It’s an odd world we live in. After vacuum cleaner manufacturer Dyson’s electric vehicle project, the Russian icon Kalashnikov – known by most for its "AK-47" assault rifle – seems to be stepping up its game as well and entering the highly competitive e-car market. Its “Supercar CV-1”, a prototype with a carbon fibre-reinforced plastic body, looks a bit as if 1919-born Mikhail Timofejewitsch Kalashnikov († 2013) himself came up with the design philosophy.

The prototype e-car demonstrates a certain nostalgia, lying somewhere between the legendary "Ford Capri" and the "NSU Prince" with a swimming-pool blue finish nowadays found only on Kitchen Aid’s premium retro refrigerators. But one question remains – are assault rifles part of the standard equipment or must they be ordered separately?