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" I&amp;#039;m strapped into the seat of the Prowler, a kind of ATV on growth hormones, halfway up a near-vertical embankment in a little slice of desert in suburban Phoenix. Beneath my helmet and goggles, I&amp;#039;m staring straight up at the wide, blue Arizona sky like an astronaut bracing for blastoff, while behind me the beefy rear tires are spinning, grasping unsuccessfully for purchase. Actually, forget the astronaut image. I feel like a cockroach frantically trying to scale a wet tile wall and awaiting a coup de grace from a rolled-up copy of USA Today. The only way I&amp;#039;m getting out of this is with the help of the cavalry, the Marines or maybe the cast of The A-Team. While no one as warm and nurturing as Mr. T is available, from the bottom of the hill I do hear from granite-jawed Rocky Senatore.  &amp;quot;Get off the gas,&amp;quot; barks the Green Beret-turned-desert-driving-drill sergeant. The engine stops its desperate revving. &amp;quot;Now stick it in Reverse.&amp;quot; This doesn&amp;#039;t strike me as a great idea, as I&amp;#039;m one false move from tumbling backward, tailpipe over roll cage, but Senatore&amp;#039;s not a man to be argued with. So I grit my teeth and move my foot gingerly from the throttle to the brake and slip it into gear--and voil\u00E1! The Prowler slides backward down the bank as smoothly as a minivan backing out of my father-in-law&amp;#039;s gravel driveway. &amp;quot;When the angle of the slope exceeds 45 degrees, you can&amp;#039;t use traction, you need to use momentum,&amp;quot; Senatore lectures. The upshot? Stand on it before the going gets steep. So I try again. This time I mash the throttle and the Prowler scrambles up the slope happily, catching a bit of celebratory air over the lip, swallowing the landing with its trampoline-like suspension travel, and scooting casually off down the trail.  THE HUMVEE WANNABES Welcome to the world of idiotproof ATV riding--and creative automotive design in pursuit of Pentagon contracts. Eager to come up with the next Jeep, Humvee or Stryker, a handful of entrepreneurs are vying to slip past the big defense contractors with nimble, go-anywhere vehicles to serve the needs of the 21st century&amp;#039;s nimble, go-anywhere soldiers. Setting aside their military pretensions, some of these creations are darned appealing to any civilian motorhead with an appreciation for low-end torque and mucho styling. The Prowler is a contender on both the weekend warrior and actual warrior fronts. It started life as the brainchild of Amos Deacon, an entrepreneur and ATV enthusiast from California who wanted a safer alternative to four-wheelers. But it soon caught the eye of the guys at Diamondback Tactical, who sell a wide variety of gear to the military, from fatigue-print CamelBaks to body armor. The company hopes the Prowler will fill an important niche on the battlefield. Deployed by helicopter, the vehicles could approach a target from a distance of a few miles for a stealth attack--then get away just as quickly. A number of Prowlers are already in use in Afghanistan and Iraq. While he waits for a big break with the Department of Defense, Diamondback owner Jason Beck is planning a limited assault on the recreational market. The Prowler is built on a Yamaha Grizzly 660 engine and drivetrain, but it has been tamed with a full roll cage, a lowered center of gravity and a carlike steering wheel in place of handlebars so that balance isn&amp;#039;t a factor in steering. The result: a vehicle with formidable off-road capabilities--and a high screw-up threshold. Beck hopes to sell the single-seat vehicle in kit form, with a black budget-worthy price tag of around $20,000. (An &amp;#039;05 Grizzly goes for about $7000.) The standard 34-hp Prowler that I drove didn&amp;#039;t feel the least bit underpowered--it weighs just 890 pounds--but an option being considered for the kit will be a full-on car engine, and not a wimpy one, either. It will be a tweaked version of a 190-hp Honda VTEC capable of nicely powering a sport sedan. While the standard Prowler has a top end of 68 mph, that model should be able to hit truly scary speeds. More to the point, the souped-up engine will boost torque to over 150 lb.