Usually associated with luxurious grand tourers, Aston Martin has unveiled a complete about-face with the Dreadnought off-roader, designed for use in military battles.

Purists can breathe a sigh of relief, the storied British brand isn’t ditching its history to compete with the likes of Rezvani and Aznom. The Dreadnought has been designed to appear in the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 video game.

The digital concept idea isn’t a new one, with numerous carmakers constructing virtual cars for use in digital titles like the Gran Turismo series, but the Dreadnought marks the first of its kind for Aston Martin.

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Named after a famed British battleship from the early 20th century, the Dreadnought lists features that sound somewhat alien for a typical Aston Martin spec sheet. Advanced military-grade armour plating and combat zone intelligence systems aren’t typical Aston Martin equipment. 

Aston Martin’s prior involvement in the James Bond universe gives it a background in weapons systems, at least, so it’s not all new ground for the brand.

More closely tied to Aston Martin’s history, the Dreadnought also lists a V12 engine, carbon-fibre chassis, Oxford tan leather interior, and anodised satin gold finishes to complement its herringbone weave carbon-fibre exterior.

As one of the most controversial design exercises from Aston Martin since the 1979 Bulldog, the Dreadnought integrates the brand’s design heritage surprisingly well. The iconic Aston Martin grille finds a comfortable home on the armoured exterior, and the horizontal louvred headlights evolve the DRL signature found on models like the Vantage and DB12.

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Aston Martin promises supercar levels of performance and fully integrated command interfaces, but for buyers with hopes of one-upping their AMG G63-owning neighbours, there is a catch. Despite a full-size mock-up on display at Fanatics Fest in New York, the Dreadnought isn’t destined for a production future.

Instead, the all-wheel-drive powerhouse will be reserved for DMZ and Warzone modes within the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 4 video game.

The closest Aston Martin owners can get to the Dreadnought experience remains the DBX SUV, which trades the Dreadnought’s V12 for a twin-turbo V8, and leans much more heavily toward comfort and luxury than ballistics resistance.