Meet China’s 8X8 wheeled armored ‘Transformer’ vehicle

Introducing, China’s 8X8 wheeled armored vehicle, which took part in a military drill held in Baotou in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region on August 16, 2017. The 18-ton vehicle can be transformed into 40 different versions, including armored personnel carrier, command or reconnaissance vehicle, and as a boat when in water. It can even withstand attack by biochemical weapons, thanks to a coating of a special paint, reports China Central Television. 

China’s 8X8 wheeled armored vehicle [Photo: CCTV]

Said to combine strength and speed perfectly, the 8X8 vehicle can reach speeds of up to 100 kilometers per hour on land, and 15 nautical miles per hour in water.

Fully loaded it can weigh up to 26 tons, which posed a big challenge for the makers.

“The chassis and suspension system was designed by our project team of 6 to 7 people. It took us almost four years to make it and we own the intellectual property rights,” said Li Yi, an engineer from the Inner Mongolia First Machinery Group Corporation. 

The vehicle has 1.2-meter wheels, each weighing 200 kilograms. Even if its wheels are damaged, it can still travel at 60 kilometers per hour for 100 kilometers to evacuate people from battle zones. 

China’s 260 mining car model [Photo: CCTV]

The makers say that in addition, large scaled mining cars worth hundreds of millions yuan have also been produced, each able to carry loads of up to 260 tons, and expected to bring down the cost of buying such vehicle by up to 40%.