Pictures have been bouncing around the web for months, but at last Fendt has officially introduced its towering 1000 series tractors to the public.

Packing a massive 500hp under the hood and standing at 3.6m tall, the new range will the biggest and most powerful conventional tractors ever made.

Only a handful of North American articulated monsters and tracked machines from the likes of Deere and Challenger will be able to match it.

Possible uses in the UK will be taking large drilling duties away from heavier tracked or articulated machines that are a bit harder on the ground. Contractors with large tanker outfits could also be interested.

See also: 7 photos to feast your eyes on – behold the Fendt 1000 monster tractor

In its search for this much grunt, the Bavarian maker has had to step away from its usual Deutz-built block. That’s left truck engine maker MAN to take up the mantle with a 12.4-litre, six-cylinder engine.

This uses a mix of AdBlue and exhaust gas recirculation to keep it clean and has been tuned to deliver maximum torque at low engine revs. Fendt has also fashioned a bulging new bonnet to house the mammoth powerplant.

To deal with the avalanche of power and torque, the 1000 has been given a significantly beefed-up version of the maker’s Vario transmission.

Large-diameter tyres have been fitted, too, in the form of 900/65R 46 rears and 710/60 R38 fronts. These have also got a central tyre inflation system to help them find maximum grip.

For its power, the 1000 isn’t ridiculously heavy. Unladen weight is 14t, but when it’s fully ballasted it will tip the scales at about 21t. It will still thunder along at 60kph, though, and it’s got dual-circuit brakes to make sure it stops, too.

The sheer size of the tractor means the market will be limited. Fendt says global sales for 450-500hp tractors are just 2,500 units a year and about half of these are sold in North America.

See also: Deere tops latest tractor sales charts

To appeal to that market, the 1000 has track width adjustable down to 60in and it will also be offered in a more basic format.

When the 1000 starts rolling off the production line there will be four models ranging from 380-500hp in the flagship 1050.

There will be a bit of a wait, though. So far just two prototype models have been built and these will be subject to about 25,000 hours of testing before Fendt begins building production models.

That means the first examples are likely to start appearing in the UK in late 2015 or early 2016.

Prices haven’t yet been announced, but they will be considerably more than for the 939, which has a list price just shy of £250,000.