Jalopnik: Lada

AK-47s Make The Best Horns Ever

Raphael Orlove — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 12:30:00 EST

Driving in Chechnya is a serious undertaking. You have to make sure that other cars and SUVs know where you are, otherwise they'll ram you off the road. That's why this driver uses the best car horn ever, an AK-47. More »

How did this Lada end up in a drainage ditch?

Tom Joslin — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 12:30:00 EST

We're not sure how this Lada 1200/VAZ-2101 ended up at the bottom of this hill in a drainage ditch but after staring at the pictures for a little while it's hard not to come up with a few theories of our own. More »

Fifth Gear tests a brand new Lada Niva

Tom Joslin — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 09:00:00 EST

We might be a little partial to that other British motoring show, but how could we resist a brand new Lada Niva test drive? More »

Watch a Russian hatchback outrun a Lamborghini

Raphael Orlove — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 13:00:00 EST

This VAZ 2113 came out of the factory in Togliattigrad, Russia with something between 53 and 72 horsepower, but with some proletariat tuning even a 500-odd horsepower Gallardo can't stand in its way. More »

Rare Lada Niva 4x4 for sale on Ebay

Tom Joslin — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 12:30:00 EST

Everyone has a different take on the Lada Niva. To some they are outdated junk that is more fodder for comedy than anything else while others revel in their obscurity and love their unique design. One thing is certain about the Lada Niva—examples like this one currently on Ebay are exceptionally rare in the United States. More »

This is what happens when a Range Rover hits a wall at 120+ MPH

Tom Joslin — Sat, 05 Nov 2011 14:00:00 EDT

We don't know the exact circumstance that lead to a Range Rover hitting a wall at speeds of over 200 km/h (124.3 MPH) in St. Petersburg, Russia, but thanks to these pictures we know what the aftermath looks like. More »

Yes, but what do they hoon in Azerbaijan?

Raphael Orlove — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 13:00:00 EDT

Car culture has gone global — are you keeping up? Find out what the kids are hooning in Baku, capital of Azerbaijan. More »

Scenes from a Russian junkyard

Tom Joslin — Sun, 02 Oct 2011 09:00:00 EDT

Although most modern ~~junkyards~~ automotive recycling centers are full of fairly boring and generic cars, when they are located in another country like this facility in Russia the cars are a lot less commonplace and a lot more interesting—at least to us. More »

Watch bikini-clad Russians patriotically wash cars for Putin

Matt Hardigree — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 14:00:00 EDT

Vladimir Putin may occasionally have trouble getting his Lada motor running, but that didn't prevent an army of pro-Putin activists from supporting the Russian Prime Minister with a patriotic bikini car wash. "Putin's Army is here to stay... Putin's Army washes you away..." More »

Lada makes moves to defend Russian market share

Tom Joslin — Sun, 10 Jul 2011 15:00:00 EDT

Everyone's favorite stuck-in-the-Soviet-era Russian car company is making moves to fend off foreign car competition in Russia. In response to foreign car companies rapidly expanding their Russian market Lada plans to try to bring their cars and their company into the modern era. More »

When Ladas become weirdly Japanese

Peter Orosz — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 16:30:00 EDT

The inoculation of Work Equip wheels, the military flag of Japan, riveted fender flares and Japanese license plates into a humble VAZ 2106 sedan is a stunning display of modern tuning culture, where ideas, memes, details and styles flow like bits and JPEGs. More »

Nissan-Renault buying a controlling stake in AutoVAZ?

Matt Hardigree — Fri, 17 Jun 2011 14:00:00 EDT

There are rumors out there about Renault-Nissan buying a controlling stake in AutoVAZ (maker of Lada cars), which would make it the third largest automaker. No one show them this video. (Hat tip Nathanial!) More »

Vladimir Putin car marketing stunt fail

Matt Hardigree — Thu, 12 May 2011 11:00:00 EDT

The team at Lada were pleased to have Russian Prime Minister and judo master Vladimir Putin on hand to test out their new budget model Granta sedan. Think of all the cameras! Unfortunately, the car wouldn't start. More »

Russian cops spoil the drift

Matt Hardigree — Thu, 28 Apr 2011 13:00:00 EDT

This Supra's having a great time drifting around a wide, empty circle… until the cops show up. The best part is the Supra keeps going until the Russian police officers in the little Lada realize how to make him stop. More »

This ghostly half-car is spooky

Matt Hardigree — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 11:15:00 EST

The driver of this creepy, dented Russian car is hidden by a thick layer of damage so it appears to be driven by the ghost of the person sitting in the passenger seat when the accident occurred. In reality, the driver probably just got the car for half the price. More »