-ft.--useful for cockroach climbs in the backcountry and trash-talking sessions in the parking lot. PIMPING YOUR LIGHT-STRIKE RIDE The wash behind Diamondback&amp;#039;s headquarters proves to be a convenient place to test the Prowler&amp;#039;s capabilities. Dropping off a lip, heading back down the embankment that I&amp;#039;ve just worked so hard to climb, the world falls away like the top of a G-Force roller coaster. The Prowler tracks down the steep pitch as if it were on rails, then devours a field of basketball-size boulders like Kirstie Alley eating a Big Mac. Yet as I follow Senatore through the parking lot toward the warehouse, the mini-monster&amp;#039;s handling is so carlike that I instinctively reach for the turn signal when a Dodge Caravan approaches. Back in Beck&amp;#039;s office--inexplicably outfitted with four flat-panel TVs--Senatore and his boss lay out the plans for tomorrow&amp;#039;s venture deeper into the desert. But I&amp;#039;m distracted by the piles of Prowler accessories stacked around. If I were buying, rather than borrowing, this would be my chance to pimp my Prowler. Instead of big rims and a thumping stereo, I could add a mount for an M16 automatic rifle, or at least a satellite dish. Beck breaks into my reverie with an anecdote about a simulated mission one winter. In the driving snow, he drove off the edge of a steep switchback trail, barrel rolled the Prowler six times and did two endos before coming to rest 100 ft. below. Thanks to the chromemoly rollbar and the five-point safety harness, the now-inverted Beck was none the worse for this thrill ride. &amp;quot;I unbuckled myself,&amp;quot; he recalled. &amp;quot;I got out, and we just winched it back up onto the trail and continued on.&amp;quot; The moral of the story: &amp;quot;As long as you keep your arms inside, it&amp;#039;s just about impossible to hurt yourself.&amp;quot; If this was supposed to inspire confidence, it did not. &amp;quot;I don&amp;#039;t do upside down,&amp;quot; Senatore reassured me after Beck was out of earshot. One lesson you learn in combat, he tells me, is that you can&amp;#039;t neutralize the enemy when you&amp;#039;re dangling from a harness with your butt in the air. BEFORE YOU BUY Jeep, Hummer ... what&amp;#039;s next? These kickin&amp;#039; wheels could hit civilian life soon. Order now--supplies are limited.   RST-V WHO MAKES IT: General Dynamics BEST FEATURE: Diesel/electric engine WHO DRIVES IT NOW The U.S. Marines INTENDED USE: Faster, fuel-efficient alternative to that old gas hog, the Humvee WHO&amp;#039;D DRIVE A CIVILIAN VERSION: Ralph Nader in &amp;#039;08 TOP SPEED: 70 mph  IGUANA FV4 WHO MAKES IT: Sabiex International S.A. BEST FEATURE: Amphibious option WHO DRIVES IT NOW: Most recently, military testers in Brazil INTENDED USE: Tough, light, go-anywhere workhorse WHO&amp;#039;D DRIVE A CIVILIAN VERSION: Midcareer Dolph Lundgren TOP SPEED: 67 mph  IGUANA WHO MAKES IT: No relation to the FV4, this hot rod comes from Iguana Technology BEST FEATURES: Articulated body WHO DRIVES IT NOW: The inventor, who has the only prototypes INTENDED USE: Bushwhacking over ditches and rough, swampy terrain WHO&amp;#039;D DRIVE A CIVILIAN VERSION: A reunited Creedence Clearwater Revival TOP SPEED: 65 mph  ASV WHO MAKES IT: Textron Systems BEST FEATURES: Handles 5 ft. of water and 2-ft.