Russians Build AWD ATV With Drum Barrels Instead of Wheels, and It's So Stupid It's Cool

I never thought the day would come when Russia, the not-so-loving adoptive mother of all things Occident, would be at the forefront of technological breakthrough for the common good of all mankind. The last time that happened, the Chevrolet Impala didn’t yet exist, and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics was taking the first step into outer space, with the first artificial satellite, Sputnik 1, put into orbit on October 4, 1957.

The top-hat Chevy Bel Air Impala was introduced on the last day of the same month. I'm pretty sure it was designed not to perform any espionage activities (which is more than I can say about the Sputniks and its many descendants).

But that was nearly seven decades ago, and not much good has been since witnessed as crossing the frontiers of the largest country on Planet Piston to grace the free world. But that doesn’t mean the Russian innovative spirit is broken and defeated – quite the contrary. Take a look at what the merry lads from Garage 54 have concocted this time: an all-terrain vehicle with no wheels, tracks, sleds, hovercraft cushions, or anything the world of motoring has seen before.

Granted, this is Russia we’re talking about here – particularly Siberia, the land where even winter puts on mittens and a scarf around its icicles-covered face – and strange (to the rest of us) things have been built there before. Now, grab a popcorn bag and watch the video below. Drum roll, please. No, not that kind of musical instrument that a percussionist hits with a pair of sticks, but cylindrical metal containers that rotate on the ground under piston power.

It's all nice and dandy so far, but this is another Garage 54 motoring experiment, so expect mechanical mayhem. But, regardless of what one might have to say about the Siberians' builds, creations, ideas, skills, talent, and execution, they deserve a standing ovation for braving a brainstorm at full speed, coming out on the other side with a plan, and committing to it.

Because it’s wintertime in Siberia – the kind that sees the first snowfall in mid-November and the meltdown in April – the ICE elves (pun premeditated) have found the perfect excuse to assemble an ATV. Better yet, to make one from the ground up – with a custom frame and transmission, a car seat, and drive chains (plural, because there are five of them).

As for how to put all that mechanical power on the road, the Russian gang of wrenchers went all in and reinvented the wheel. Thankfully, they kept the basic operating principle (a circular object rotating under external power and propelling the vehicle forward). But instead of using whatever resourced set of wheels they could have found, they went for the scientific approach and adapted two barrels to do the job.

The rationale behind this makeshift ATV was to go over the deep show so the large contact surface of the drums would spread the pressure over an area big enough to prevent the vehicle from getting stuck. The help with traction – drum barrels are notoriously non-grippy – the mechanics welded metal strips along the circumference of the containers.

The strong point of this unlikely snowmobile is its driveline, which consists of motorcycle chains and sprockets that send power from the mid-rear engine to a reduction assembly. That, in turn, would amplify torque and output it to the transfer shaft and, finally, from there, to each of the barrels. Yes, this is a proper ABW (All-Barrel Drive) machine.

The intermediate reduction shaft was installed to lower the speed of the ungodly thing in an effort to improve grip over soft snow. Also, since there are no suspensions whatsoever, high speeds would only multiply vibrations. Ride quality wouldn't make the top of the 'What's not right with it' list, though.

Too high of a ratio would have the primary effect of rapidly digging through the snow at the cost of not moving (that is, provided the driver/rider/operator would still be in the seat - and, critically, in control - of the contraption).

As we can see, the damn thing isn’t entirely helpless, pointless, or meaningless. As far as automotive experiments go, this one is a promising prototype. Granted, it could have used a reverse gear and a better steering mechanism – the turning radius would make an 18-wheeler proud. But, in good Garage 54 tradition, I expect them to be back with a revised version of the rolling barrel snowmobile. If you wish to see the log-frame car from last summer, play the second video.