Bungie dishes out info on new Halo 3 vehicle

Over on Bungie.net you'll find a rather detailed feature on Halo 3's new vehicle, the M274 ULATV or as it's more commonly known, the Mongoose.

Stat junkies will be overjoyed to hear that the Mongoose has a top speed of 60 mph / 96 kph, can do between 45 and 65 miles per gallon (load dependent), and weighs 896 lbs / 407 kg. All this is powered by a 1000cc liquid-cooled, longitudinally mounted, four-stroke, hydrogen-injected ICE.

The Mongoose is an ultra-light all-terrain vehicle providing an alternate means of transporting messages, documents, and light cargo between units. Other uses include the transportation of reconnaissance personnel and sniper teams.

Its quick acceleration and high speed makes the Mongoose hard to hit with small-arms, but drivers and passengers should be weary of the Spartan laser - Halo 3's new shoulder mounted energy weapon of mass destruction.

"The Mongoose's biggest foe on the battlefield will likely be the Spartan laser," reads the Bungie article. "The laser's three-second warm-up can make all the difference between a kill and a wasted shot, however...As soon as you see the little red beam following you (and if you're near enough, you'll hear the weapon heating up), it's wise to count off a second and then swerve the hell out of the way to make as difficult a target as possible."

The report on the Mongoose also features a host of fictional user reviews of the vehicle. One such review remarks: "Speed is the only protection this vehicle provides; it is unarmored, noisy, and prone to roll-over. It demands a level of skill from its operator that is impossible to expect from the rank and file during combat conditions. Those not qualified as expert need not apply."

Halo 3 doesn't currently have a release date, although it is expected this year, and gamers will have an opportunity to play the game's multiplayer element in the spring when Bungie and Microsoft begin the highly anticipated online beta.