‘Eat it, Elon’: Internet greets Kalashnikov electric supercar with love & hate for old-school looks
...MOREThe just-unveiled Russian electric supercar concept by AK-47 creator Kalashnikov has caused heated debate online. Many mocked its old-school design, while others said they’d gladly drive such a vehicle for that very same reason.Forestalling the obvious parallels with Elon Musk’s creations, Kalashnikov Concern said that its CV-1 “electric supercar concept… will allow us to stand in line with the world's electric car manufacturers, like Tesla, and compete with them.”
The concept indeed incorporated several original solutions developed within the company, including a high-speed battery modular control system and a “revolutionary” compact inverter, the maker said.
But the internet didn’t care much about the technical side as it unleashed a wave of sarcasm about the vehicle’s exterior - which, some believed, doesn’t live up to the touted “supercar” status.
Notably, the company didn’t hide the fact that its electric car concept was based on the body of IZh 2125 "Kombi," a legendary compact car that hit Soviet roads back in 1973. The choice seems justified as Izhevsk-based Kalashnikov Concern is the successor of Izhmash, famed as both a defense manufacturer and a maker of the old-school Soviet-designed cars.
“How can I unsee this?” one of the commentators wondered, making it clear that he disagreed with the design decision for CV-1....
