The automotive market has caused a real sensation for collectors, after two extremely rare copies of the super-rare Volga GAZ-3111 appeared on sale at the same time. This is a limited series in which traditional Russian engineering meets Japanese precision in the form of a Toyota 3RZ-FE engine. According to the historical chronicles of the Gorky plant, only 424 units of this model were assembled between 2000 and 2004, and the versions with the original Toyota heart are counted on the fingers - according to some sources, only 15 in the whole world.
The first find is a 2001 sedan, located in the Stavropol Territory. Its owner has announced a price of 1.5 million rubles (approximately 16,660 euro) for a car with a mileage of 160,000 km. Almost in parallel with it, another version from 2002 surfaced in Moscow, which looks even more tempting with its modest mileage of 89,000 km and a price of 1.6 million rubles (about 17,770 euros). For connoisseurs of retro exotics, this is a real event, since the chance of two such cars coming to the market at the same time is practically zero.
However, owning a GAZ-3111 is a double-edged sword and a real test of patience. Although the model was a technological leap for its time - equipped with an on-board computer and heated wiper nozzles - it remains straddled between two eras. Under the avant-garde body shapes for the beginning of the century, the archaic rear suspension with leaf springs still hides. The biggest headache for modern owners, however, is the maintenance of the specific exterior; some body details are waited or searched for for years, which turns every minor incident into a logistical nightmare.
Despite its controversial nature and short production run, the GAZ-3111 remains one of the most daring and interesting attempts by Russian industry to create a luxury sedan at a European level. These “hybrids“ with Japanese engines are the latest evidence of an unfulfilled dream, which today costs as much as a new budget car, but carries with it the aura of absolute collector's scarcity.