Russian tuner turns an elderly Lada into a monster truck

Do you still remember that crazy Russian guy AcademeG, who once turned a totaled Bentley GT into an off-road monstrosity called Ultratank? Well, it looks like he did something similar with the famous Zhiguli Kopeika, or Lada VAZ-2101. Except this one doesn’t have tracks for wheels.

Instead, the widened arches now hold enormous 37-inch off-road rims, of the kind only full-size pickup trucks usually get to enjoy. The axles have been borrowed from a Nissan Patrol wreck, and the body has been put on a custom-made frame for extra rigidity.

The unlikely Zhiguli comes powered by the 4.3-liter, non-turbo Toyota 3UZ-FE V8 rated close to 300 hp (224 kW), so it should be sufficiently capable both on asphalt and well away from it.

According to AcademeG, the conversion is still far from complete. Well, we can’t wait for the photos and videos of the finished project!