You know when you see a janky Lada with feet of ground clearance bashing through the mud on the internet, you’re in for a good time.
This Lada was put together by the folks at the Russian-language Garage 54 YouTube channel. Thanks to a set of custom portal axles at the rear, there are roughly 300 millimeters of clearance (about one foot) between the car and the ground. That’s way more than a Lada sedan, and even a bit more than a Ford Bronco with the Sasquatch package. Provided this setup holds together, this could be a surprisingly capable off-roader. At the very least, oil changes will be easier.
A typical portal axle setup sees power from the engine ultimately going to a top sprocket, which then meshes with a gear mounted lower that drives the wheel. In true Garage 54 fashion, the top and bottom sprockets are spaced way out for more ride height and are connected by a motorcycle chain. And instead of enclosing the chain for safety, it’s left open to the elements so we can all see the moment it fails. But alas, that moment never arrives.
Instead, the Lada goes soft-roading in some rutted parking lots before heading down a terrifically muddy (and rough) road. It passes the modest endurance test with flying colors, at which point obstacles are brought forth. Three tires are stacked on the muddy road, then four, and finally the armchair is brought in because who doesn’t want to drive over a chair in a Lada? Oh, did we mention there are no rear brakes?
The video concludes with a proclamation that the modified sedan “reliable,” which could mean anything in this context. There’s no denying the success of this proof-of-concept, though. Here’s to hoping we get a sequel to this adventure with a four-wheel-drive version because honestly, we’d love to see it go full monster truck and drive over a car. If that doesn’t happen, we always have the Lada on legs to keep us happy.
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