You've Got A Lada Nerve

Matt Hardigree — Mon, 13 Dec 2010 17:15:00 EST

At the end of a crappy day you turn to friends, colleagues, fellow commenters, and the unrivaled panacea that is a Russian car. Al least, that's what I do. [Asklater via carpr0n] More »

Latvian Lada Catches Air, Then Water

Justin Hyde — Fri, 10 Dec 2010 15:30:00 EST

Somewhere in Latvia, there's a Lada sedan at the bottom of a small pond near a farm road. Here's the airborne route it took there. Now pardon us while we find a translation for "do not try this at home." More »

NYT Warns Of The Perils Of Taking Jalopnik Jokes Seriously

Ray Wert — Fri, 03 Dec 2010 09:30:00 EST

Be warned, ye who desire project cars, for hell filled with blood, death and unbelievably hard-to-find Russian parts await all who dare not heed our warnings. Even the august penmen of the New York Times agree. Forsooth and such. [NYT] More »

Russian Lada Gets Skinned In American Astroturf

Tom Joslin — Sat, 06 Nov 2010 11:00:00 EDT

In typical Russian automotive tradition, the Lada Niva that began production in 1977 is still being produced today using almost exactly the same design. This monotony may explain what inspired one Niva owner to cover their car in Astroturf. More »

Amateur Video Proves Transformers Needs More Ladas, AC/DC

Matt Hardigree — Mon, 13 Sep 2010 16:40:00 EDT

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The cars in the new Transformers flicks are mostly just GM products or concepts. Boring. In this clever reimagining, a vintage Lada does battle with a cell phone to an AC/DC soundtrack. Michael Bay, take note. [via Gizmodo] More »

In Mother Russia, Lada Rolls Over Tank!

Ben Wojdyla — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 12:00:00 EDT

Where would you find a home-built tracked Lada? Russia of course! Using potato harvester parts for tracks and steering via open differential actuated by cable-operated brakes hooked to the steering knuckles, this Lada's tankgasmic. That dangling u-joint may be problematic. More »

Crazy Ukrainians Build Ford Mustang From Crappy Hatchback

Sam Smith — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 17:30:00 EDT

In this crazy world of ours, it's important to have dreams. Faced with the pain of reality, a handful of Ukranian Ford fans decided to turn a Lada hatchback into a Ford Mustang. This is alternately painful and fantastic. More »

Transform Your Extra Lada Into A Tank

Ben Wojdyla — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 16:30:00 EST

We're not quite sure how this Russian tank-tread contraption ties to the car's powerplant, but it appears it requires the drive shaft be rerouted to the tread-driving differential. More work, sure, but way more badass. The SnowFoot has been upstaged. More »

That's a Lada Oranges

Ben Wojdyla — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 16:30:00 EST

We could have gone with "Orange you glad you bought a Lada?" , maybe "The driver really has to squeeze into this car" or even "This Lada's got a lot of juice." So many puns, so little time. [Imgur via Reddit] More »

And The REAL Lamest Day LeMons Winner Is... Gasmask's Lada Signet!

Murilee Martin — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 18:20:00 EDT

Yeah yeah, the car that gets the highest lap total gets the overall win at a 24 Hours Of LeMons race, but the insiders know who deserves the real respect! More »

Three Hours In, 21 To Go At The Lamest Day: E30 Leads, Lada Still Running

Murilee Martin — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 15:30:00 EDT

Internet access is difficult at best here at Nelson Ledges, so live updates are going to be few and short. At the moment, the Charlie Foxtrot Racing BMW 325i leads. More »

Capitalism Takes On Communism In Ohio: 1961 Cadillac Versus Lada Signet!

Murilee Martin — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 12:00:00 EDT

The Lamest Day takes place at Nelson Ledges next weekend, and it will feature the best all-time Index Of Effluency matchup in 24 Hours Of LeMons history: a Soviet car taking on a finned Caddy! More »

Automotive Survivors Part II: More Cars Made For At Least 20 Years

Murilee Martin — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 23:00:00 EDT

When we had the 50 Cars Made For Over 20 Years list a few weeks back, we were deafened by the howls of outrage from those whose favorite cars didn't make the cut. More »

The Ultimate Automotive Survivors: 50 Cars Made For Over 20 Years

Murilee Martin — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 14:00:00 EDT

While the Beetle, Ambassador, Mini, and 2CV each enjoyed more than four decades of production in pretty much their original form, we mustn't overlook the other long-term survivors of the automotive world. More »

The Mother of All Tuner Nivas

Peter Orosz — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 13:30:00 EDT

V8? Check. Turbocharger? Check. Air suspension? Check. The Probag Niva is Australia’s mad take on a Soviet classic. More »

