-Fi sound, ultra HD 4K television set, private safebox, phone projection system and optional satellite TV along with optional satellite phone. Whoa! That's some luxury right there. Plus you have additional features such as a coffee machine, electric table, independent AC at the front and rear, indoor neon light control and so on. All the creature comfort features can be controlled via a smartphone app. The wheelbase of the car is a massive 3691 mm, which means there is more than enough room for a tea party inside. The edgy exterior has been built in carbon-fibre and steel.
Coming to the price of the Karlmann King, the prices start at 1.56 million pound sterling, which roughly translates to ₹ 14.33 crore. At that price, there are only a handful of people who could afford the Karmann King. Are you one of them? If yes, get in touch with IAT now.
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Dubai(PTI) Pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah was chosen for the men's Test Cricketer of the Year, while big-hitting batter Smriti Mandhana bagged the women's honour in the ODI format as Indian cricketers dominated the ICC individual awards that were rolled out on Monday.
ICC announced three more awardees from its annual list this afternoon, continuing a process that started on Friday. The final two honours -- the men's and women's Cricketer of the Year -- will be revealed on Tuesday and Bumrah is in contention to bag a double after having been named in the Test Team of the Year.
Bumrah was a standout performer in the last 12 months in which he dominated all opposition teams, grabbing 71 wickets from a mere 13 matches at a brilliant average of 14.92.
Bumrah bowled a phenomenal 357 overs in Test cricket in the cycle, maintaining a strike-rate of just 30.1.
Bumrah, who was instrumental in India's home series victories over England and Bangladesh, was the fourth Indian bowler to take 70 or more wickets in a calendar year after Kapil Dev, Anil Kumble and R Ashwin.
"I am really happy to win the ICC Men’s Test Cricketer of the Year award. This format is always close to my heart. The last year was really special, to be having a lot of learning and wins.
"I am happy to play a lot of cricket this year, and a lot of wickets have been special. But the wicket of Ollie Pope (England) at Visakhapatnam was really special because that shifted the momentum in our favour," Bumrah was quoted as saying in an ICC release.
The 31-year-old's brightest moments came during India's tour to Australia, where his astonishing 32 wickets across five Tests earned him the Player of the Series award, despite India going 1-3 down in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
During the series Down Under, Bumrah crossed the 200 Test wickets milestone, becoming the 12th Indian bowler to achieve the feat.
Bumrah also set a unique record while achieving the feat, becoming the only bowler in Test history with a minimum of 200 dismissals to have an average less than 20 (19.4).
The pacer also led the team in the Perth Test, which India won by a whopping 295 runs, in the absence of Rohit Sharma, who was on a paternity leave.
It was also India's biggest Test win ever by runs.
He is the first male Indian cricketer to bag an individual ICC honour since 2018, when Virat Kohli claimed the Test player of the year as well as the cricketer of the year.
Honour for Mandhana
Charismatic opener Smriti Mandhana brought further joy for Indian fans as she was named as the women's ODI Cricketer of the Year. She earlier featured in the women's T20 International and ODI Team of the Year.
The India vice-captain, who was the ICC women's Cricketer of the Year in 2018 and 2022, racked up 747 runs in 13 innings in 2024 to bag the prestigious award.
"I thank ICC for giving me the honour of ICC Women's ODI Cricketer of the Year. I was happy to contribute to the team.
"I would like to thank my coaches and family for all the support and most importantly the teammates who have been with me through all the ups and downs," Mandhana told ICC.
She put several batting stalwarts, including South Africa's Laura Wolvaardt, England's Tammy Beaumont and West Indies' Hayley Matthews, to shade.
The left-hander's tally was the highest among the leading run-getters in Women's ODIs last year, way ahead of Wolvaardt (697), Beaumont (554) and Matthews (469).
She scored four ODI centuries, a record in the women's game, and found the boundary more than a hundred times in the year, hitting 95 fours and six maximums.
The 28-year-old cricketer's runs came at an average of 57.86 and an impressive strike rate of 95.15.
Some of her best innings came against high-calibre opposition, including her back-to-back centuries which guided India to a 3-0 series win against South Africa in June.
Mandhana also smashed a ton in the series decider against New Zealand in October.
She went on to showcase her ability to dominate the best bowling in the world with another defiant century in Perth against Australia in a losing cause in December.
