As far as extreme makeovers go, this one probably takes the cake. A Fiat Panda 4x4 has just been turned into a Monster Truck for a TV spot that will air in early 2013 with the slogan '''New Panda, extremely Panda.''
Standing 3.9 metres high and riding on 150cm x 50cm (59'' x 20'') road tractor wheels with "High Speed" tires, not to mention a Jeep Wrangler floor panel, the monstrous Panda looks totally out of proportion.
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| Fiat Panda 4x4 Monster Truck. (Photo: Fiat) |
It took the Italian automaker two full weeks to make it operational, in collaboration with Mercurio Cinematografica, set designer Andrea Faini and the Fabio Gementi Workshop.
The commercial shows four friends setting off for a weekend in the mountains. The Panda 4x4 Monster Truck climbs up to a hostel and stuns everyone with its performance. And when the driver, thinking that he's on a normal Panda 4x4, gets down from the car, he ends up falling two metres onto a cushion of snow, to the laughter of his friends.
So, do you prefer the Fiat Panda 4x4 Monster Truck or
the 2006 smart forfun?
Brian Scott will take over the No. 2 Nationwide Series Chevy Camaro, previously driven by Elliott Sadler, at Richard Childress Racing in a multi-year deal announced on Thursday.
The 24 year-old driver has finished twice in the top 10 in the Nationwide Series driver championship point standings in three full seasons of competition. He finished eighth in 2011 and ninth this past year. He finished 14th and was runner-up in the series' rookie of the year standings in 2010.
Phil Gould, car chief for the No. 2 team in 2012 and with previous experience at RCR as a car chief in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, has been promoted to crew chief for the team.
The RCR No.2 Chevrolet is a strong contender in NASCAR's junior circuit with Sadler finishing second in both 2011 and this year.
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| The Chevrolet No. 2 of Richard Childress Racing. (Photo: NASCAR) |
"I am thrilled to have this opportunity to drive the No. 2 Shore Lodge Chevrolet for Richard Childress Racing in the Nationwide Series," said Scott. "RCR has proven over the past 13 years that it can build and prepare winning cars in the NASCAR Nationwide Series and has for a variety of drivers. I just want to be the next name on that list. RCR has a rich tradition of winning races and championships at the highest level of our sport and I am excited about being a part of an organization, like theirs, that is committed to winning.
"Our goals for 2013 are going to be set at a high level and we are going to do everything within our power to achieve those goals. On a personal level I think I am going to fit in really well. Richard Childress and a lot of the people affiliated with RCR are avid outdoorsmen and that matches my background as well."
"Brian is a strong young talent and we look forward to him, Phil and the entire No. 2 Shore Lodge team adding their part to RCR's history of success in the NASCAR Nationwide Series," said Richard Childress, president and CEO of Richard Childress Racing. "The fact that Brian is an avid outdoorsman only makes it an even better fit. We're also proud to welcome Shore Lodge to our family of partners. The Scott family knows what it takes to create a tradition of excellence so we look forward to making our program a success both on the track and off."
As Auto123.com revealed a few weeks ago, an agreement between Lotus and the IndyCar series officials has been reached and the engine manufacturer is officially leaving the North American open wheel series.
With the introduction of the new IndyCar chassis/engine regulations, Lotus joined Honda and Chevrolet to supply engines to different teams for the 2012 season.
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| Photo: Lotus |
On the outset, the Lotus V6 was plagued by numerous problems that eventually led to its downfall. The development program started late and that cause Lotus to lag behind both Honda and Chevrolet.
Lotus was first linked with teams Dreyer & Reinbold, Dragon, Bryan Herta Autosport and HVM but when the time came for the Indy 500; all the teams had left but HVM.
Lotus was never able to supply an up-to-par engine and, although Sebastien Bourdais was able to show good form on the road courses, the engine was well under power on the ovals. This lack of power forced the officials at the Indy 500 to black flag the Lotus cars due to their lack of speed.
IndyCar officials announced on Friday that Lotus had been released from its contract to supply engines to teams in the series, meaning that Chevrolet and Honda must now each be able to supply a minimum 60 per cent of the grid next season.
Teaser photos of the production-spec Vygor Opera were revealed today by the Italian carmaker. We have a good shot of the nose and the trunk, as well as a few darkened detail shots.
Ford's C-Max and Fusion hybrids fall about 20 percent short of their fuel economy claims, Consumer Reports magazine said today, after running real-world tests on both models.
Ford's C-Max and Fusion hybrids fall about 20 percent short of their fuel economy claims, Consumer Reports magazine said today, after running real-world tests on both models.
A123 Systems, a bankrupt maker of batteries for electric cars, was expected to kick off its politically sensitive auction today pitting a United States bidder against at least three foreign rivals for a company that was partly funded with federal...
Also in this episode: BMW gives us an early look at the upcoming 4-series, and Zora-Arkus Duntov
Dutch supercar maker Spyker and the Chinese
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is expected to propose in the coming days a rule requiring event data recorders -- the so-called black boxes in vehicles that record crash data -- in all new light vehicles.
Republican Governor Rick Snyder said he wants Michigan to be the 24th state to adopt a "right-to-work" law making payment of union dues voluntary, setting up a confrontation with organized labor in the home of the American auto industry.
Fuel economy of new vehicles sold in the United States remained at its highest level in November, University of Michigan researchers said Wednesday.
Paint company DuPont released its annual Color Popularity Report on Thursday, and for the second consecutive year, white and white pearl are the most popular car colors in the world. Black and black effects are second, followed by silver then gray.
Ford's largest union at its doomed Genk plant has cautioned unemployment could soar by as much as 30% in the region following the US automaker's decision to shutter its plant in 2014.
Everyone likes to think they've got the smartest pooch on the block, Autoweek editors included. Even so, few of us have tried teaching our canine Einstein to drive.
Videos
6 Dec, 2012
We pit three of the year's best hot hatches against each other around the Anglesey Circuit
General Motors and its joint ventures sold 260,018 vehicles in China in November, up 10 percent year-over-year, the company said in a statement today. It was GM's best November ever and second-best month all-time in China, its largest market.
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