Vladimir Putin's Lada Niva Is Totally Bad-Ass

Ben Wojdyla — Tue, 19 May 2009 12:00:00 EDT

The Lada Niva is the coolest Soviet-era vehicle still in production. Given that, it makes sense Russia's alpha-male "not-president" Vladimir Putin has purchased a totally awesome camouflaged and off-road-ready version. More »

Parking With a Gatling Gun

Peter Orosz — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 12:00:00 EDT

XKCD issue #562 depicts a scene dear to everyone’s heart who has ever witnessed a moron fail egregiously at parking. Let’s advance the idea and move from blowtorches to rotary cannons. More »

Yes, There Was Plenty Of Paint-Tradin' Race Action Behind The Iron Curtain

Murilee Martin — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 15:30:00 EDT

Have we ever mentioned that we love English Russia? It's like they knew we were going to review Cars Of The Soviet Union and put up this collection of vintage Soviet racing photos for us! More »

Cars Of The Soviet Union: The Definitive History, by Andy Thompson

Murilee Martin — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 14:00:00 EDT

Whether you're wrenching on a flying Spitfire or a leaking Spitfire, Haynes has a shop manual for you. Very useful, but hardly the sort of thing you'd keep on your coffee table. More »

Even More Old Cars Down On The Cuban Street

Murilee Martin — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 15:00:00 EST

It turns out that many Jalopnik readers have been to Cuba, and now we're adding another set of Cuban car photos to the ones shot by AcaciaBogdan and Fantasygoat. More »

¡Abajo En La Calle De Cuba!

Murilee Martin — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 15:00:00 EST

The ghost of Fulgencio Batista won't allow Americans to visit Cuba, but those commie-lovin' Canadians are free to doff their tuques and enjoy the presence of the world's largest concentration of pre-1960 Detroit iron. More »

Comrades! All Hail The First-Ever Soviet 24 Hours Of LeMons Car!

Murilee Martin — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 15:00:00 EST

You know what's been missing from all the 24 Hours Of LeMons races so far? That's right- Soviet-made cars! It's been tough watching all those races without the accomplishments of Lenin, Stalin, ~~and Trotsky~~ being represented on the track, but that's all going to change at the Detroit event next year, because Teargas has braved the wilds of Canada to bring back a genuine, made-in-the-USSR 1987 Lada Signet! You may remember this car from Project Car Hell Cold War Edition a while back, and making the jump will get you the rest of the story. More »

Project Car Hell, Cold War Edition: Dodge Power Wagon Town Wagon or Lada Signet?

Murilee Martin — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 17:20:00 EDT

Welcome to Project Car Hell, where you choose your eternity by selecting the project that's the coolest... and the most hellish! In our last foray into the Burning Garage O'Pain™, the Buick Reatta beat the Olds Troféo by a 53% to 47% poll split. We've had unifying vehicular themes for most of our Hell Challenges recently, but sometimes you need to choose between two totally different eternities- say, one in which St. Helena earwigs colonize your bile ducts, and another in which you are stuck in an Amway PowerPoint presentation 24/7. And, just for fun, we're going Warsaw Pact versus NATO, with one machine from the hottest period of the Cold War and the other from the wild and crazy endgame.
More »

Lada Reveals A Supercar Concept! Wait, What?

Ben Wojdyla — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 12:00:00 EDT

Everyone's favorite communist-era carmaker and automotive laughing-stock on safety has just revealed a supercar concept here at the Paris Motor Show. Best part? It's called the Lada Revolution 3. Apparently the first two must have had something to do with forcing the Bolsheviks from power. Anyway, it's theoretically equipped with a Renault two-liter four cylinder able to make a 0-to-62 run in 5.9 seconds with a top end speed of 155 MPH. Stopping is done via two-piece 315 mm rotors and four-piston calipers. This would be the fastest Lada ever built, which begs a question. Would you really feel comfortable cruising Russia's roadways at 155 MPH in this Supercar? There's just something about a supercar with a Renault engine and the Lada name proudly emblazoned on the steering wheel that makes us shudder at the thought. Hold onto your buttskies, folks! Hit the jump to see how it would fit in with the rest of the Lada lineup. More »

Lada Niva Transformed With Martini Livery

Ben Wojdyla — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 17:00:00 EDT

Call it amusing, call it ridiculous, but whatever you call it, reader James has applied the classic Martini livery to his Lada Niva weekend toy, and we call it awesome. The little Ruskie brute wears the vinyl graphics with all the class and sophistication of the rally and race cars of yore. Check out the complete application process in the gallery below, and sit back imagining a weekend bombing around the rugged countryside in this pocket-sized beast. More »