A wholly new kind of van for a wholly new kind of camper van, the Orca from Reiter Engineering sees a bony Mercedes-Benz Sprinter chassis remodeled right into a high-capacity ultralight transporter that is positively ravenous for gear, instruments, furnishings and no matter else you may suppose to stuff in. This explicit tackle the cargo van is longer, wider and emptier than any Sprinter that Mercedes builds at its factories whereas weighing tons of of kilos much less due to a svelte carbon fiber shell. It lets drivers carry 1000’s of kilos of payload with no need a trucking license.
Stroll as much as the stretched Orca transporter at a commerce present and it is simply mistaken for a devoted race automotive hauler, a smaller, nimbler various to the large, multimillion-dollar car carrier motorhomes or stretched trailers that may in any other case serve the position. That identification owes partly to the colour scheme of grey and black carbon fiber weave with deep-red stripes but additionally tracks again to the large, open cave of a cargo maintain, cut up neatly from the cockpit by a partition.
Oh, and Reiter Engineering additionally has a historical past of motorsport and performance car growth.
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Step slightly nearer and also you verify your instincts proved appropriate, a minimum of partially. The Orca can the truth is swallow a light-weight race automotive or road-going super-coupe entire, assuming the automotive would not outweigh the van’s 1,600-kg (3,527-lb) payload or wide-body its well past the 225-cm (88.6-in) inside width. And it will most likely depend on the load ramp Reiter provides particularly for the aim – not just for getting the automotive up and contained in the cabin but additionally for maneuvering round and over the wheel wells that eat into the general width inside.
ORCA I Transport made simple
However the Orca can also be way more than only a car-hauler. It is a clean canvas designed to fulfill innumerable transporting wants, a field truck that is been streamlined and lightweighted into a less complicated, extra practical machine. That is why it was on can’t-miss show at CMT 2026, a present very a lot zeroed in on RVs, tenting and journey, not a lot motorsports. Amongst myriad different potentialities, the Orca could possibly be changed into an intriguing motorhome, fairly possible the sleekest, slipperiest Class B+ RV roaming the autobahn.
For those who’re purchasing for an empty Sprinter cargo van, the biggest doable 3,500-kg van Mercedes advertises on its on-line configurator is the extra-long variant with excessive roof. That van’s 737 cm (290 in) of complete size is planted aboard a stretched wheelbase of 433 cm (170 in). It measures 235 cm (92.5 in) huge by 261 cm (103 in) excessive, with dry weight basing in at 2,404 kg (5,300 lb) or extra, relying on configuration and choices.
That is lots of van, however Reiter believes there’s room for much more. Beginning with a Sprinter cab chassis, it will increase all these dimensions whereas reducing base weight. The Orca, then, measures 799 cm (315 in) lengthy by 245 cm (96.5 in) huge by 268 cm (105.5 in) excessive whereas weighing below 1,800 kg (3,968 lb) fully dry. Whole load quantity leaps from 15.5 cu m (547 cu ft) as listed by Mercedes for that extra-long high-roof manufacturing facility Sprinter to 24.3 cu m (848 cu ft) for the Orca, all whereas 600 kg (1,323 lb) of car weight slides over to the payload a part of the spec sheet.
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So Orca consumers acquire way more cargo area and payload behind the identical Sprinter cab and nonetheless keep the three,500-kg (7,716-lb) gross car weight-rated (GVWR) chassis. That GVWR determine is vital as a result of it is the cut-off for the standard Class B driver’s license within the European Union – so drivers are capable of function the Orca with their common license. Automobiles over 3,500 kg require a C1 truck license.
Reiter achieves this spectacular mixture by constructing its mini-bus-like physique from carbon fiber, delivering an empty car cabin with excessive torsional rigidity, a really low weight and a roof capability as much as 1,100 lb (500 kg).
Reiter Engineering
Whereas the Orca does have fairly a big rear overhang, Reiter has prolonged the wheelbase. The brand new 480-cm (189-cm) wheelbase higher distributes weight and bulk over the 2 axles.
Along with rising dimension whereas reducing weight, Reiter fastidiously sculpted the Orca shell for optimum aerodynamics, utilizing a CFD wind tunnel to exactly inform the form for higher gasoline financial system and a quoted high pace of 161 km/h (100 mph). For those who look carefully on the profile of the Orca, you may discover that reasonably than a degree roofline, the Orca roof really slopes downward towards the car’s rear. It additionally features a roof spoiler that channels airflow centrally.
Reiter Engineering
Reiter imagines the ultralight, streamlined Orca transporter serving roles as numerous as particular person clients. It definitely had race-day car transport in thoughts with the construct, and in addition to swallowing up a whole automotive, the transporter is specced to hold as much as six bikes. Past that, it may be used as an empty cargo van for bundle supply and different business targets, upfitted particularly for various industries and companies, or used as a leisure transporter for every part from energy sports activities to horse using.
In fact, Reiter confirmed the Orca at CMT to focus on its potential as a motorhome base that gives more room and payload for constructing out a flooring plan than any full-size manufacturing facility Sprinter. The physique shell has standing room with out the necessity for a pop-up roof, as inside top ranges between 196 cm and over 200 cm (6.4 and 6.6 toes) based mostly on the slope of the roofline.
Reiter Engineering
All that inside quantity ought to encourage some critical creativity by way of arranging completely different flooring plans. Reiter provides a facet door as an possibility and will presumably change the lifting tailgate with stable rear wall for designs that decision for it.
The Orca does have some notable shortcomings in regard to camper conversion, although, most clearly the two-door chassis cab. The big carbon fiber module can be good for housing a hard-walled multi-bed flooring plan for 4+ folks, however that is far much less sensible when you may solely seat three folks on the journey to camp.
Mercedes does supply a Sprinter double-cab chassis with as much as seven seats, however that may minimize into payload and require reengineering the Orca physique and/or chassis. Reiter doesn’t presently point out any plans for a double cab possibility.
Reiter kicked off 2026 by launching the €125,000 Orca. That vacant base mannequin comes powered by Mercedes’ 148-hp diesel engine and six-speed handbook transmission. Reiter doesn’t have instant plans to supply an all-wheel-drive model however will supply Mercedes’ 168-hp engine/9G-Tronic computerized transmission as an improve. It plans so as to add extra mannequin variants and choices sooner or later as it really works to ramp manufacturing up between 75 and 200 fashions per 12 months, relying on demand.
Supply: Reiter Engineering
