▁rep lica ▁since ▁ 1 9 9 5 - 9 6 . ▁ ▁Technology ▁and ▁performance ▁When ▁the ▁German ▁military ▁took ▁delivery ▁of ▁the ▁first ▁vehicles , ▁they ▁immediately ▁put ▁them ▁to ▁the ▁test ▁on - ▁and ▁off - road ▁in ▁snow ▁and ▁ice ▁to ▁test ▁their ▁cap ability ▁at ▁handling ▁European ▁winter s . ▁Several ▁four - w heel - drive ▁vehicles ▁were ▁used ▁as ▁reference ▁points . ▁The ▁two - w heel - drive ▁Kü bel wagen ▁surprised ▁even ▁those ▁who ▁had ▁been ▁a ▁part ▁of ▁its ▁development , ▁as ▁it ▁hand ily ▁out - per formed ▁the ▁other ▁vehicles ▁in ▁nearly ▁every ▁test . ▁Most ▁not ably , ▁thanks ▁to ▁its ▁smooth , ▁flat ▁under body , ▁the ▁Kü bel ▁would ▁prop el ▁itself ▁much ▁like ▁a ▁motor ised ▁s led , ▁when ▁its ▁whe els ▁were ▁s inking ▁into ▁sand , ▁snow , ▁or ▁mud , ▁allowing ▁it ▁to ▁follow ▁track ed ▁vehicles ▁with ▁remarkable ▁ten acity . ▁ ▁In ▁November ▁ 1 9 4 3 , ▁the ▁U . S . ▁military ▁conducted ▁a ▁series ▁of ▁tests ▁as ▁well ▁on ▁several ▁Type ▁ 8 2 s ▁they ▁had ▁captured ▁in ▁North ▁Africa . ▁ ▁This ▁evaluation , ▁done ▁at ▁the ▁Army ' s ▁Aber de en ▁( M ary land ) ▁Pro ving ▁Gr ound ▁( on ▁more ▁than ▁one ? ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁publications ▁include ▁photos ▁of ▁a ▁single ▁Kub el wagen ), ▁resulted ▁in ▁the ▁publication ▁of ▁War ▁Department ▁Techn ical ▁Man ual ▁T M ▁E