-high obstacles WHO DRIVES IT NOW: U.S. Army MPs INTENDED USE: Fill the gap between tanks and smaller thin-skinned vehicles WHO&amp;#039;D DRIVE A CIVILIAN VERSION: Noted defensive driver The Rock TOP SPEED: 63 mph DRIVING SCHOOL, TAKE TWO The next morning, Senatore and part-time Diamondback employee Jeff Camblin load three Prowlers onto a trailer and we all head toward the White Tank Mountains, a half-hour outside of town. With towering saguaro cactus, scrub brush and tumbleweed the only vegetation, the White Tanks feel a thousand miles from civilization. That is, until the trail takes a turn, and there&amp;#039;s a rusted old refrigerator on one side and a mess of shotgun shells on the other. &amp;quot;I guess it&amp;#039;s Frigidaire season,&amp;quot; Senatore deadpans. As we unload the Prowlers, he points to a steep swath in the foothills. This is our first task of the day. True combat conditions, Senatore explains, consist of driving very slowly over outrageously rugged terrain, often blazing a trail where none existed before. If so, this is a perfect testing ground--sharply angled and littered with jagged granite mini-boulders. Remembering Senatore&amp;#039;s admonition from yesterday, I keep my foot to the floor, sticking close to Camblin. As the Prowler bounds over a rock the size of a watermelon, one wheel pops up in the air then drops to the ground. Vooom. The wheel gains traction and the Prowler darts sideways off the trail--or what passes for the trail--like a gecko on crack. By the time I get back on the brake, I&amp;#039;m face to face with a 10-ft.-tall jumping cholla cactus, my vehicle tipping downhill like the Leaning Tower of Prowler. &amp;quot;You okay?&amp;quot; Rocky asks. I give him the thumbs up, with a cockiness I don&amp;#039;t feel. &amp;quot;Put it in Reverse.&amp;quot; Another lesson learned: The &amp;quot;when in doubt, gun it&amp;quot; trick I learned yesterday works only in low-traction situations. On the rocks, where the gnarly tires can get a grip, controlled crawling is the order of the day. Soon afterward, the trail drops off sharply to the left, with a 2-ft. drop-off for the left front wheel. &amp;quot;Just keep coming,&amp;quot; Rocky encourages. Boing. The world drops out from under me. I hold on tight as the Prowler teeters to the left ... tipping ... tipping ... tipping ... then suddenly fulcrums back, rights itself and heads down the trail. Wow. If I tried a few of these hairball moves on an ATV, I&amp;#039;d probably be in a medevac chopper by now. Finally, the day&amp;#039;s technical task completed, it&amp;#039;s time for a little R &amp;amp;amp; R. We head out of the foothills and into the flat, loose, desert sand, for a full-throttle run, whipping up dust, scaring rattlesnakes, turning off the four-wheel drive and throwing the Prowlers into slides that any drifter would envy. Then we happen upon a little series of whoop-dee-doos connected by a couple of banked turns, sculpted by dirt bike riders. In the Prowler, this is better than an amusement park. Catch a little air, bounce around in the belts, and defy gravity in a whole new way. Charge a dollar for this ride, and you&amp;#039;d have a line halfway to Tucson. As I blaze past my partners, my silly smile getting lightly sandblasted, I peek over and notice that stone-cold Senatore is grinning, too.  PM Dream Machine BY JONATHAN GROMER IT PROVED IMPOSSIBLE to find everything we wanted in an off-road fun machine -- you know, 72-in. tires, built-in wet bar and plasma TV, plus the amphi-bious option. So we went ahead and designed our own dream ride. No, it doesn&amp;#039;t really exist, but if it did, The Machine would be plusher than Wyclef Jean&amp;#039;s shark tank-equipped Hummer H2 and tougher than the International CXT megatruck. While the complete vehicle is a product of our fevered imaginations, most of the technology described on these pages is available today. &amp;quot;THE MACHINE&amp;quot; BASE SPECS BODY: Angular body panels, made of magnesium alloy and carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic panels, reduce The Machine&amp;#039;s radar profile; the geometry is based on stealth