It looks like Russia has finally produced a truck capable of matching their desire to “explore” wherever they want, and it’s called the SHERP ATV. The SHERP’s 11.2-foot-long, 8.2-foot-wide body, massive 5-foot-high paddle tires and 2,866-pound dry weight may give it odd proportions, but they’re ideal for climbing over obstacles most off-road trucks could only dream of tackling — including lakes.
Powered by a 44.3 horsepower 1.5-liter diesel engine, the SHERP can reach 28 mph on land, and with help from paddle tires that double as pontoons, it tops out at 3.7 mph in water. In a demonstration video, the Russian ATV drives across a frozen lake, breaks through the ice, then climbs its way out as easily as if it were pulling into a suburban driveway. Plus, with its cross-drive steering (the same way tanks maneuver) it can turn within its own length, perfect for navigating dense forests or tight city streets. After that, options range from a 60-amp generator and 90-watt light bar to a hardtop or a trailer big enough for another SHERP. Really, it ticks all the right boxes for a perfect off-roader, especially considering it starts at a mere 3.85 million rubles, or just $49,000. Maybe it’s something our nations can finally see eye to eye on.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3j7n00Xx38o?rel=0&showinfo=0&rel=0&w=650&h=365]
The company website states, “We present you the all-terrain vehicle that is based on development of Alexei Garagashyan that will simply amaze you with its sverhprohodimostyu and we can say this with full confidence.” — It’s hard to argue with that. But don’t just take their word for it — you can see its sverhprohodimostyu in action in the video above.
