Russia Has the Toughest, Coolest Ambulance With the Shaman-M ATV from Avtoros

This month, Avtoros upgraded its 8x8 beast (we discussed the Shaman in full detail in a recent coverstory) to make it suitable for emergency services – as an ambulance, to be more specific. The fact that this thing can literally go anywhere and that it comes with massive interior volume makes it suitable for the task, Avtoros says.

Meet the Shaman-M ATV, aka the ambulance. In addition to the driver, who sits up front and center, it can accommodate up to four medical personnel and up to two patients, with the latter getting all the care and medical assistance they need on the way. Inside is also a wide array of medical equipment, starting from special interior lighting to defibrillator, electrocardiograph, thermal blankets, stretcher, and the likes.

All seats have safety belts, there is additional equipment like fire extinguisher, air-conditioning, heating and ventilation, and medical furniture and cabinets. In short, the Shaman-M is now built with functionality in mind – and in “accordance with order No. 388n of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation.”

Aside from these upgrades, no change has been made to the original 8x8 beast. This means that you get all the pros of the Shaman (high ground clearance, independent suspension on each of the eight wheels, massive towing capacity, amphibious capabilities and the knowledge that it is unstoppable) and the downsides. The biggest in the latter category would be the very slow speed (44 mph / 71 kph on land and 4.3 mph / 6.9 kph in water) and ridiculous fuel economy 9 mpg (26l/100 km).

The base Shaman starts somewhere at $185,000 bare, so the Shaman-M will probably be considerably more expensive, given the gear it packs. Sure, it might take a while to get to where it’s needed, but you can count on the fact that it will get there, even if it’s the most secluded, difficult to reach place on earth.