The Amber Yantar, a new electric vehicle prototype from Russia, has been dubbed the world’s ugliest car because of its bizarre, unattractive design.
Car prototypes usually have eye-catching designs that capture viewers’ imagination. Even if the vehicle that reaches the production line turns out to be very different, or if it never actually goes into production, prototypes are an exciting way of showcasing a car brand’s vision of the near future. But that isn’t always the case. Take, for example, the new Amber Yantar, an EV prototype designed by Avtotor, a Russian carmaker based in Kaliningrad, in collaboration with the Moscow Polytechnic Institute. It was revealed to the public less than a week ago, but it has already become the laughing stock of the entire internet, with photos of its unflattering exterior doing the rounds on social media.
Avtotor announced that it plans to begin producing up to 50,000 Yantar electric cars in 2025 at its Kaliningrad plant, adding that all the major components – electric motor, inverter, control boards and batteries – will all be designed and built in Russia. It’s important to note that such claims have been made by Russian car manufacturers in the past, but they all ended up working with Chinese components in the end.
Very few technical details have been revealed, but we do know that the Amber Yantar will be very affordable and it will come with a 25kW/h battery. Also, motorists will be able to rent batteries instead of buying them. The car will reach a top speed of 105km/h (65 mph), which isn’t that impressive.
However, upon seeing the car, very few people were interested in the technical side. The shockingly uninspired design of the Yantar has sparked countless memes and jokes online, with many calling it the ugliest car ever. Avtotor has since been trying to save face by claiming that the Yantar will have a totally different design when it goes into production and that this was just a ‘test mule’ prototype. But if that’s the case, why bother showing it off in the first place?
