Forget The Hummer-Here's the Kombat T98

[2457]

Yes, Lada has strong roots with Fiat.

But italian cars are not the ones to get, unless You like broking down every 10,000 km or so.

My aim was to show You, that russian engeneering may seem rubbish, usless, "orcish" but it does the job.

Not even today's high-tech real offroader can be more trusted than a good old lada. Thats a fact. And even if something breaks, usual a hammer is enough tool to fix it.

By the way, over 3/5ths of Lada production was exported, many to even countrys that where NOT part of the communist trade alliance.

(trust me, I live in a post-communist country)

niva as driveing experience.. Well, on tramac it is a disaster, i must agree.
on everything else, IT JUST ROCKS as soon as You explore the edge of its abilitys.

Key factor of these cars are ease of maintanance, and roboust design.
Even older design cars won't outlast lada.

These are facts, and compared to todays computer controlled card, i prefer this.

The KOMBAT T-98 seems to combine the need of both of us.
Is still roboust, and russian engeneering IS ment to make things that LAST for a decade at minimum. Engines where not too powerfull, but the KOMBAT has a vortec engine, as far as I know they are well made.



You see, even if lada is based on fiat, look at the lifecycle of a fiat, and look at the life cycle of a lada. Some of them still serve -even close to 20 years running- in mines, that terrain kills most cars.

Do not forget, russia is still big, if they make a car for russia, it has to be able to whitstand extreme cold, extreme hot, and be usefull at places where even the word "road" or "tramac" is just a legend.


Most cars demand "special" service regulary with "gizmoz and gandgets" for insane prices, russen "teknology" does not suffer from this.

And I do hope the KOMBAT T-98 will be just like that.
Minimum maintainance, and the option to DIY service it if Your in s#hit.


You did mention fans of the old bronco, and other SIMULAR vehicles, well, You will never ever see any like this for the "high-tech-gizmo" stuff cars most manufacturers make. Thats becouse there is absolute nothing to love in them.
Older cars, like the dodge charger (60-70) the bronco, the good old caddilac eldorado, and simular cars are not too different from russian products, they share the same "reapirable by a hammer" style like russian cars.

My brother owns a peugeott 406, good car, HDI engine, comfortable, I sometimes drive it. Yes, after thatone it is surely a pain to sit in a good niva. For about 5 minutes, tramac in my country is not the best, road quality is .. sadly poor. So while I have to watchout if I drive a nice car. But not with a lada "classic" or a niva, it just don't makesense. :)

well, thats all.


Let's hope the KOMBAT did not become one of the japanees-chinees-USA type "plastic toy gizmo" cars, and then it WILL BE sucessful, just like any other well made russian car.

Think of it, even nowdays lada has a constant sale, and it keeps its place in the industry, and the communism is OVER, so the products are not forced to people. So, I question You how come?
Suzuki and other "yellow plastic boxes" are a LOT cheaper, and the engine in the suzuki is surprizeingly good, while other brands are "better" in many ways.

How come Lada is still a compeditive car??
The chassy changed allmost nothing over the years, the engines did only improve enough to fit emission standards, ask Your self how come?

well, I given the answer, if Your not blind You will spot it.
Simplicity + roboust design + cheap prices + low maintainance + long life cycle = well made car. Even I would argue whit this, but most consumers have a need for only these things.

An other word about russian "teknology" could You tell me wich nation is the most advanced with space "teknology" ? I think the MIR had to be SHOT DOWN well after its life cycle, since directing it to orbit would not burn it.
An other one, just for You:
in hungary there is a nuclear plant, at Paks. It is famous, as its a twin design to the chernobil one wich had melted down.. Now, this plant still functions, and it has passed its original life cycle 2 times by now, and still is europes safest nuclear power plant. (french people did state it too, after visiting it a few times, in order to shot it down.. then they realised that its safer than most french power plants, LOL)

so do not say russian tek is rubbish. There are endless examples showing that they are well made, only the design criteria is not the same as in the USA for example.

Russian makes things that last, USA makes things that " BLING ".
Thats the difference, a russian weapon for example like the good old AK.47 has a kickback that may broke Your arm, but under no conditions will it jam.
Allso is a heavy one compared to others, but works anywhere, anytime.
You can shoot with it. Thats what it was designed for. (and is the most popular weapon of its kind) unlike the M16 , they are lighter, more accurate, and bla-bla-bla, but maintainance traning is a day for soldiers, they have desgin flaws. The AK.47 maintainance is simple, grab Your shoo ties, grab any kind of lubricateing oil or fat, put it thourgh the barrel, and all done.
Try that with an M16 , and next fire it may explode in Your hands.

