Do you enjoy luxury? Do you like prestige and exclusivity of the highest order? How about leather, wood, and lighted barware? Well, it’s all available to you today, and you don’t even have to visit Trump Tower.
Our last Rare Ride was a surprisingly tasteful and discrete Hurst/Oldsmobile Intrigue 442. For this Rare Rides entry, I wanted to find something a little less subtle. I had an image in my head: attending the finest embassy function this side of Dubai in a vehicle that would also be suitable for conducting a dockside black caviar business deal.
And Hemmings delivered.
The superb automobile which just made you covetous is the ZIL-4112R. This very vehicle was designed in the heart of Russia, to suit the demands of President Vladimir Putin.
The only one of its kind, it was built by two divisions of ZIL: Depot ZIL and AMO ZIL. Presumably one company designed the roof and the other did the body, as they bear very little relation to one another.
Swing open the barn doors, however, and the interior design is another thing altogether. An utterly harmonious blend of beige leather and precious wood trim, according to the listing. It would appear the limousine seats four persons of the highest dignity.
But wait! At the press of a button, two more seats reveal themselves from the generous wood-clad centerboard, allowing six patrons of the Party to travel in style, should the owner trust two additional comrades with such close proximity.
Lighted crystal decanters display and house the finest cognac, should a passenger desire such refreshment. If the need arises during the journey, executive orders can be signed on one of the polished tray tables.
The fairly paid driver of this conveyance will dictate travel from up front, where an integrated shift lever has been embedded in a solid plank of rare wood.
Complex jeweled headlamp assemblies light the way ahead, in case any of the proletariat wander into the road in a state of wonderment after sighting such a proud 8,300-pound conveyance. The ad copy sums up the vehicle in a way your humble author cannot:
Its properties and user comfort is superior to all known today similar models, including the Cadillac, Rolls-Royce and Maybach. Incomparable to anything softness and smooth ride. Verily royal luxury.
It’s yours for $1,200,000 (OBO).
[Images via Hemmings]
Will it stop an RPG?
Hardly possible.
RPG-7 = at least 500mm armor penetration in steel equivalence. It will penetrate any Russian APC, IFV, as well as any Russian tank in its “naked” section (without reactive armor).
A more realistic goal for a vehicle like this is to stop a large caliber machine gun round.
Will it fit through the drive thru of the Moscow McDonald’s?
Gotta prepare for when Trump comes to pay tribute.
This ZIL excudes a 28 level of Broughamatic opulence. Where is my checkbook?
It’s most suitable vehicle for parking next to Volvo 240. Verily exquisite transportation.
I just need a… wait for it… C3… to complete the trifecta.
Yes, a black on black C3 can be the lead convoy car, with little flags at the corners.
Everyday I’m hustlin’ hustlin’
Hustle, hustlin’ hustlin’
Hustle, hustlin’ hustlin’
Hustle, hustlin’ hustlin’
Pimpin’ ain’t easy.
Late production FAW version, please!
If it does not have at least 8 glorious cylinders and doesn’t rest upon a rwd architecture (even if possessing awd or 4wd capabilities), I will order tank commanders to destroy all on site by any means necessary.
In that case, it’ll have to be the C3’s sexy cousin, the D11 V8.
Merkel: “And, Mr. President, may your Zil run like a Volkswagen Jetta…”
Putin: “What is that supposed to mean… What are you proposing here?”
Merkel: “It’s supposed to mean, that Zil limo, three years later…”
Putin: “I’m already afraid to listen anymore! What are you going to say next?”
Those ugly knockoff wheels need to go!
I saw a few of the original ZIL limos when I lived in Moscow during the early to late 1990’s — pretty massive and impressive vehicles up close.
This thing looks like a1970’s Lincoln Continental roof welded to a 2000’s Lincoln Town Car. Pretty hideous.
I’d buy it just to park near the White House Monday – Friday and in front of Trump Tower on the weekends.
Not sure if the “seller” really owns it or if Russia would let it be exported. Maybe Putin is getting short of cash.
Putin is probably one of the richest people in the world. I don’t think he’s hurting for money.
He has an rough estimate of 300 to 500 billion in net worth, but does not know if he can safely retire with his wealth intact, as it’s a complete byproduct of State Owned Enterprise graft that drunkard and incompetent Boris Yeltsin let be looted during and after the disintegration of the former Soviet Union.
