Avtoros Shaman 8x8 Is Ready for the Apocalypse

Well, unless you happen to have a Shaman in your garage, that is. No, it won’t cast spells to clear your path of living dead hordes, it’s not that kind of shaman, but Avtoros’ 8x8 beast will definitely do a good job at driving through them without breaking a sweat! Oh, it’s also amphibious. Have you ever heard of swimming zombies?

Neither have I, so it’ll have you covered.

But seriously, this isn’t exactly the kind of vehicle you’ll want to take downtown or on any tight roads for that matter. Taking corners should prove tricky and can you even imagine trying to find a parking spot for this thing? No, thanks.

However, when it comes to off-roading, the Avtoros Shaman will take you just about anywhere, with 18” of ground clearance and each one of its eight wheels having its own independent suspension. As you probably guessed, having this many wheels means incredible traction, as well as an insane towing capacity of over 31,000lbs (14,000 kg). This humongous thing is damn near ready to roam on Mars!

Water pumps remove as much as 200 liters of liquid per minute from the enveloping boat-shaped frame protecting its transmission and other components. Together with low pressure tires, it truly makes the Shaman 8x8 a serious contender among amphibious vehicles.

No need to go around those marshes anymore, it’ll take you straight through to the other side. Bridges? Optional, you can also drive it across the riverbed if you’re feeling more adventurous.

I hope you’re not in a hurry though. The Shaman’s Iveco 3.0-liter 4-cylinder turbodiesel delivers 146HP and 260 pound-feet (353 Nm) of torque, meaning its top speed is only 44 mph (71 kph). Now that I think about it, can zombies run that fast? I should hope not.

A fuel economy of 9 mpg (26l/100 km) sounds outrageous, but the Shaman’s fuel storage capacity of 70 gallons (265 liters) will at least keep it running for a good distance.

If you were expecting any form of luxury inside, I’ll have to disappoint you. The interior is quite literally that of a plane, it even has a cockpit and those budget airline-looking seats. Its dashboard and various panels surrounding it might give you the impression that you’re aboard the world’s slowest fighter jet.

Avtoros’ Shaman is available in the forms of Hunter and Tourist. The latter is equipped with eight adjustable passenger seats, fitted with armrests and three-point seat belts. Its Hunter counterpart appears to have two passenger seats and benches that can be converted into sleeping space for up to four people. Not quite my idea of ‘comfort’, but a lot better than a tent.

All things considered, it’s crazy, pretty ridiculous and yet, oddly interesting. This tank’s main highlight is obviously that of letting you conquer the wild, but you’ll likely have a tough time getting out of the city to start with.