by This unusual vehicle, known as the Atlas, cannot legally travel on public roads in the USA, but it is capable of conquering the most hostile terrain conditions, similar to the famous Sherp. Despite its reliability, at a recent Bring a Trailer auction, it did not meet the seller’s reserve price.
Amphibious Capabilities
Like the Sherp, as well as the American TUT Titan, the Atlas is considered an amphibious off-roader and would be ideal for a zombie apocalypse scenario. This is probably the best vehicle for recreation, capable of easily climbing over rocks, reaching speeds of up to 60 km/h on land, and moving through water at speeds of up to 7 km/h.
The Atlas is fully amphibious, but on water, it reaches a speed of less than 8 km/h.
It was manufactured in Ukraine in 2024, then exported to the USA and put up for sale in Florida. The most impressive elements are obviously the 25-inch wheels and enormous tires, which provide the necessary buoyancy and traction for movement on water. The vehicle also has a 100-liter fuel tank, which should ensure the possibility of even the longest adventures.
Heart and Drivetrain
The powertrain is represented by a 1.5-liter turbo-diesel four-cylinder engine from Renault, known as the K9K. This engine has been used in many Renault, Dacia, Suzuki, Nissan, and Mahindra models, and in this configuration, it produces 90 horsepower and 220 Nm of torque.
The Renault K9K engine develops 90 hp and 220 Nm of torque.
Power is delivered to all four wheels via a five-speed manual transmission. The vehicle is equipped with locking center and inter-wheel differentials, as well as an automatic tire inflation system.
Equipment includes front and rear differential locks, as well as a tire compressor.
Interior and Practicality
There is no data on the exact weight of the Atlas, but it is obviously not light and is not at all focused on speed performance. What it lacks in speed, it compensates for with practicality, offering three rows of seats, benches, and a centrally located driver’s seat. The cabin also has buttons for activating the differential locks, turning on the water pump, and controlling the tire inflation system.
Price and Market
Despite all its interesting features, it remains unclear how well-made the Atlas is, considering it comes from a little-known manufacturer. This fact, along with its high cost, may have led to the auction bids stopping at the $120,000 mark, and the sale not taking place.
Similar specialized machines remain niche products, whose primary purpose is to overcome extreme obstacles, not daily use. Their cost is often determined not only by the cost of components but also by the uniqueness of the design and limited production. Although the auction did not end successfully, the very fact of such a Ukrainian vehicle appearing on the international market may indicate the development of this technical field in the country and potential interest from seekers of extreme adventures.
