Often thought of as the ultimate muscle car, the influential Pontiac GTO pushed other American automakers of the time to produce various competing models throughout the sixties and seventies. This particular example is one of the latest offerings from self-taught automotive concept artist Khyzyl Saleem, and while it isn’t exactly something you’d expect to see sprinting swiftly down the highway or competing in a Concours event, it’s a great example of just how wild this classic muscle car can really get.

Riding on lifted suspension, the off-road converted GTO features extra-wide wheel arches housing chunky Toyo tyres – ideal for tackling rugged terrain. Bull bars are situated at the front and rear, and while the original rounded headlights remain, four additional off-road lights have been mounted on the hood along with four more on the roof. A roof-mounted spare tyre is also a must, and as if one is not enough, the lid of the trunk has been removed to make room for two more spares.

Saleem has said that the project is out of his usual comfort zone as his work mainly focuses on sleek, futuristic transformations of modern street cars. Applying his techniques to the iconic Pontiac GTO has resulted in perhaps its toughest guise yet.