The Soviet Union, like any other country in the world, had its own state security service, whose tasks were to protect the country from all enemies (both internal and external). Unlike the army and navy, intelligence and counterintelligence operate on an invisible front. To accomplish the assigned tasks, these specialists need special equipment, equipment, and most importantly, cars. And the Soviet industry was able to give the KGB the best cars at that time.
What is the main thing in a car for police and intelligence? Is there a bulletproof layer under the body? Perhaps the presence of additional accessories like a radio station or a mobile laboratory? Changing license plates, like James Bond, or retractable Maxim machine gun from the trunk? In fact, all of the above, like much else unnamed, is complete nonsense. A special car primarily makes its engine. Such a machine must be the fastest and most maneuverable in the vastness of the Fatherland, or in any case must be significantly more dynamic than most civilian models and machines used by diplomatic missions of other countries.
The history of the fastest Zhiguli did not begin in the Soviet Union at all. In the 1920s, German engineer Felix Wankel builds his first rotary piston engine. At that time, the RPD differed from ordinary internal combustion engines not only in an unusual design, but also in a much higher performance. Ironically, at home, the RPD engine did not bring fame and fortune to its creators. The greatest commercial success in the implementation of this technology was achieved by the engineers of the Japanese company Mazda. And in the 1970s, the Soviet Union also became closely interested in technology.
A brand new Mazda RX-2 was delivered to the VAZ in the USSR for the purpose of study. Engineers were mainly interested in the motor. In 1975, the first domestic RPD was born, which turned out to be extremely unsuccessful. The motor gave only 70 hp, regularly junked, malfunctioned and failed. Despite the fact that the first pancake turned out to be a lump, the work of domestic minders did not subside, and very soon a new motor with a return of 120 hp was released. The model turned out to be perhaps the most powerful and reliable in the USSR. The new internal combustion engine was immediately installed on the VAZ-21019 and VAZ-21059. These mysterious "classic" models were supplied only to the service of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the KGB of the country.
Work on the motors did not stop. Very soon, their performance was raised to 140 hp. Police cars were able to accelerate to 100 km / h in 8 seconds, and the maximum speed reached 200 km / h, which was simply prohibitive figures for Soviet (and not only Soviet) roads at that time. The success was so significant that other Soviet enterprises became interested in the development of new RPD models. Already by the end of the USSR, motors of this type were produced in the country with a capacity of up to 280 hp. They were installed not only on the cars of state security officers, but also on the ruler of cars, motorcycles, amphibians and boats.
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