NASCAR Engineers Help Design New Combat Vehicle describes the new Hummer-replacement concept vehicle, the Ultra AP, designed on the Ford F-350:
Specifically, GTRI engineers wanted to [sic] safety and survivability. The first step was to use lightweight, cost-effective armor.Second was to shift the four passengers from the traditional two-by-two seating configuration to a diamond arrangement with one person facing out the front, one facing out the back, and one facing each side. Not only does this give all around better visibility, but it provides better protection from land mines.
“This moves people away from the wheels, which are typically what initiates a mine,” Caille said. “The idea is to move passengers further way from the blast.”
Often, it’s the simplest ideas that work best.