In Soviet Russia, opulence has you! The latest car designed and built in Russia is an SUV, but it isn’t decked out in armor or whale penis leather—it’s a hybrid, and it’s been so popular that the waiting list is backlogged for the next 10 years.
Bearing more than a passing resemblance to the BMW X6, the Ë-mobile (pronounced yo-mobile) received 51,188 orders in its first day. By the end of the week, more than 100,000 people had reserved one. If you want one, you’ll have to enjoy Soviet-throwback lines of waiting lists for the next 10 years—though since none of the 100,000 have paid a deposit yet, the figure could drop pretty sharply once cold, hard rubles are introduced into the mix.
The company Ë-Auto debuted this concept back in 2010, with mass production scheduled for next year in St. Petersburg. It plans to build a lineup of hybrid coupes and sedans alongside, all built with pride in Mother Russia (with some components from Austria’s Magna-Steyr). The price will start at the equivalent of $12,000-15,000; between the price and the homeland pride, there’s little surprise it’s been so popular.
[Source: Automobile]