Same example, both of them are good, but a weapon is made to fire, not to give a comfort feeeeeling.

I don' know if I managed to show You what I wanted. The design GOAL of russians and other nations are not the same. But russian design goals make more sense. Thats why it allways will have a strong market.

[KoolChris]

Wow, VS, doesn't that green Lada look quite like the late model Fiat Punto??? It sure looks better finished (and more aggressive) than the Lada Samaras of yesteryear.

2457, I know my post was very long and probably boring, but if you make the effort of reading it to the end, you'll find ALL your claims have their detailed counter-claim in there.

One thing I can agree with you upon, is the dislike for the current invasion of plastic parts on modern cars. Unfortunately, the US auto industry had to compete with unbridled competition from asian imports (namely Japanese), and had to resort to the same lack of style, plastic bumbers, bubble-car styling, etc...
The increasingly stringent safety regulations also forced some crappy moves, in my opinion: forcing off the chrome bumpers (an enhanced risk when colliding with a pedestrian), creating crumpling zones around the passenger's "cabin" (i.e. weakening the front & rear to absorb shocks while reinforcing the passenger zone), complicated electronic regulating systems to meet emission laws (which can only be maintained with the proper, expensive equipment, etc..

[Videoskooter]

Originally Posted by 2457

Yes, Lada has strong roots with Fiat.

But italian cars are not the ones to get, unless You like broking down every 10,000 km or so.

YEP

Originally Posted by 2457

My aim was to show You, that russian engeneering may seem rubbish, usless, "orcish" but it does the job.

I fully agree on that. Like I stated, the Russian cars do the job, no doubt about it. Another example: my first digital watch ever, came from Russia (Mid 70's), smuggled by sailors. It was not the most elegant model BITD but...it still works, now, in 2008!

Originally Posted by 2457

By the way, over 3/5ths of Lada production was exported, many to even countrys that where NOT part of the communist trade alliance.

They were very popular in Belgium, especially the Lada Niva and the Wolga.

[2457]

"Well, if it's as well-made as their Lada brand, just don't kick the tires, because the thing will fall apart . The Russians have been consistently known for poor engineering and 3rd-world quality control."

than we can agree, that:
1. lada is well made, just take the time and consider what its made for.
2. "just don't kick the tires..." -> well, has no more chanse than with any other trademark in the world....
3. "poor engineering" -> You must have ment non-comfort engineering, then I can agree :)
4. 3rd-world quality control -> Russians don't have any, they don't need any, and thats becouse every thing they make is not more complex than a hammer. There is absolute nothing that can go wrong with a hammer.

To be honest I replyd to this thread only becouse it sounded like You do not trust russian engeneering. For me it proves day-after-day, mostly winter times when the hightch gizmos can't be started (-25, -30 celsius does the job LOL... despite that I never had even a frozen door-lock, or cold start spray)

Usualy people who do not understand the design principle of russians are the ones makeing statements about "quality" and design of such things.

[Videoskooter]

And a funny story now developing :

Oleg Deripaska, one of the richest men in the world and the Russian owner of the Gaz Motorcompany is after Hummer. Yep, he wants to buy the company and he probably will succeed this time, after he failed to buy Chrysler, Jaguar and Landrover. So the American Hummer will become Russian soon?

Here's Oleg with his friend....Putin

Gaz Group

[Videoskooter]

Pushing this 1 up!

Not because the Hummer will be sold to the Chinese instead of the Russians but to share the news that for the people who want to buy such a T98 Kombat, well, they can go for this very exclusive version. You can not drive a SUV that's more decadent than the special edition: the Dartz Kombat T98 Monaco Red Diamond Edition!

- Clocks on the dashboard: white gold and diamonds!
- gold coated bulletproof windows!
- weight: 3000 kilos!
- the SUV can take a grenade attack!
- bulletproof wheels!
- a VERTU mobile phone!
- 3 bottles of RUSSOBALTIQUE, world's most expensive Vodka!
- the interior is fully decorated with skin coming from the genitals of whales(!)

If, after reading all this, you still might be interested, the price is just a little detail: € 1.000.000,00!