The Viking 29031 Is an Amphibious Monster Truck from Russia

You know how all the coolest cars in the wold have a name and a number – McLaren P1, Ferrari 458, Aventador LP700-4? Well Russia can play at that game with the Viking 29031, a car 4x4 that looks like the love child of a monster truck, an arctic exploration vehicle and a boat.

Designed by a company called Aton Impulse, the Viking is put together in Naberezhnye Chelny, which is the second largest city in the Republic of Tatarstan, Russia. That's probably not very important, but the difficult road conditions there inspired its creators to give it the capability of traversing rivers and lakes. With a powerful water jet mounted at the back, this all-conquering tank can reach up to 12 km/h (8 mph) on water.

The massive 5.3 meter body has ample space for up to 7 people or 700 kilograms (1543 lbs) of cargo. It's also approved for driving on normal roads and has the specifications required to be used by a holder of a category B permit.

Designed as a true offroader, the Viking 29031 is ideal for rescue services who want to reach people stranded in remote places. It has a turn radius of only 8.6 meters or 28 feet (hard to believe, but that's what the manufacturers claim) and can adjust its tire pressure on the go or increase the ride height from 350 to 600 millimeters. Up to 1000 kilometers (621 miles) can be traveled on a full tank and this flagship can also keep its crew alive and warm for a full night if they're stuck.

Power comes from a 2-liter diesel engine with 140 horsepower. The underbelly is plated in steel and of course it's completely watertight as well, since the 29031 floats and can cross rivers. The driver sits in the middle of the cabin and seems to be greeted by a steering wheel, radio and other controls from the previous generation of Ford Focus. Other than that, this things is as well equipped as a shovel, but it's not exactly spartan and when your life has just been saved, leather seats are the least of your worries.

Viking 29031 - photo gallery