Yeltsin made off with a huge sum, too, and needed a completely loyal successor to ensure that Yeltsin would not be prosecuted and imprisoned (or worse); Putin was the guy who pledged such loyalty and cleverly earned Yeltsin’s trust.
It is ironic that thus far, it is believed that Putin literally can’t step down as he has yet to find such a similarly loyal lieutenant to succeed him.
Mossack Fonseca wasn’t reliable enough for him!
Yeltsin prosecuted himself with every bottle of vodka swilled.
His fears of needing a Putin to Guarantee a long happy retirement were rendered moot by his liver and heart. (I’m not even sure how well his family fared after his demise.)
Can’t or simple won’t? Czars typically don’t step down…
car is good, no?
So Russian. It looks like an extended Lada.
I also want someone to identify for me whose steering wheel they’re using. I’m thinking old Mercedes but I can’t be sure.
Is Mercedes, I tell you. Da.
What, exactly, is “rare wood”? TREES = WOOD. Plant trees, you have wood. Plant special trees, you have special wood.
Issue solved.
I hope Vlad learns to keep his shirt on – I don’t care how good of shape someone is in – if you’re over 35-40, wearing no shirt is an ugly sight!
The car is pretty cool, though. Like to see it up close. I wonder if those barn doors rattle over any road? Unfortunately, those headlight assemblies are rather awful-looking.
It actually says PRECIOUS wood.
Wood gets far more precious the older you get.
Wait, wrong thread…
FreedMike – ha ha ha
They have pills for that now ;)
Great – GREAT – article, Corey!
Regardless as to one’s positions & opinions on the Crimea-Ukraine-Russia situation, and the flaring up of old-school (and I’d argue vestigial, needless, parasites, be they neocons or paleolibs, such as McStain, Schumer – he’s hard to categorize concisely given his inherent, incredible hypocrisies -, Graham, Adam Schiff, the “intellectual brain trust of Kristol, Perle, Wolfowitz, Feith – ha ha -, et al., or the M-I-C milk-the-breast-of-taxpayers-until-nipples-bleed Defense Contractor/Arms Builder/Consultant-Think Tank Row along the D.C.-Virginia-Maryland Beltway), one has not been a boss man until they have a ride like this, along with a Spetznatz-level security team along for the ride.
I really would be a genuine, benevolent dictator. I’d make sure American Children, who are getting the shaft BIG TIME (they can’t vote, hence 1 in 4.4 of them live well below the poverty line, and they can’t even get a measly ($1.10 at cost, including milk) school lunch for free in many areas – often the only substantive nutrition they receive for long stretches of the year – while we launch missiles that cost 22 million dollars each at caves (the new Navy Rail Gun has ammunition (LRAP) that costs $800,000 TO $1,100,000 per round), and a criminally laughable Joint Strike Fighter program – * Fighter plane cost overruns detailed. The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter is $163 billion OVER budget, seven years behind schedule, and has un-fixable problems (it can only win war game exercises against Russian aircraft if the game is literally rigged; it’s a plane flawed from design inception, that none of the branches wanted, and literally can’t function properly even after hundreds of revisions, including dozens of major ones).
Our nation has gone off the crazy train.
Hire me as Robespierre and I will show you change you can believe in.
@28 – Robespierre and ISIS both like their opponents to stick out their necks.
Judas Priest has your anthem ;)
DeadWeight for POTUS and @28-Cars for Chief of Staff.
DW, I think what you are trying to say beneath your ranting, is that the ZIL isn’t a Cadillac.
This ZIL is closer to being a Cadillac than any Cadillac is at the moment.
While Cadillac markets a SoHo-Hipster autonomous lifestyle to vehicle indifferent Millennials and builds total scrap, and Buick imports 100% Chinese parts-content and Chinese-assembled Envisions to North America (and Cadillac is preparing to launch Cruze, Equinox and even Encore-based vehicles “Standard Of The World” style – as if the POS 4-banger ATS, CTS and now CT6 disposable, self-grenading appliances aren’t insult enough –
DA!
Freinds..
I was thinking, and each time there is a new example of a Prime President of Communism or such appointed officiants, he will always order an Excellence Vehicle like what you are seeing to up above here.
