- The Atlas is completely amphibious, but does less than 5 mph on the water.
- Renault’s K9K engine is good for 90 hp and 162 lb-ft of torque.
- Locking front and rear differentials are featured, alongside a tire inflator.
This wacky vehicle, known simply as the Atlas, isn’t road-legal in the US, but it’s capable of conquering the most inhospitable of conditions, much like the famed Sherp. Despite its ruggedness, it failed to hit the seller’s reserve as part of a recent Bring a Trailer auction.
Like the Sherp, as well as the American-built TUT Titan, the Atlas is considered an amphibious all-terrain vehicle and would be absolutely perfect for a zombie apocalypse. It’s perhaps the ultimate recreational vehicle, capable of climbing over rocks with ease, driving at speeds of up to 37 mph (60 km/h), and traversing water at up to 4.3 mph (7 km/h).
Read: You Can Go Almost Anywhere And Do Anything With Zeal’s Fat Truck
It was built in Ukraine in 2024, then exported to the US and listed for sale in Florida. Obviously, the most striking elements are the 25-inch wheels and the huge tires that provide the buoyancy and thrust needed to swim. It also has a 100-liter (26-gallon) fuel tank, so it should be capable of even the longest adventures.
French Power
Bring a Trailer
Power comes courtesy of a 1.5-liter turbodiesel four-cylinder from Renault, known as the K9K. This engine has been used in a host of different Renault, Dacia, Suzuki, Nissan, and Mahindra models, and in this specification, delivers 90 hp and 162 lb-ft (220 Nm) of torque. Drive is sent to all four wheels through a five-speed manual transmission.
There’s no word on how much the Atlas weighs, but it’s obviously not light and isn’t even remotely focused on performance. What it lacks in speed, it makes up for with practicality, offering three rows of seats, bench seats, and a centrally-mounted driver’s seat. There are also buttons to enable the front and rear differential locks, one to engage the water pump, and one to operate the automatic tire inflation system.
For as interesting as the Atlas is, it’s unclear just how well-made it is, given that it comes from a little-known manufacturer. This, along with the fact that it’s not exactly affordable, may have contributed to the bidding topping out at $120,000 and to the failure to sell.
