Ferox Azaris
The Ferox Azaris is a six-wheeled, all-terrain machine from Ferox Advanced Vehicles Corporation that rethinks how an off-road vehicle puts power to the ground. Instead of a conventional driveshaft, its rear wheels are driven by in-wheel motors fed by a fluid that is roughly 95 percent water, giving the Azaris the pulling power of a full-size pickup in a futuristic, buggy-sized package.
What is the Ferox Azaris?
Ferox, a company based in Perth, Australia, designed the Azaris as a test bed and showcase for its in-wheel fluid drive technology. The six-wheel layout, distinctive chassis and bespoke suspension give it an unmistakable look, but the real story sits inside the wheels. According to the manufacturer, the official Ferox Azaris page presents it as an advanced off-road platform built to prove a new approach to drive systems.
How does the Ferox Azaris drive system work?
Each of the four rear wheels has its own motor, driven by a hydraulic fluid that is about 95 percent water. The result is the same pulling power as a full-fledged pickup truck, from four motors that weigh only around 25 kilograms each. As reported by New Atlas, the in-wheel units are light, quiet and highly responsive, with a volumetric efficiency of up to 98 percent. To turn these motors, the Azaris can run on a partial or fully electric drive.
Will the Ferox Azaris go into production?
Best of all, this concept is intended to move from Ferox straight into 1 to 1 production. Company CEO Troy Wheeler has given a full interview about the technology used in the Azaris. The main points he highlighted were the unique structure and the motors, saying: "This is a very unique structure, and obviously there's a lot of intellectual property in that." Wheeler also notes that the motors can be paired with essentially any conventional wheel design, potentially making them a "plug-and-play" solution. Of course, this masterpiece will not be cheap, with a price somewhere around $500k according to the company.
Why the Azaris matters for off-road enthusiasts
Every component is hand built, so production is expensive. That money will be reinvested in further R&D at Ferox, with the goal of building an even more capable Azaris, another bold idea from Ferox Advanced Vehicles Corporation. The fluid drive concept also has potential well beyond recreation, in areas such as agricultural robots and heavy cargo haulers.
If the six-wheel, go-anywhere attitude of the Azaris appeals to you, TheArsenale curates a similar breed of extreme machines. The Rezvani Hercules 6x6 brings the same six-wheel philosophy to a road-legal SUV, while the amphibious Sherp The Ark and the Segway Villain off-road UTV push all-terrain capability in different directions.
Where to find off-road vehicles like the Ferox Azaris
The Azaris sits at the wild end of the off-road world, and TheArsenale brings together the rarest builds for collectors who want the same spirit. Explore the full TheArsenale Cars collection to discover extreme SUVs and all-terrain machines, and contact the team to bring a one-of-a-kind off-roader into your garage.