So, when the Internal Company makes the car, usually they will make a special efforts – like with engine(s), drivetrain(s), power buttons, wood panel from exclusive Precious Forest (I had curiousity so I looked at this term on Google’s. Only resulting was some kind of cabins, maybe there is cabin wood in cars’ cabins) and design with integrity and square angles like so.,
Anyway, I wanted to inscribe here to tell not to worry about invasions of the cars from this Country or neighbor’s countrie’s, because I think “Hey Grango, it’s not often there is a Northern America who would buy so many of the cars’, just remember to check the history of Yugo, and other communist car co’s like a AMC!” –Now, such a car co is only a movie theatre, ha ha !
Best Limosuine’s Regards,
Grango Relago
Grango me freind!
“Precious Forest”
Chernobyl Pine it is!
It’s closer to some Russian guy’s wet dream of a 1985 Sedan DeVille, for sure…
FreedMike – don’t mention wet dream until the Kremlin releases “those” tapes.
I’ve often pictured myself as a glorious dictator. I’ll be the one guy to come to power and rule without killing millions. Maybe.
A one-off car for my limo? Eh. Its nice, but… It would depend on how things were going, if I’m honest. I mean I’m sure its armored to the teeth, but it can’t withstand everything.
On a “less than great” day, I’d probably send the limo out and then hit the street in an armored Tercel with tinted bullet-proof glass and 13″ steelies (and they GOTTA have run-flats…somehow) on a different route. Given how slow a Tercel with a 4spd manual and armored plating would be, I’m sure I’d get there just when the limo does as it makes its way through thousands of screaming (cheering? perhaps…if they know what’s good for ’em) citizens in the city center.
Wait, the limo gets blown up on a bridge outside of town? oh, well, I’m still making MY speech about why I need another personal resort, but can’t get running water to the capital city because of the (insert appropriate scapegoat(s) here).
This is MY country, b¡tch! I won’t be taken out by some bomb on a bridge! You don’t like it? Is that what you said? I think that’s what he said! Gaurds, take this man to the green medicine farms for 10 years of forced (but pleasant) labor. And why are you guys wearing shirts again? How many times I gotta say?!
I agree, good job again Corey.
Whale penis leather interior as well?
That’s in the Designer Series, this is just a Signature.
True, step up to the Signature and you get the whale penis leather seats, and girls placed into white slavery from only the finest bars in Poland.
Who’d want that job?
Whale penis leather collector………… foreskin diver!
Anybody know what the powertrain is in this beauty?
Well in the photos, the engine cover says “3Nn.”
That help?
“3Nn?” That’s just ZIL in Cyrillic.
Is that an old-school round air cleaner cover peeking out from the mesh in that engine cover? I’m still suspicious that this is Detroit crate power.
Although looking at the listing more closely it says “SOHC.” If accurate, maybe a bored/stroked Mercedes M116?
Looked it up…wikipedia is mum on the source. Probably Russian.
From what I could gather a 7.7L V8 and a 6-speed Allison transmission.
Ajla will be pleased.
Or maybe he wants a bit more specific output…400 hp from 7.7 liters? Those horses are lazy.
470 ci? Sounds like a Mopar big block.
My question also. The transmission quadrant is labeled PRND321. Doesn’t sound too Russian to me. Maybe a Turbo Hydramatic 4L60E?
Is classified, no? So cannot find.
PRND321
That is the 1st strike launch sequence!
probably same as T-90
I’m surprised its gas and not diesel.
It looks to be a Russian built engine. According to the listing it is a 7.7L SOHC aluminum block V8 making 400hp and 450lb-ft of torque.
Now, that seems like it is probably bullcrap. It appears that ZIL made a 315hp 7.7L carbureted pushrod V8 for a limo between 1985 and 2002. So my guess is that this engine is a fuel-injected version of the old 7.7L pushrod.
ZIL is mighty OHV.
Eastern Orthodox Church of the 3800
Da!
On a semi-related note, there’s a whole cottage industry of guys swapping various V8s into old Volga 24s all across Russia and the former USSR. It’s kind of like the B-body of Russia. There was a rare KGB pursuit spec model with an all-alloy 200hp-ish carb’d 5.5L OHV V8 made (hooked to 3spd auto) replacing the usual carbureted I-4+5spd manual. But those are quite rare. Some hunted down similar motors out of Chaika luxury govt. limousines as well. Much more available are the downsized 4.25L all-alloy V8 found in a number of Soviet 2 ton trucks. These are quite detuned motors (125ish hp) from the factory, low compression 2bbl designed to run on absolute swill-quality fuel. I’d imagine home brew hotrodders were able to extract quite a bit more with higher compression pistons and such. More recently, the ready supply of used Toyota V8s out of wrecked Crowns from the Far East has made the 1UZFE swap (Toyota DOHC 4.7L V8) incredibly common, usually in pair with a Toyota automatic transmission.
