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6x6 Lada Niva Is Russia’s Response to German Engineering

It seems like forever since Mercedes-Benz launched the 6x6 G63 monster, the world has gone haywire. We’ve seen all sorts of people trying to imitate them, from Kahn Designs with their Flying Huntsman to a lost Dacia from somewhere in the Carpathian mountains. Now the Russians are jumping in with their own take on the matter.
What we have here then is a Lada Niva that was altered to use six wheels instead of the traditional four. The thing is, this is made by a group of enthusiasts and not the company itself. Therefore, as you can imagine, there are a few more things left out to be perfected still.
The fact that the builders are from the Russian city of Samara, the home of the LADA company did help a little, as they had all the parts they needed nearby. Little is known about what they needed to make this thing work or even road legal (that’s a supposition as we don’t know for sure if you’re actually allowed to do that. The license plates seem to say so) but we’re guessing a plethora of new parts were included in the mix.
First of all, they had to extend the flatbed in the back and include the roll cage as well as an extra rear axle. The creators even included a small ladder in the back, between the axles, to make ingress easier.
What we’re more than curious about is what engine hides under the bonnet. The stock 1.7-liter 84 HP unit couldn’t handle the extra weight all that easy. I mean just look at those wheels... That’s at least half a ton extra to carry around...
In the end, it turned out quite OK and, since the Lada Niva is regarded as one of the best off-roaders out there, this thing should be rather potent.. If only we knew the full details..

6x6 Lada Niva - photo gallery