Posted on 09/10/2016 3:14:20 PM PDT by BBell
Off-roaders come in all shapes and sizes these days, ranging from a tiny Suzuki Jimny to a Hummer. Somewhere in between is the mighty Viking 29031.
The Viking 29031 is built by a company called Aton Impulse for Russia, a country where it can get so cold your eyelids freeze. So you can understand why it has absolutely massive chunky tyres, rugged looks and a ridiculous amount of ground clearance.
Not only that, this Viking warrior has self-inflating tyres and space for up to 850kg of cargo or seven people, making it usable as a rescue or law enforcement vehicle.
Did we mention it is also amphibious? Yes, this 4x4 behemoth can wade into water, with water-jet propulsion able to power it along in rivers or the sea at 12km/h. Put that in your exhaust pipe and smoke it, Land Rover.
Two engines are available, a ZMZ 51432-10TD1 diesel that creates 110PS and 270Nm of torque and a Ford DW10 that offers between 136 and 163PS and 320 to 320Nm, depending on how much you want to spend. Both come with a six-speed automatic gearbox and have a top speed of 80km/h.
(Excerpt) Read more at recombu.com ...
Google says that's 49 mph.
Not interstate highway friendly.
45 is the minimum for interstates. I’m sure the top speed will increase in the coming years. See post 11.
Is that so you can have a man with an AK manning each window?
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absolutely!
There is no sign that the EPA had anything to do with structuring and designing this vehicle.
“Viking”?
Shouldn’t it be the “Cossack”?
That would make sense but I think Viking sounds better. After all, it is amphibious and the Cossacks were not known to be a Naval unit.
The Ural has two-wheel drive (both back wheels) making it a real mountain got. Like the Viking it has limited top speed, around 55 or 60 on older models, a bit faster on new ones.
It would seem to have a useful reverse gear, too, based on those tire tracks.
OMG!!! They channeled the T-34 tank.
From another article:Wonder what restrictions might hamper an Amphicar, given that it should be grandfathered in.The VIKING is the only only amphibious off-road vehicle in the world to have passed through certification to meet worldwide regulations for unrestricted on-road use.
But I'm sure the nanny state would find an excuse to ban it.
You are right. So butch! Bring more All terrain vehicles that aren’t meant to do carpool duty.
The T-34 was probably the best tank of WWII. Cheap to build,easy to maintain,easy to operate,fast and maneuverable, deadly. I would not have wanted to put a bunch of Sherman tanks up against a bunch of T-34s. Even with Patton as my General.
I have owned a 1987 Range Rover, a 1997 Discovery, and a 2008 Grand Cherokee.
I presently own a 2002 Excursion with a V10, a 1987 Mercedes Unimog U1300l, a 1966 Mercedes 404 Unimog, and a Belgian Army 1973 Land Rover Series III Lightweight.
The Range Rover required little maintenance.
The Disco was worse.
The Lightweight, normal.
The Grand Cherokee, horrible.
The 404 Unimog, a couple of engines, but easy change.
The U1300L, replaced one light bulb and a fan idler pulley bearing in 3 years. Drive it a lot, from northern New England to PA, and all over ME, NH, VT.
I would love to have a race prepared Kamaz though.
Bigger than the Unimog, over 1000 HP, and will do well over 100 MPH. Wins the Dakar Rally every year, lately in the truck division.
Made in Russia, of course.
The Ural is great as it can go twice as fast as a Rokon.
But the Rokon will go to the few places a Ural can't go.
Rokon is made in Rochester, NH, USA.
2WD, front and rear.
With the hollow wheels, floats, and can carry extra gas or water in the wheels.
Mine, a Rokon Trailbreaker, gets over 60 MPG.
Land over fans!
The legendary center-steer LIVES again!
I wonder if a Hagglund is road legal anywhere?
When I was in the service I rode in those things and was pulled on skis behind them. Cold weather training Bridgeport, Ca.
My son was in the truck company at Camp Marguerita, Camp Pendleton. Since he had no license, they of course had him driving a 5-ton truck. but he signed up for all the training he could get approved, including Bridgeport. He was the only one in his class who could ski, so they sent him out to dig out snow banks and places to sleep. Got a lot of skiing in.
He came back and get accepted for embassy duty MSG.
Semper Fi
The Russians do build some tough, durable and reliable things in spite of what some people think.
The info on the range rovers I get is from all the car salesmen I know. They won't even take them in on trade ins because when people bring them in the range rovers usually require a few grand in repairs just for minor things like broken lights or non working instruments on the dashboard. The parts are very expensive. Also I have been told that they are prone to electrical problems that are a pain to fix. Now I am talking about the newer ones and I see the ones you have owned are older.
In regards to old soviet vehicles I would like to have a LuAZ 969M or a GAZ 69. They are both simple and you can pick them up pretty cheap.
Putin taking a Lada Riva SUV made the news some time back
Don’t get me started on the silliness of putting a battalion of Marines, some of whom have never seen snow, on skis. With a combat load. Give them all snow shoes.
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