The Volga is somewhat smaller than Nova sized to make a comparison in size/weight, so even a fairly mild V8 really makes them rip.
https://youtu.be/h3ZARNKcLk0?t=605
https://youtu.be/SxUz6X0I7iU
OK, so check the sales copy on the Hemmings site:
“This car is truly unique and is produced only in one copy, and is a pilot product of this project. Its properties and user comfort is superior to all known today similar models, including the Cadillac, Rolls-Royce and Maybach. It was built by a joint holding of Depot ZIL and AMO ZIL companies in Moscow for President of Russia Vladimir Putin.
The car is brand new. It has all imaginable and unimaginable supplements and options for a pleasant pastime of the owner: heating and air conditioning system, inertial seat safety belts, electric power door windows, electric power rear cabin blinds, partition electromotive glass, retractable monitor, electric power seat drives, exterior with remote control and interior mirrors, sun visors, a bar, a refrigerator, electric trunk release.
Incomparable to anything softness and smooth ride. Verily royal luxury.”
Ad good, da. Will sell.
“I like my car to have things which are unimaginable in it. That’s why I drive a PT Cruiser.”
Looks like Russian automotive presstitutes have learned from our automotive hacks or maybe Google Translate needs some work ;)
Visors *and* an electric trunk release? Makes my Sportwagen look like a peasant’s car.
This is probably prototype. They have some sort of competition now, who will make presidential limo. Check google images. There are some nice drawing entries. How about this one https://encrypted-tbn1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTOc4G3Z3DHJg8GMcsDlVbSpeqSKaq_A587xSqN-nkfB-nfKUwnEQ
Will the cupholders on the console hold a bottle of Stoli?
Absolut-ely!
Put it in H!
What country is this car from?
It no longer exists. But, you will be pleased to know that it will get three hundred hectares on a single tank of kerosene.
Came here for this exact exchange.
My only disappointment is having to scroll 7/8ths down to find it.
This is all BS. Before posting fakes, some fact-checking should be done.
No relation to any governmental figures. Nor it has much relation to their limos.
It is actually a half-arsed craft of a small garage that used one of a few left-over body shells and frames of the ZIL proper, that rotted outside after the plant was forced into bankruptcy (you see, the land in the center of Moscow is too expensive for having an industrial facility there). They stuffed it with full-size GM truck engine-controls-climate system, some bordello luxury and cheap Chinese headlights and wheels and called it a day. The value of this pig is the weight of scrap steel that it really is.
@Acubra
Tend to agree on that. I know Porsche was brought in to help develop the engine.
Actual car looks pretty different to photo in this article
http://www.autoblog.com/2016/04/05/russian-president-putins-new-limo-makes-debut-ahead-of-2017-pro/
This is another all-show pet project and is not going anywhere. Because there is simply zero demand for these. Hope Porsche has been paid, if they actually did any work for this before the whole recession-sanctions-ruble devaluation hit.
There have been several similar undertakings in the post-Soviet Russia, but apparently none of them made it past posh presentations and a few experimental (sometimes non-running) examples.
This. This was definitely NOT made for or used by Putin.
Where’s the rocket launcher button for shooting down unarmed civilian jetliners?
You have to buy the CIA edition.
Bottom belchers would be a challenge to conceal in this ride. Unless the speakers can cancel them out.
Is the owner’s manual in English-speaking?
Lucky they did not pop open the hood. Last I’ve seen this… thing… was five years ago on a public presentation (imagine, the press allowed to ask questions!) and it was less, than impressive. Yes, the interior is nice, b/c it was built by Carat Security (fmr. Carat Duchatelet). The engine bay looked straight from the ’70s, with stamped-steel reservoirs and a very simplistic Bosch Motronic EFI system, and the wipers would tangle if you switched them any higher than off. This is a warmed-over 70s leaf-sprung barge with rear drum brakes.