Wuling Hong Guang Mini EV – this name probably won’t hold any memory in your mind, but if there’s one thing you need to know about it, it’s the world’s third best-selling electric vehicle in 2022 so far. The Mini EV – unrelated to the Mini automaker in any way – is a zero-emissions microcar with decent range and cute styling. It’s not designed for off-roading but there is one example of a car that might be more capable than your old Jeep.
New videos from our friends on motorcycle taxis driver takes us to China where they filmed an odd-looking six-wheeled off-roader. The story of how this monster came to life is a bit long but here’s the short version which is quite interesting.
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The vehicle started its life as the Great Wall Motors Cannon, which is a midsize truck sold in China and other countries around the world under a different name. The chassis, suspension and many other components were left original but – of course – the entire vehicle was heavily modified to accommodate six wheels and a new cab. Powering the engine is a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine produced by the same Chinese automaker.
But that’s not even the weirdest part. Sitting on top of the truck chassis is an elongated version of the Mini EV, which the off-roader maker built for an earlier project. The whole machine takes – see! – only two weeks to assemble from existing long Mini EV and truck chassis. Been sitting outside for at least a year and the exterior condition is not that great.
Another unique feature of this off-roader is its roll cage or rather, a full body exoskeleton. The funny part is that the main goal is not to increase the safety of the six wheeler but to make it look better from the outside. Oh, and did we mention there’s a gullwing door attached to the body?
Don’t waste any more time read about this vehicle – you need see it’s to draw the complete picture in your head. A picture is worth a thousand words, they say, and we offer you the perfect visual display in the form of a 15-minute video and an exclusive photo gallery shared by motorcycle taxis driver with us.
