The Most Russian SUV You've Ever Seen

Attention Russian government propagandists: if you've been searching for the perfect vehicle to stage another batch of ridiculously manly photos with President Putin, we've found just the set of wheels. It's called the Avtoros Shaman, and it could easily whoop the axles off any SUV that dares to stand in its path. You've gotta see this thing.

This eight-wheeled tank-like beast is engineered to plow through nearly anything nature might dare toss in its path, and it's powered by an Iveco F1C3.0 turbo diesel engine, commanding a cool 146 hp. 

That kind of power will get this 2.5-ton monster going up to 50 mph on land, or up to 5 mph through the water. Yes, through the water. It can do that.

It's equipped with three different steering systems: front-wheel drive, rear-wheel drive, and a unique "crab" mode in which all wheels move in sync, thus allowing the rig to move sideways in particularly tricky situations. Though it might be tough to find yourself in any of those, considering it can scale 45-degree rocky inclines without a problem.

Admittedly, the interior isn't much to look at or lounge in, but what do you expect from a Dark Knight-caliber behemoth capable of carrying an additional 1.5 tons of cargo?

And you wouldn't expect some boring, run-of-the-mill driver's seat with a normal dash and nav system, would you? Nah, the hub in front resembles more of a cockpit, complete with sub-zero temperature-proof control screens, which are essential to transport supplies through Siberia in the dead of winter. Which is exactly what these things are used for.


Joe McGauley is a senior editor at Supercompressor. He feels for the poor soul who gets caught with the gas bill for this thing.