RT’s Murad Gazdiev caught a ride in the new cabriolet version of the high-end Russian car Aurus, which is expected to carry the country’s defense minister and other top officials during the upcoming Victory Day parade.
Though the journalist was not able to sneak behind the wheel of the luxury beast – despite trying – he still got to ride in the backseat (perhaps even the best option).
This cabriolet version of the Aurus has been built specifically to be used during military parades, therefore it lacks a front passenger seat. Instead, the vehicle has room for a top military commander to stand during the event.
While unarmored, the car still weighs more than 3 tons. But even with the impressive weight, it actually packs quite a punch sporting a nearly 600-hp V8 engine.
The limo is set to replace old Soviet-era ZIL cabriolets, used during Victory Day commemorations for decades already. Just as the new Aurus is a version of the presidential limo, the old vehicles were based on the iconic ZIL- 4104 limos.
Variants of ZIL-4104 were used to transport high-profile members of the Soviet government and Communist party, and were commonly known as the “memberwagon.”
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