The Avtoros Shaman 8X8 is the SUV of SUVs

Is it a fish, or a crab or a tank? Well, it’s all that and then some more. Meet the Avtoros Shaman 8X8, an SUV that will eat other SUVs for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Russian truck maker Avtoros has put together an all terrain vehicle that really takes ATV very seriously. So seriously that the only terrain that it won’t conquer is air. Well, the Russians have the MIGs and Sukhois for that.

The 8 wheeled Shaman is as large as a battle tank with generous proportions. 6.2 meters long, 2.5 meters wide and 2.7 meters tall, this behemoth will haul a ton and a half of people or produce. The Shaman 8X8 is a true blue off roader that powered by a 3 liter, V6 IVECO turbo diesel motor. The peak power rating of this engine, at 146 Bhp, is conservative and may even cause some sniggers, but wait. Peak torque is healthier, at 350 Nm.

The Shaman 8X8 has a trick up its sleeve – gearing. The off roader’s 6 speed manual transmission built by ZF is geared so low that its top speed is a mere 80 Kph. The gearing is clearly meant to haul this offroader across Siberia and back, and swim across streams when the ice melts. That’s right, the Shaman 8X8 can transform itself into an amphibious vehicle when a water body needs to be traversed. 

The chassis transforms itself into a waterproof hull that can float the Shaman, while the off roader digs into the 3 liter turbo diesel motor’s torque reserves to plod along at a steady 7 Kph. Getting out of water and onto the high river bank will be easy as well. The 8 tyres will all steer towards a single direction, giving this ATV a crab like ability to move sideways. And the 45 degree gradability means that hills are just minor imperfections for a vehicle that can conquer it all.

Via MikeShouts