Russia is a truly gigantic land mass, and its vast wilderness areas are full of treacherous obstacles. From bone-chilling expanses of ice and snow in Siberia to steep mountains, muddy swamps, and large bodies of water, Russia has the terrain to put any vehicle to the test. That's why Russians have developed some seriously impressive off-road vehicles to cope with these obstacles.

We recently learned about a new Russian off-roader simply called the Sherp, and it's quite different from the massive 8-wheeled Avtoros Shaman we featured in the past. The Sherp is rather small, all things considered. At 11.1 feet long, it's shorter than a Honda Civic, or about half the length of a full-size pickup truck. It's also 8.3 feet wide and 8.3 feet tall, so it appears to almost be a cube on wheels.

Speaking of wheels, the Sherp rides on enormous 5.3-foot-tall tubeless ultra-low-pressure tires. Combined with the Sherp's short wheelbase, these tires can pull the vehicle over enormous objects and ascend hills at a 35-degree incline. They also provide enough buoyancy to make the Sherp fully amphibious — it can literally drive straight across a lake or river, with the tires serving as giant paddle wheels.

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The Sherp is powered by a Japanese Kubota-V1505-t turbo-diesel engine, paired to a 5-speed manual transmission. This 1.5L 4-cylinder only produces 44 horsepower, but about 88 ft-lbs of torque, and it can propel the Sherp to a top speed of 25 mph (40 km/h). On water, it'll do 4 mph (6 km/h) flat out. That doesn't sound like much, but it's sure better than going around a lake or river.

This ATV is especially interesting as a bug-out vehicle platform, due to the following features:

• Reliabile Japanese diesel engine
• Long-range fuel supply — 14.8-gallon built-in gas tank, with four optional 15.3-gallon gas cans which fit into the centers of the wheels
• Skid-steering four-wheel-drive with tight turning radius
• Pneumatic circulating suspension with adjustable tire inflation for varying terrain
• 2,200-pound cargo capacity
• Enclosed and heated cabin can accomodate 4 beds
• Designed to continue running on three wheels, or even two wheels

Pricing is not directly listed on the manufacturer's site, but the base-model Sherp starts at $100,000 US with a soft-top, no windshield wipers, and no heater. Leasing periods of 24 and 36 months are also available.

For more information on the Sherp Russian amphibious off-road vehicle, visit Sherp.ru/en.

Written by Patrick McCarthy