T-98 Kombat, an exotic armored off-roader from Russia, goes on sale for ₽18M

Ever fancied driving bulletproof through forests and swamps? No? Well, be sure to check out this Russia-made T-98 Kombat if you ever change your mind.

With barely more than 21,000 km (13,000 miles) on the odo, the vehicle has spent most of its life as a show queen. It is now ten years old and up for grabs in Sochi, Russia for 18,000,000 rubles, or around 253,000 USD. The seller claims it has a clean record with two owners, one of them the founder of the Kombat brand.

Power comes from a massive 8.1-liter GM Vortec V8 that links to an automatic transmission and burns gasoline, taking the formidable machine to a top speed of 160 km/h (99 mph). The result actually looks pretty damn impressive when you consider its curb weight of five metric tons, or north of 11,000 lbs.

The interior comes draped in leather and Alcantara. There is an infotainment system, satellite navigation, a reversing camera, power windows, a sunroof, heated/power-assisted front seats, and a power tailgate. The Kombat vehicle series comes in B6 and B7 armor variants capable of withstanding sustained AK-47 and M16 rifle fire, but the seller neglects to mention which standard this example corresponds to.

AutoCAD and Dmitri Parfenov’s Engineering Bureau designed the T-98 Kombat in Saint Petersburg, Russia 23 years ago. The cars are still being produced in small batches in the Baltic region and advertised as armored limousines for well-off clientele, despite having more off-road charms.