Automotive

Marussia and CarDesign.ru reveal concepts for new car for President Putin

Marussia and CarDesign.ru reveal concepts for new car for President Putin
Concept by Yaroslav Yakovlev and Bernard Weel (Image: Cardesign.ru: Transportation Design)
Concept by Yaroslav Yakovlev and Bernard Weel (Image: Cardesign.ru: Transportation Design)
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Concept by Alexander Bukarev (Image: Cardesign.ru: Transportation Design)
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Concept by Alexander Bukarev (Image: Cardesign.ru: Transportation Design)
Concept by Alexander Galaktionov (Image: Cardesign.ru: Transportation Design)
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Concept by Alexander Galaktionov (Image: Cardesign.ru: Transportation Design)
Concept by Sasha Gusev (Image: Cardesign.ru: Transportation Design)
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Concept by Sasha Gusev (Image: Cardesign.ru: Transportation Design)
Concept by Alexander Krasnov (Image: Cardesign.ru: Transportation Design)
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Concept by Alexander Krasnov (Image: Cardesign.ru: Transportation Design)
Concept by Arpad Takacs (Image: Cardesign.ru: Transportation Design)
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Concept by Arpad Takacs (Image: Cardesign.ru: Transportation Design)
Concept by Dmitry Dyachenko (Image: Cardesign.ru: Transportation Design)
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Concept by Dmitry Dyachenko (Image: Cardesign.ru: Transportation Design)
Concept by Dmitry Lobutin (Image: Cardesign.ru: Transportation Design)
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Concept by Dmitry Lobutin (Image: Cardesign.ru: Transportation Design)
Concept by Gerardo Delgado (Image: Cardesign.ru: Transportation Design)
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Concept by Gerardo Delgado (Image: Cardesign.ru: Transportation Design)
Concept by Igor Krasnov (Image: Cardesign.ru: Transportation Design)
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Concept by Igor Krasnov (Image: Cardesign.ru: Transportation Design)
Concept by Ivan Volkov Yuri Baskakov (Image: Cardesign.ru: Transportation Design)
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Concept by Ivan Volkov Yuri Baskakov (Image: Cardesign.ru: Transportation Design)
"Car for the President" (Image: Cardesign.ru: Transportation Design)
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"Car for the President" (Image: Cardesign.ru: Transportation Design)
Concept by Marcell Sebestyen (Image: Cardesign.ru: Transportation Design)
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Concept by Marcell Sebestyen (Image: Cardesign.ru: Transportation Design)
Concept by Roman Krutikov (Image: Cardesign.ru: Transportation Design)
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Concept by Roman Krutikov (Image: Cardesign.ru: Transportation Design)
Concept by Sergei Fedulov (Image: Cardesign.ru: Transportation Design)
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Concept by Sergei Fedulov (Image: Cardesign.ru: Transportation Design)
Concept by Sergei Kavun (Image: Cardesign.ru: Transportation Design)
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Concept by Sergei Kavun (Image: Cardesign.ru: Transportation Design)
Concept by Boris Schwarzer (Image: Cardesign.ru: Transportation Design)
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Concept by Boris Schwarzer (Image: Cardesign.ru: Transportation Design)
Concept by Vladimir Bolotov (Image: Cardesign.ru: Transportation Design)
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Concept by Vladimir Bolotov (Image: Cardesign.ru: Transportation Design)
Concept by Vladimir Hemp (Image: Cardesign.ru: Transportation Design)
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Concept by Vladimir Hemp (Image: Cardesign.ru: Transportation Design)
Concept by Yaroslav Yakovlev and Bernard Weel (Image: Cardesign.ru: Transportation Design)
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Concept by Yaroslav Yakovlev and Bernard Weel (Image: Cardesign.ru: Transportation Design)
Concept by Sergey Kirsanov (Image: Cardesign.ru: Transportation Design)
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Concept by Sergey Kirsanov (Image: Cardesign.ru: Transportation Design)
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It appears that Russian President Vladimir Putin doesn’t like his car. Tired of seeing Russian officials being carted about in Mercedes and BMWs, Mr. Putin ordered that a Russian domestic limousine be designed to replace them. Unfortunately, according to the Moscow Times, Mr. Putin apparently didn’t much care for the Zil-4112P that Russian car maker Zil came up with, and told them to have another go. Seeing a chance to get in on the action, car rivals GAZ and Marussia Motors are jumping into the game with Marussia and CarDesign.ru teaming up for a public competition to find “A car for the President.”

