In the footsteps of GAZ-21
The design was created on the basis of the 21st Volga. And in what in what, but in the stylistic originality and courage of the GAZ-3111 you will not refuse.
The first standard cars appeared in car dealerships in 2001. Then it seemed that the Gorky plant, and all of us, were waiting for a revolutionary turning point, which happened with the appearance of the 21st Volga.
In a new direction
But the 21st was very harmonious for its time. And the Volga GAZ-3111 is composed of contradictions.
It looks big, although it has grown only 100 mm in length compared to the GAZ-3110. And the base extended and did only 20mm.
The layout is classic, the driving wheels are at the back. There is no sin in this.
But the modern double-wishbone suspension with front shock absorbers and rack and pinion steering don’t really harmonize with the rear springs. True, a stabilizer is installed in the rear suspension. Then, by the way, he appeared on the mass GAZ-3110.
Under the hood is a 2.5-liter ZMZ-405 gasoline engine, and a 2.3-liter ZMZ-406 is also installed on some cars. But it was the ZMZ-405 with 155 hp that was to become the basis.
The base engine ZMZ-405 with a working volume of 2.5 liters develops 155 horsepower.
Should be “more careful”.
Behind this Volga solid, spacious and comfortable. The chair is laid out in parts – for the first time on the Volga. And the saloon is also separated from the trunk by a fun zipped flap.
Moving on – everything is in place and it looks pretty good by turn of the century standards. If you’re not looking…
The large and uneven gaps between panels and parts give the car the impression of being unfinished. This Volga looks like an experienced prototype.
But a standard car in 2001 cost 13.5 thousand dollars. As usual, but not the most prestigious foreign car. For that money, I would like to be “more careful”, as Mikhail Zhvanetsky said.
All contradictions
On the road, the car is as controversial as it looks. The power of 155 forces for such a machine is not great, but acceptable.
The gearbox drive is because of the layout – with traction. Such a design has a right to exist if it is done in a humane way. But alas, the clarity of the inclusions is far from ideal.
Management is also not good. It seems that the steering wheel is sharp and the behavior of the car is smeared. In the corners, it looks like the Volga is striving to back down. Incidentally, factory testers also talked about it in private conversations in the late 1990s.
In the field of special attention
Today the GAZ-3111 is not yet a retro, but already a youngtimer. Special, rare weekend car. The car is strange, but the attention of the people around the owner will certainly take care.
The fate of this small-scale Volga, created in a very short time, was determined by consumers. The lines for the GAZ-3111 did not match.
She still evokes conflicting feelings. And respect at the same time. Like a document and an artifact from the time when they tried to do something new and unusual. Let dalready controversial and awesome.
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Only about four hundred of these machines were made! And on this, the development of passenger models at GAZ was completed.
