Meanwhile in Russia: Meet the 2×2 Taurus
We’ve said it before, we’ll say it again. There’s some pretty cool all-terrain vehicle development going on in Russia at all times. This time they give us the Taurus 2×2- yes that means all-wheel-drive considering it has only the pair of bulbous tires. Speaking of- those tires are designed to hold a max PSI of 3-pounds each.
Where things get interesting, however, is that the machine is designed to be foldable so that transporting and storing it when not in use is a breeze (the largest motor package comes in at a total weight of about 180 pounds- smaller engines can get that weight down to 130).
The recommended power plant of choice is the Honda GX210 ultra-lightweight chainsaw motor. Mating the motor to the ground is a dual-speed gearbox, which should put the top speed in the range of 22mph.
The company claims some amphibious ability as well- the large tires allow the machine to float and the 2-wheel-drive
platform propels it atop the water.
Perhaps the most interesting part of it all is the price. 75,000 Russian roubles puts it at around $1,100 brand new. While right now they’re not available anywhere outside of Russia, the manufacturer is hoping to target the international market eventually. One thing’s for sure- if one of them reaches the US, count on your ATV Connection editors to play with, er we mean test it thoroughly.
We’ve got a nice clip of it in action here and have to confess that we do appreciate the way the thing climbs stairs:
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xsEb1nm0ObA&w=710&h=450]