Tomy's drilling tank ?

I don't know to what extend this was a toy to replicate / compete with Bandai's Thunderbirds license, because this thing has the looks of the Mole, but tires instead of tracks...

TOMY tank, Japan, 1970's (?)

The propulsion on this toys is quite clever, since a track links both independent set of 4 wheels on the bottom of the vehicle, making it an 8x8 drive vehicle.