FROM Russia, with lots of rugged love, comes the Hagglunds BV206
all-terrain vehicle.
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| This Russian treads lighter over mother earth carrying two tons than an average adult. |
For the Russians “all terrain”, includes the usual rocks, snow, mud
and ice, but also dams, lakes, seas and even the trailer the Haggland arrived
on.
The the snub-nosed amphibean can lift itself hydraulically 1,3
metres into the air and then lumber on and off its own trailer without using
ramps.
The Witness drove it, and while its 3,0-litre Ford
V6 petrol engine (the same one that drove the 1980s Ford Cortina) will not
blow-dry your hair in a hurry, it does eventually get the BV206 up to a quite
quiet 55 km/h.
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The BV206 has a few extra buttons to scale high rocks or beaver on
water.
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Marketer Shawn Perumal said the rubber tracks are on sale at all
good yellow machine stores, and was proud to point out how they literally tread
lightly over mother nature.
Despite its box-design, the BV206 exerts 0,12 kg per
square centimetre — even fully loaded with 17 passengers or two tons of cargo. That means it puts down less pressure than an average adult's foot exerts on the
ground.
The BV206 is aimed at tourist operators, professional hunters and
firefighters who need to get anywhere — even if it means going over water, in
which the BV beavers ahead at a claimed four km/h.
Perumal said the retail price is R650 000, all inclusive.
He will
host a client demonstration of all the terrains the Hagglunds BV206 can traverse
in Bisley, Pietermaritzburg, next week.
Parties interested in attending the demo can contact him.
2021 update:
The one import is still the only one in "Safferika". Besides South Africa not having much water to play in, we like our farm vehicles to go faster too.