During the Cold War, Soviet luxury cars were nothing to write home about – except to express disbelief. The limousines that chauffeured the likes of Brezhnev and Kosygin were massive, ugly creations with gearboxes like coal scuttles, the turning radius of a container ship and huge engines that, paradoxically, provided hardly any power.

Two decades after the fall of communism, CarDesign.ru with Marussia Motors are using their “A car for the President” competition to put those days behind them with a call for a completely different model, and have released images of the entrants’ concepts

Concept by Gerardo Delgado (Image: Cardesign.ru: Transportation Design)
Concept by Gerardo Delgado (Image: Cardesign.ru: Transportation Design)

For those who are used to competition concepts showing cars that defy gravity, violate the laws of physics or are simply impossible to get into, the proposals for the Russian President’s future runabout do seem a bit on the conservative side, with many of them looking like tweaked Cadillacs and Bentleys. This isn’t surprising, since the competition rules are very specific about the basics of the cars. They have to fall into three classes – limousine, minivan or SUV – they must be front engined, rear-wheel drive, fit inside a specific set of dimensions and “stand on a par with competitors from Mercedes-Benz, Rolls-Royce, Bentley, etc.”

The rules also recommend starting with current Russian models and going on from there. Given this and the fact that the target demographic are heads of state who have their offices in the Kremlin, it's small wonder that they look more like something for going to a summit meeting rather than tearing up the track on the weekend.

According to CarDesign.ru, the competition received 40 entries from students and professionals and over 80 amateur entries with some from abroad. The winner of “A car for the President” will receive cash prizes plus a chance to work on developing the actual cars. The concepts are currently being reviewed by a jury of car experts and Marussia Motors.

The results will be announced May 1.

Sources: CarDesign.ru, Moscow Times via Carscoops

View gallery - 20 images
6 comments
6 comments
Sean Moore
Oh dear, Poor Mr Putin with only those to choose from? Call "East Coast Customs" and let them pimp his ride.
Bruce Miller
China and Russia have a very close alliances and Nissan is moving rapidly into China as China moves rapidly into Russia - economically, technologically and politically. Expect big things to evolve here - not 'Mustang Clones" at all! These countries harbour some of the finest engineers on earth, their combined intelligentsia far exceeds that of America and their political will just may surprise the Western World very soon. Both these countries now ride their own technologies into Space, China has her own Space Station(s) and historically, and down through the ages both countries have made remarkable scientific and technological discoveries. Even the MiG jet fighters touted internationally as superior to the F-35. Iran is Their "gasoline supply", and the fossil fuels north and east of Iran are really their supplies. Expect an aggressive thrust towards better newer car and truck designs for Russia and China for use in development of their "outback" and fully electric bullet train systems for intermediate continental travel, with electric short distance cars for the peons. America will fade away driving Asian 4 bangers for the common folk and great howling V-8's for the rapidly diminishing Uber Rich and remaining Middle Class there as the rest of the world moves on to better, newer, electric technologies.
BAParker
I heard the Popemobile might be available
StWils
This artwork still looks like an updated Soviet Socialist Realist work that Stalin would recognize. The sides look OK but the front & grill are reminiscent of Soviet T34 tanks and Soviet variants of 20s to 30s Ford tractor designs.
Oztechi
This design is what you get when you mix a Rolls Royce with a Chrysler 300C. It has a rather notorious gangster air about it, which might be considered appropriate given the less than spotless records of those it may chauffeur around Russia.
Gregg Eshelman
Some of the designs remind me a little of the car from the movie "The Car".