bomber specs. Evasive capability is augmented by radar-absorbing paint from Plans and Kits Unlimited. ENGINE: Power derives from a GM hybrid system that pairs an 8.9-liter diesel to two 100-kilowatt electric engines. The GM system debuted in 2004 on transit buses. TIRES: Special-order, 72-in. Goodyear Wrangler MT/R tires with Hutchinson run-flat inserts carry The Machine wherever adventure, or an excellent tailgating opportunity, calls. A Dana Spicer Central Tire Inflation System quickly adapts tire pressure to highway or demanding off-road driving conditions. ON THE ROOF: Satellite service comes via the Winegard RoadTrip XLP dish; in-roof solar panels, which can open to boost energy collection, provide supplemental power. ENTERTAINMENT: The Machine&amp;#039;s rear compartment unfolds to reveal a glass-screened, 80 x 120-in. Claro Holographic TV and Media System, created by UK manufacturer Wow Factor. It&amp;#039;s coupled with a Fujitsu high-def, 68.7 billion-color LPF-D711 projector. A polymerized tatami screen conceals amplified Protro cloth speakers. TAILGATING: An Eames-inspired aluminum cocktail bar, manufactured by Mostly Metal, is matched by the Summit Professional Three-Drawer Stainless Steel refrigerator. &amp;quot;THE MACHINE&amp;quot; BASE SPECS BODY: Angular body panels, made of magnesium alloy and carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic panels, reduce The Machine&amp;#039;s radar profile; the geometry is based on stealth bomber specs. Evasive capability is augmented by radar-absorbing paint from Plans and Kits Unlimited. ENGINE: Power derives from a GM hybrid system that pairs an 8.9-liter diesel to two 100-kilowatt electric engines. The GM system debuted in 2004 on transit buses. TIRES: Special-order, 72-in. Goodyear Wrangler MT/R tires with Hutchinson run-flat inserts carry The Machine wherever adventure, or an excellent tailgating opportunity, calls. A Dana Spicer Central Tire Inflation System quickly adapts tire pressure to highway or demanding off-road driving conditions. ON THE ROOF: Satellite service comes via the Winegard RoadTrip XLP dish; in-roof solar panels, which can open to boost energy collection, provide supplemental power. ENTERTAINMENT: The Machine&amp;#039;s rear compartment unfolds to reveal a glass-screened, 80 x 120-in. Claro Holographic TV and Media System, created by UK manufacturer Wow Factor. It&amp;#039;s coupled with a Fujitsu high-def, 68.7 billion-color LPF-D711 projector. A polymerized tatami screen conceals amplified Protro cloth speakers. TAILGATING: An Eames-inspired aluminum cocktail bar, manufactured by Mostly Metal, is matched by the Summit Professional Three-Drawer Stainless Steel refrigerator.    OPTION PACKAGES  THE EVEREST Why drive a monstrous SUV-truck up a snowy mountain? Because it&amp;#039;s there. This package&amp;#039;s Abrams-spec tracks replace The Machine&amp;#039;s wheel sets in the rear, while skis provide flotation up front. A Warn 16.5ti winch rated to 16,500 pounds pulls The Machine up the most vertiginous slopes. The sun-filled tent in the rear stows away, leaving a stealth package wrapped in arctic camouflage.  THE OAKLAND City driving presents unique challenges. &amp;quot;Come correct&amp;quot; with panoramic windows coated with BlastGARD glass-retention film. A Case-manufactured forklift up front ensures parking options, while six Klipsch CA-SW-8T all-weather speakers mounted in the vehicle&amp;#039;s flanks can produce a concert-worthy 111 dB of sound.  THE BAJA For coastal road trips, the body panels are replaced with an aluminum displacement-type hull by Cool Amphibious. In the water, a separate marine transmission powers twin props, while the rear ramp becomes a swim platform. On shore, the retractable sunscreen/media center makes The Machine the life of the beach party. "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
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