Imagine a setting where auto-versus-auto fighting is the norm. Maybe it’s just for sport (looking at you, Burnout and Destruction Derby), maybe it’s to the death (like Death Race, Twisted Metal, and Mad Max, to name a few). What would you (or a character or characters of yours) drive in this setting? Describe the vehicle of choice.

And it can be anything, no matter how absurd or unrealistic. Twisted Metal has plenty of out-there vehicles, and Death Race: Beyond Anarchy includes, among others, a BMW 5-series, Dodge Stratus, Toyota Celica, Mini Cooper, and VW New Beetle.

Here’s my picks:

1999 Land Rover Defender 130 sporting a turbodiesel straight-six and five-speed manual. Bulletproof glass and Station Wagon style body made of titanium; it's a one-off vehicle, so the two builders/owners have extra leeway regarding materials used. It only has seats for 5, but that's to make room for a huge fuel tank. Suspension is a hybrid between off-roader and tow vehicle, but it still uses coil springs all around. Off-road equipment includes tires, locking diffs, winches, skid plates, additional lights and a brush guard. It'll cross just about any terrain it encounters. It doesn't have any weapons, but that's because it's primarily used as a cargo transporter, and guns don't exist in its setting. It’s also the only motor vehicle on the planet, so thievery attempts likely won’t get anywhere.

Prototype M-Series DX and GT, two of my personal favorite rides from Burnout Revenge, are equally capable of smashing rivals into the scenery as they are carving down a winding road. But if something more specialized is needed...

Then the Tuned R205 GT and Prototype R205 GT from the same game. The Tuned is a hot lapping star; though definitely not meant for serious fighting, the Prototype can land a few good hits and take some in return, good for an Eliminator. If Road Rage is the name of the game, then the Tuned M-Type, no contest.

1956 Chevrolet station wagon, sharing little with a "vanilla" example beyond looks. A modified Cummins B-Series provides power. Run-flat all-terrains and longer-travel suspension permit plenty of off-pavement driving. For offense, two .50-cal machine guns on the front and a third on a roof-mounted 360-degree turret. For defense, steel and titanium armor at least an inch thick, and 2-inch aluminum oxynitride windows (just 1.6 inches of that stuff can withstand a .50-caliber bullet). It's not be the meanest-looking ride on the road, but it's definitely got it where it counts.

1967 Ford Mustang fastback or 1963 Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud III; both stylish travel choices for the 2015 Mad Max game. Lifted suspension, good tires, supercharged V-8, nitrous oxide... and if it's looking for a fight, a battering ram, side armor, wheel attachments to shred other vehicles, spikes on the body to take out jumpers, and for good measure, two flamethrowers under the body that shoot to the sides.

1966 Buick Riviera, visually similar to the menacing machine from Death Race. If not possessed by an antagonist, then definitely someone who’s morally gray... or just thinks it looks cool.

As for what myself and/or my character self would drive?

2012 Ford F-150 Raptor SuperCrew
Powertrain: 500+ horsepower turbodiesel engine; six-speed transmission; permanent 4WD

Armor: 2” titanium/ceramic composite; 2” bulletproof glass with slat armor; titanium v-hull

Weaponry: three .50-cal M2 Brownings on the hood; five roof-mounted missiles; fourth M2 on an armored roof turret w/360° rotation; single rear-facing M134 in rear license plate area, modified with slower rate of fire for reduced ammo consumption

Other: bed cover permanently integrated into body; stock-size, foam-filled off-road tires; 1” suspension lift; larger-capacity fuel cell; upgraded brakes with custom handbrake; front bull bar; LED light bar above windshield; “shark mouth” nose art on sides

Reason: it holds its own in speed, is more agile than it looks [being a Ford Raptor], has enough firepower to destroy what’s faster than it, is equally capable on and off the pavement, and will put up one hell of a fight before going down.

'86 Crew Cab Chevy 3500 Dually

Power: 454 big block with a Turbo 400 and 5 speed automatic transmission.

Armour/defensive Equipment: 2 inches of steel plating with window slats over bulletproof glass. Rear-mounted 30 cal. machine gun, Minigun, and oil sprayers.

Offensive Weapons: Twin 50 cal. machine guns and a grenade launcher mounted to the roof and a reinforced bull bar.

Misc: Backseat repurposed to store extra ammo and fuel. Triggers for mounted guns are on the steering wheel, there's a switch on the dash to swap between front and back. 6 inch lift with 4X4 on 19 inch off-road tires. LED light bar above the windshield. Straight pipe exhaust and matte black paint with red skulls on the doors and hood.

Reasons: If you're going to drive in a "Death Race" event, you need a monster. This particular vehicle won't guarantee you'll cross the finish line in first, but it will guarantee a lot of destruction.