We know what you’re thinking. Garage 54 and Lada – this isn’t going to end well for the Lada. Admittedly, you’re probably right, but this time around the video is very different. For starters, This bonkers Lada build is a collaboration with Workroom Siberia, another car-crazy Russian YouTube channel. Honestly, we don’t know what kind of vodka is being consumed in Russia these days, but if projects like this are the result, we want a sip.
The Garage 54 team provided the Lada, which was delivered to the Workroom Siberia team for modification. They had already tested the waters with a prototype walker-build in a previous project, but it didn’t hold up too well. As you’ll see in the video above, that failure led to significant changes for the soon-to-be Lada-walker build.
Disassembly started and finished with the exhaust system. It wasn’t just for more noise, as the complex mechanical legs are actually tied together on both sides with pipes running beneath the car. A custom subframe is also installed to make the rear end extremely rigid, and additional reinforcement is added further up through the body.
The individual legs are attached to a piece of pipe welded to the outside edge each wheel. As such, the wheels function like a crank, turning the offset pipe which in turn causes the leg assembly to move. It’s actually a rather clever bit of engineering, as the legs are basically a series of levers that, when in motion, mimic the movement of legs.
But does it actually work? Honestly, that depends on your definition of work. Don’t worry – we have no intention of spoiling this 20-minute adventure down the bizarre road of automotive tomfoolery. Part of the joy in this clip is watching the crazy walking Lada come together. The video preview already tells you that the car at least sits on its rear legs, and yes, the wheels do move the legs as advertised.
Here’s what we will tell you. The car moves in multiple directions, and no speed records are broken. Does anything else break? Better jump into the video and find out. And for a bit more on the silly-awesome action, Workroom Sibera’s video on the project is available in the source links below.
