Kalashnikov's new electric car isn't the weirdest motoring collaboration

From an experimental DJ/producer to a famous hot-sauce brand, cross-pollination is nothing new in the automotive world

Smart cars already look averagely ridiculous, but this 2012 electric version by fashion designer Jeremy Scott resembled a pair of his winged trainers. Daimler AG

The Peugeot Fractal electric concept car was remarkable for many things, including its radical looks, cutting-edge sound system and widespread use of 3D-printed parts. Peugeot

The most unusual element, though, was its 'sound signature', created by experimental Amon Tobin, which plays when the driver opens the doors using a smartwatch remote system. Peugeot

Apple's Project Titan, dubbed the iCar, remains shrouded in secrecy, but the tech brand has already been beaten to the automotive punch by its chief phone-making rival Samsung. With the help of Renault, Samsung sells a range of cars in its native South Korea, including this SM3 ZE electric model. Renault

Fancy a Japanese saloon with some added spice? Forget modifications: feast your eyes on the Lexus Sriracha IS, a link-up with the famed hot-sauce brand showcased two years ago. Lexus

In addition to the confounding driving mode pictured, the special model came with a boot containing 43 bottles of Sriracha for 'emergency condiment situations', plus a key fob that could squirt sauce (and could probably also double as a mace replacement). Lexus

Ketchup kings Heinz already blazed a saucy trail in 2014, when Ford announced it was exploring the use of tomato fibres leftover from its fellow American brand's condiment production in developing sustainable, composite materials for vehicle manufacturing. As (sort of) explained by this handy infographic. Ford

Nothing says rock 'n' roll like, err, a Volkswagen Beetle. This Fender limited edition was a legitimate link-up with the American guitar-maker in 2012, however. Volkswagen

The dash featured 'sunburst' wood in tribute to Fender's instruments, while, as VW put it, 'like the cover of Spinal Tap’s infamous album "Smell The Glove", it is available in just one colour: black'. Volkswagen

The death of the Land Rover Defender was commemorated by this 2015 patchwork quilt of a vehicle by fashion designer Paul Smith. Inspired by the colours of the British countryside and Armed Forces, it instead evoked a cross between a junkyard mix-and-match banger and a bag of Liquorice Allsorts. Jaguar Land Rover

Equally colourful was this BMW M1, which was the handiwork of influential artist Andy Warhol and was unveiled in 1979. It was no static piece of art, either: it was raced at Le Mans. BMW

Slightly more subtle, this Fiat 500 by Gucci brought together two Italian icons with cutesy, eye-catching results. Fiat

Sony worked with Nissan to produce this high-tech GT-R, which is operated remotely via a PlayStation controller. Nissan

When Avengers kingpin Tony Stark needs a vehicle to help save the world, he probably doesn't pop down the local Hyundai dealership to buy a Kona. That didn't stop the Korean brand from making this Marvel-tastic 'Iron Man' edition of the SUV, revealed earlier this year. Hyundai

Adam Workman

Aug 28, 2018

Probably the strangest car announcement of the year is Russian company Kalashnikov throwing its hat into the ring as an automotive manufacturer, with an electric car it sees as a rival to Tesla.

Elon Musk probably isn't quaking in his boots just yet, considering the CV-1 is so far only a concept that rather resembles an armoured Lada.

The Kalashnikov CV-1 concept electric car in Moscow. AFP

But it has certainly raised eyebrows considering that the company is best known for manufacturing machine guns used to kill untold people around the world, rather than any attempts to save the planet via green motoring.

Kalashnikov certainly isn't the first unexpected outfit to involve itself in car production, however, with history littered with odd collaborations and unexpected, sometimes inexplicable, cross-pollination.

Scroll through our gallery above to see a selection of the weirdest.

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Updated: August 28, 2018, 10:25 AM