In the second half of the 1980s, the engineers of the Minsk Automobile Plant set about developing a new truck tractor. The experimental model was ready by the time of the collapse of the country of the Soviets and received the topical and inspiring name "Perestroika". By an evil irony of fate, a promising tractor will soon be in the same place as the once great country - on the sidelines of history. What was "Perestroika" on wheels? Here are some fun facts.
1. Design
The external design of the MAZ-2000 "Perestroika" is just the tip of the iceberg. First of all, the tractor was interesting for its internal filling. The fact is that the MAZ-2000 was a modular machine with the possibility of rebuilding. So, a car from a truck tractor could be easily and quickly converted into a regular truck. Also, the design made it possible to connect special motor bogies to help the main power unit.
2. High aerodynamics
In the late 1980s, the MAZ-2000 was a truck with one of the best aerodynamics in the world. This was achieved, among other things, due to the fact that the cabin and the cargo compartment formed a virtually single structure. The design of the cabin itself, which consisted, as it were, of two halves, also contributed.
3. Swivel mechanism
The MAZ-2000 had a very specific turning mechanism. He did not rotate the wheels separately, but the whole cart at once. Ideas for creating a truck tractor with such a design appeared a long time ago. First in the USA, then in Germany. However, until the 1980s, no one was able to implement a rotary mechanism with a similar organization in metal. Soviet engineers in this respect were ahead of the whole planet.
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4. Layout
The arrangement of structural elements in the MAZ-2000 is very different from the layout of any other truck tractor on the market. What is worth only the fact that the thrust in the "Perestroika" was transmitted from the engine to the front wheels! By the way, the experimental truck was no longer set in motion by a domestic engine, but installation MAN D2866 with a power of 290 hp. The engine worked with a Soviet development gearbox MAZ itself.
5. Interior decoration
For Soviet truckers, the new MAZ was a pleasant discovery. The car had a comfortable interior, air conditioning and a modern living module. Something MAZ-2000 surprised even Western designers. For example, already in the 1980s, this tractor had rear-view cameras.
Alas, the truck tractor turned out to be too complicated and expensive to manufacture for its time. Against the background of the Minsk "trucker" many other domestic and foreign projects of truck tractors of that time faded. The collapse of the Soviet Union also did not benefit the project in a predictable way. As a result, the car was forgotten. That, however, did not prevent foreign companies already in the 1990s from “pulling away” the promising MAZ for patents.
If you want to know even more interesting things, then you should read about what it is "five" Soviet truckswhich most have never heard of.
A source: https://novate.ru/blogs/261021/61027/