Russia's Deputy Prime Minister admits Russian cars have no "viable future."

The list of great minds and technological marvels that Russia has gifted the world is most impressive: Sikorsky, Sputnik, Hind, Mig, Ivan Drago (the bad guy in Rocky IV). The fact is, though, that none of those names have to do with cars. The list of automobiles that the Russians have foisted on the world is somewhat ignominious: Lada, Volga, Oda, Moskvitch. Regrettably, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Sergey Ivanov is so confident that that isn't going to change any time soon that he said there are no "promising" models now and no viable future for Russian car companies.

Of course, being Russia, there is -- or at least could be -- a backstory involving a political competitor, an arms exporter, government funds, and a presidential race. While no one can speak for the future, as far as promising models right now, Ivanov really could be more right than wrong. You can buy the pictured Lada 112 in France right now for 8,200 euros -- but would you really take it over . . . almost anything else?

[Source: Edmunds]