The tank-like 2009 Howe & Howe Ripsaw tracked vehicle featured in “The Fate of the Furious” is headed to auction. It’s scheduled to cross the block at Mecum’s Indianapolis auction on May 20.
Even in a movie that included a stampeded of remote-controlled cars, a Soviet submarine, and the silver-screen debut of the 2018 Dodge Challenger SRT Demon, the Ripsaw stood out. It’s one of a series of small tracked vehicles developed by brothers Mike and Geoff Howe.
In addition to its appearance in the eighth “Fast and Furious” movie, this Ripsaw was also used in the “G.I. Joe” movies produced by Universal Studios, the same studio that does the Fast franchise.
Power is provided by a General Motors Duramax LBZ 6.6-liter turbodiesel V-8, which turns the tracks through an Allison transmission. Top speed is estimated at about 60 mph—not bad for a vehicle on tracks.
2009 Ripsaw from
The Ripsaw cost over $750,000 to build, according to Mecum, but the auction house only expects a $150,000 to $180,000 hammer price. So if you’ve had your eye on one of these vehicles, now’s the chance to scoop one up at a “relative” bargain price.
While it is unique among the scores of vehicles featured in the Fast and Furious saga, the 10th installment of which reaches theaters May 19, the Ripsaw isn’t as iconic as cars like the 1994 Toyota Supra driven by Paul Walker in 2001’s “The Fast and the Furious,” which sold for $560,000 at auction in 2021. It’s not as practical either. The Ripsaw is being offered on a bill of sale, and likely can’t be certified for road use.