Say what you will about Russia, but they’re definitely on the forefront when it comes to creating badass off-roading vehicles. Some of these mean machines will make your Hummer H2 look like a newborn kitten! And they can drive in the F***ING water!!!
One of the vehicles on our list is equipped to take you to the North Pole and back, and then take a swim in the Arctic Ocean! Another one can take a hit from an explosive and then rev up the engines and do nearly 100 miles per hour!
Don’t miss all the ridiculous rigs we got coming up for you! Here are the extreme amphibious Russian off-road 4x4s you need to know about!
Aton Impulse Viking
Our first vehicle was designed to make rescue missions through the frozen Russian tundras. And in case you didn’t know, it can get pretty rough out there. So the Aton Impulse Viking needs to be ready to traverse any terrain. And by the looks of it, I’m pretty confident this 4×4 could take you into the inner circles of hell and you’d drive out the other side just fine!
The Viking is hooked up with some jumbo low-pressure tires that will help you bounce right over any chunk of snow or ice or rock, rather than having your wheels dig in and getting stuck. It’s also got an especially low center of gravity that makes it virtually impossible to roll over unless you get hit by a Russian missile.
This beast is a perfectly engineered machine for rescue missions where other vehicles can’t go. They’re even talking about adding an external harness to the Viking so they can airlift it with a helicopter and get into even more remote areas!
Can you imagine this massive machine getting dropped out of the sky? I don’t know if I’d be more relieved or terrified getting rescued by one of these!
Sherp ATV
The Sherp ATV is basically all wheel. With tires that measure 63 inches in diameter, this all-terrain vehicle looks more like something from the planet Tatooine in the Star Wars universe than something from our own Earth.
These tires are also super low pressure, not to mention they feature some serious threading, which makes it a breeze for the Sherp to crawl across even the toughest terrains. And we’re not just talking about land. This amphibious animal can actually drive up to 3.7 miles per hour in water as well with its indestructible engine that spews out water when submerged.
And that threading on the tires? That actually functions just like paddles when this ATV is in the water. So you could be driving your Sherp ATV over ice, break that ice, and keep driving along like nothing even happened. That’s pretty badass if you ask me.
These amphibious exploring vehicles are on the market for somewhere around $65,000-$70,000, which is pretty pricey. But I guess that’s the price you have to pay to become a master of land and sea.
Trekol
This vehicle’s claim to fame is that it can actually run over a human being without harming them. Hopefully, if you’re on a rescue mission, you don’t end up running over the person you’re trying to save. But I guess it’s good to know that they’d be fine if you did.
The Trekol is a six-wheeled all-terrain vehicle built from fiberglass that is capable of operating in temperatures as low as -49 degrees Fahrenheit and as high as 113 degrees! You literally cannot find a climate that will make this thing break down.
While the Trekol can only get up to speeds around 43 miles per hour, it more than makes up for that when you get it off-road. And by off-road I mean the desert, the mountains, or the ocean. This aquatic trekker has low-pressure tires that let it float comfortably on the surface of the water, and water jets that help it blast through the sea if that’s where your journey should take you.
It’s safe to say there’s no terrain that this monster can’t conquer. I guess that’s why they called it Trekol. Get it? Trek-ALL?
Avtoros Shaman
While this off-roading rig doesn’t have the biggest wheels on our list, it does have the most. With 4 wheels on each side (that’s 8 total for those of you who failed your math class), the Shaman has all the off-roading capability to get you through the most difficult conditions imaginable.
And that’s not all, every wheel can be steered separately in case you get yourself into a tight spot. Plus, you can lock the 4 axles into a wide range of combinations to adjust to whatever kind of terrain you need to traverse.
This absolutely gigantic machine is somehow street legal in the Russian Federation, and already I’m having nightmares about one of these pulling up in the lane next to me on the highway. Luckily, I have no immediate travel plans to go to Russia.
But you’re probably not going to see a whole lot of these rolling around on the roads over there, considering they cost a whopping $130,000.
Once you do have one, though, you pretty much gain the freedom to go to any corner of the Earth you could ever want. Could you drive this thing into a volcano and make it out alive? Maybe, but I wouldn’t try it.
ZiL Punisher
It’s clear that the Russian manufacturers of the ZiL Punisher were somewhat inspired by the Punisher Marvel comics, because this badass 4×4’s design language is definitely on par with the rugged, blacked-out aesthetic of one of Marvel’s most memorable anti-heros.
It’s front grille features 3 large steel columns that makes it look like the Punisher is ready to eat you whole and spit out your bones. And this mean machine doesn’t just look menacing, it’s got an 8-cylinder turbo diesel engine under the hood that spews out over 700 horsepower. This 26,000-pound hunk of black steel can get going as fast as 93 miles per hour, and that is a truly terrifying sight.
Imagine this demonic-looking driving machine coming over the ridge of a mountain doing nearly 100 and then 10 Russian operatives hop out. There’s not much you can do at that point except for cower in fear.
Oh, and I almost forgot to mention, the Punisher is completely bulletproof and resistant to explosions. So if you’re anticipating an apocalypse in the near future, you might want to look into getting one of these rolling bunkers.
Unfortunately, they’re currently unavailable to the general public. So unless you have connections to the Russian military, you’re probably out of luck.
Burlak
Ever wonder what it would look like if you took a storage container and slapped some wheels on the sides? Well, the Burlak looks like pretty much just that. It’s a box-shaped beast with 6 wheels and some serious exploring ability.
It’s design was based on the BTR-60 armored personnel carrier, so it’d be a good place to stash any pillaged riches if treasure hunting is what you’re planning to use this off-road exploring vehicle for.
But it’s also got top-of-the-line internal temperature control, because this rig’s original purpose was for making expeditions to the North Pole and back. I would imagine Santa Claus and all his elves would be pretty shaken up if they saw this massive hunk of metal rolling up to their workshop.
And on your way back from the northernmost point on the Earth, feel free to plunge this thing right in the Arctic Ocean and cruise on home, because the body is fully capable of floating and it’s equipped with propellers to send you through the water.
Plus, you’ll be riding comfortably, because the Burlack has internal space large enough for 10 people, and it’s got a built-in kitchen and shower. So even in the harsh conditions of the North Pole, you can feel right at home.
Kamaz Race Truck
The last vehicle on our list differs a bit from the others in that it’s built primarily for speed. Kamaz has been dominating the world of cross-country rally racing, and it’s latest version of the Race Truck is quite simply the best they’ve ever built.
Designed to plow through the desert with unthinkable ease, the Kamaz Race Truck features a 13-liter 6-cylinder turbocharged engine capable of generating a mind-boggling 1,150 horsepower. The thing weighs 9.5 tons, with each wheel alone weighing 330 pounds.
But get this: the thing can still climb up to speeds as high as 99 miles per hour, and that’s only because they electronically limited its capability! That absolutely monstrous engine could get this nearly-10-ton chunk of steel flying even FASTER if it was left unregulated!
You can buy a Kamaz standard issue truck for around $30,000, but if you want one of those bat-outta-hell speed machines you see dominating the deserts in Dakar, it’s gonna cost somewhere between $250,000 and $450,000! Performance like that carries a hefty price.
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