ZIL E‑167: the colossal Siberian giant that never was
If you're planning a journey through the vast expanses of Siberia, you'll need a solid vehicle capable of facing any obstacle. For this purpose, the Russians created the ZIL E-167, though this giant remained at the prototype stage.
27 November 2024 18:43
The ZIL E-167 was impressive in its dimensions: a length of 9 metres, a height of 3 metres, and a weight of 7,000 kilograms, making it a giant even on paper. To power this machine, not one but two V8 engines, each with a capacity of 7 litres, were designed. In the 1960s, this resulted in a modest power of 167 horsepower for each engine.
The ZIL was unique not only for its power. It reached a speed of over 60 km/h on good surfaces. It was equipped with a tire pressure regulation system, a winch, and six fuel tanks with a total capacity of 900 litres. It seemed like a lot, but this only allowed for barely covering 600 kilometres, which means fuel consumption of around 1.5 L/100 km.
To navigate muddy or snowy roads without issues, it was equipped with very large wheels with a diameter of 1.8 metres, giving it a ground clearance of 76 centimetres. Of the three axles, two - the front and rear - were steerable, which made manoeuvring easier. It was so tough that if something stood in its way, it simply broke through it.
During testing, it was revealed that the vehicle performed excellently in difficult terrain; however, it encountered one problem—the transmissions struggled with transferring the drive, leading to continuous operational issues. The problem was that the system was quite complex because the two rear-placed engines separately powered the left and right side wheels (one engine per side). Proper synchronization was necessary.
The vehicle was initially well-received and was supposed to meet the needs of geologists, oil workers, and other scientists who were to explore the northern regions of Russia. The cabin was so spacious that one could sleep and live fairly comfortably in it, making work feasible.
Despite plans to purchase two more units, these intentions were never realized. The video below, which is the first part of a story about this impressive machine, explains more about it.
