THE WORLD’S toughest bus is designed to go off-road on the most dangerous terrain – and is even used by emergency crews.
The monstrous 35-seat Torsus Praetorian is packed full of extreme features, including military-grade air-conditioning designed to protect occupants in the harshest of conditions.
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Coming in at nine metres long, nearly three metres wide, almost four metres tall, and with a 300-litre fuel tank, the Ukrainian-built vehicle offers 16-inches of ground clearance, can wade up to 680mm, and even climb a 65% incline, with all four wheels powered by a 12-speed 6.9-litre MAN diesel motor.
Even the hardest-to-climb rocks and lumps in the road can be tackled with ease thanks to its all-round air suspension, offering military-grade durability.
Perhaps most notably, the Praetorian is the vehicle of choice for search and rescue teams looking for people in hostile environments, and it is even used for trips to Mount Etna, Sicily, Italy.
During flooding in Italy last year, the Praetorian’s little brother – the 20-seater Terrastorm – was even used as an ambulance to battle through deep flood water.
Vakhtang Dzhukashvili, the brains behind the creation, said he was originally inspired to create the beast in the early days of the Russo-Ukrainian war in 2014.
While the Praetorian wasn’t built with the military in mind and isn’t an armoured truck, it can be used by the forces should they wish.
In fact, its concept came when Dzhukashvili thought about the state of roads in the area and how regular buses couldn’t handle the terrain.
Speaking to Autocar, he said: “Our idea was that an off-road bus would at least give them a chance… Without that, you don’t have one,” he says.
“Then we started putting things together – the transportation of people in aid programmes, the Ukrainian war, militaries, mining.”
Dzhukashvili revealed that his vehicles can be tailor-made depending on the owner’s needs, whether it’s for taking workers around mines, working as an off-road portable crane, or even a drone command centre.
He added: “We’re young and still small.
“That gives us the freedom of speed. When we developed our first vehicle, we did it as a concept study, went to the market and got their requirements.
“Our sales and marketing are linked to our engineering.”
For search and rescue missions, for example, Torsus recently upgraded the Praetorian’s lighting, replacing the halogen lights with highly energy-efficient all-new LED headlights, including roof-mounted lights for even greater levels of visibility.
They also improved the machine’s air-conditioning system to help crew and occupants travelling through the intense heat of Australia’s Great Sandy desert or the Sahara in North Africa.
Temperatures inside a vehicle can rise to as high as 50°C and 60°C, meaning only the strongest AC packages will survive.
In an article by Plant Machinery Vehicles, it was detailed how work was carried out to enhance air distribution to individual luggage rack outlets for more airflow volume and increased nominal air conditioning cooling capacity inside the vehicle.
This can help keep all 35 occupants of the bus cool, with temperature capable of dropping from 60°C to 30°C in just three minutes, and can drop the temperature from 60°C to a comfortable 20°C in under 15 minutes.
The AC unit can even keep the engine cool, should it find itself in danger of overheating when climbing sand dunes.
Torsus say they will supply the Praetorian as an empty shell for any conversion requirements, with prices starting at just under £200,000.
This comes as a woman has revealed how she turned an old school bus bought in lockdown into the luxury cocktail bar of her dreams.
The stunning conversion started out as a fantasy but has now become a lucrative side hustle.
And a family have given viewers a tour inside their new home – the ex tour bus of a legendary British band.
The Kirk family have everything they need to eat, sleep and travel on the UK’s roads in the massive double-decker.
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