It feels like it’s been a while since anyone’s shown off a properly unfortunate car. The Youabian Puma is a decade old, the Ssanyong Rodius is ancient now, and even the VinFast VF8 is at least decent to look at. Well, the dry spell ends now. Researchers in Russia have unveiled a new prototype electric car called the Amber, and oh God it’s hideous.
The Amber is a…thing that’s been built by Moscow Polytechnic University as the forerunner for an impending production car. I know we’re pro-car at The Autopian, but this thing seems like an am-car, a thoroughly amateur attempt at motoring that lacks the grace and talent of, well, any other current automaker on the face of this pale blue dot.
It looks like Postman Pat’s red van had angry sex with a G-Wiz, and nine months later, the end result hit every branch of the ugly tree on the way down. It has a panicked face, massive ungainly unbroken surfaces on each bodyside, and it elicits a ton of questions. Why does it sit on its wheels like a wooly mammoth on roller skates? Why does it have two holes on the right side of the body? Why is the bottom of each door two feet off the ground? Did anyone with eyes actually sign off on the styling of the Amber?
You might wonder how Russia is managing to build an electric car, considering the sorts of sanctions it’s under right now. Well, major electric drivetrain components like the battery pack, inverter, an electric motor are claimed to be all Russian, a questionable claim when Russia relies on China for lots of electronic things. Allegedly, this car is more about the hardware underneath than the styling, as World Today News reports that ““Avtotor” notes that the future car will look different from the presented test model.” For what it’s worth, the production car will apparently be classified as a heavy quadricycle, so take that information as you will.
When developing a technological testbed, manufacturers tend to move in one of two directions: Either use a lot of effort to produce a near-production spec body that lets engineers actually test efficiency, or put in no effort at all and chop up an existing car as a mule. This prototype seems to have seen some sweat go into making it look positively hideous. Make no mistake, despite the windscreen and side mirrors seemingly sourced from another car, the Amber was styled like this on purpose.
As per Russian automotive website Auto, “Production of Amber in Kaliningrad should begin in 2025.” Claims of mass production in 2025 seem dubious, especially if this technological testbed isn’t virtually identical to the finished product. Ford took nearly three years to go from the unveiling of an electric F-150 prototype to the start of F-150 Lightning production, and that thing borrows the bulk of its bodywork from an existing vehicle. To go from something that scares small animals to a production car in about two years? Sure, I’ll believe it when I see it.
Make no mistake, the Amber is a deeply unfortunate vehicle, likely reflecting the terrible conditions that led to its birth. It’s less attractive than an open wound, makes fabulous claims about its technology that most people would be skeptical about, and comes with a bit of backpedaling. Let’s hope the production car looks radically different from the prototype, because it doesn’t seem difficult to do better than this.
(Photo credits: Moscow Polytechnic University)
Support our mission of championing car culture by becoming an Official Autopian Member.
-
Russia Says They’re Pulling Out Of The ISS Yet Again So Let’s Look At What This May Mean
-
Lada Is Building Dumbed-Down “Classic ’22” Nivas Now, Thanks To Russia’s Stupid War
-
Renault Sells The Majority Of Its Russian Investments For Just One Ruble
-
The Indonesian Toyota Kijang May Be The Most Awkward Car In The World, But It’s An Absolute Tank
-
Why Green Jobs Might Be America’s Best Weapon Against China And Russia
Got a hot tip? Send it to us here. Or check out the stories on our homepage.
It’ll be easy to find in a parking lot. Easier to find than a silver forester / rav4 / crv / whatever other one looks almost the same.
Sure, but who would want to find it?
Just what the world has been waiting for. An electric car that combines legendary Russian reliability with the looks of a Fiat Multipla.
you have managed to insult the Multipla’s looks
Taste is subjective but:
1) I’m not sure it’s possible to insult the multipla enough.
B) At least this red monstrosity is a prototype and not an official for sale vehicle from one of the world’s biggest automakers.
4) the multipla might still be uglier. Big red has a “surprised robot” kind of face while the multipla is more of a “sloth from goonies” kind of face.
To clarify in case there is confusion, I’m not taking about the 600 multipla from the 60s but the hideous beast with a bulging fivehead from the 90s/aughts.
The old ones look cool.
What Russia does right design wise: Utilitarian design
This: The complete opposite in bright red!
Thank you. I love seeing that word, ghastly.
Amber is proud sponsor of great labor-child show, Worker and Parasite.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z2_dhUv_CrI
“what the hell was that?”
-Krusty the clown
Moscow Polytechnic University sounds like one of Lionel Hutz’ alma maters.
So some quick looking, I have determined this is a 2018ish Lada Vesta Cross modified and plopped onto an electric chassis the doors, mirrors, and roof line match.
Looks like those puffy art cars from a few years back.
Hideous Fat Art Cars – Safest Car on Earth – Art Car Central
did the car got stung by a bee?
“Cybertruck looks like something my 3 year old drew come to life!”
Avtotor: “Hold my vodka”
Are those doors from the parts bin? They don’t match somehow but it would be tough to say why.
A Lada Vesta based on the character line. Kinda looks like they used some of the unibody from this car, plopped it on a skateboard of lead acid batteries, and then added copious amounts of fiberglass.
You beat me by a minute!
Those doors and windshield look like they are from a Lada Vesta.
And Kaliningrad is a choice to build a Russian car. Kaliningrad is a little Baltic possession of Russia squished between Poland and Lithuania with no land connection to the rest of Russia. Today, relations being what they are, transport must either be by air, or by ship to St. Petersburg.
Until Russia and Belarus get around to invading the Suwałki Gap, anyway
Russia, reminding Americans everywhere that we’re not the only ones who need to get our shit together.
I think it is self-explanatory why there are tow hooks built into the front, but what are the retaining clips on the outside of each hook for? They look purposefully built in, but what are they retaining?
It looks like there might be some more right below the windshield. If I were to guess, the entire one-piece front end comes off with those four pins.
I took those upper holes as turn signals, but looks like you’re spot on
If you follow Russian/Soviet car history you will regrettably realize that if this goes into production, they will be making it for at least 75 years.
This is Perpetually Panicked Pat from the original cut of “Cars” before it got focus grouped.
To be fair, all cars scare small animals.
If only they scared deer …
Pao!
I almost detect hints of Pontiac Aztec in the wheel arch shapes.
I see blobfish.
Like the famous Amber Room, this also should have disappeared.
The True Clown Shoe.
*muffled scream*
Firing ports for when they invariably get pressed into service in Russia’s next misadventure?
Mark my words: this is hideous now, but in 20 years, it’ll be as collectible as a Trabant.
Shows Tesla: This is your brain on THC.
Shows this: This is your brain on toilet wine.
looks like something GM would make with the tiny-ass windows and no visibility.
For some reason, GM is allergic to glass 😐
It’s like a two-story Aztek, hewn from a solid block of пластик.
This has gotta be based on some Chinese electric utility vehicle that they bought on Alibaba and just pasted some ugly ass fiberglass body on top of it. ID those wheels and I bet we have our donor.
They’re suspiciously close to the wheels on a certain Chang Li product.