Thursday Five: The best April Fools pranks from around the motoring world
Brace yourselves ladies in gentleman. In less than 24-hours’ time the trust that you have instilled in the world will be flipped onto its head.
Yes, April Fools is coming.
Your Facebook and Twitter feeds will morph from innocent information sources into a grand stage for anyone who thinks they’re a comedian. The fake pregnancy tests and relationship statuses are well on their way; their creators eager to let the world know how original their 'humour' is. Bah humbug.
But this isn’t merely just a game for peasants like you and I — automotive corporations have been getting in on the act as well, exploiting the date as an opportunity to underline that they too can be edgy, and hip, and … ugh … funny.
By and large, their efforts are a firm swing and miss. But, occasionally, they connect. Take a seat, and enjoy five of the best.
Seat turbine
“Available to order from today as an option on the new, second generation Ibiza Ecomotive, the ingenious Aero-Tonto electricity generation system is set to become the ultimate accessory for green-minded Ecomotive drivers,” said Seat’s press release at the time.
“Designed to save yet more fuel and improve still further the new Ibiza Ecomotive's mpg performance (the standard car without Aero-Tonto is good for up to 94.1 mpg extra urban) the timely new option is capable of adding as much as three miles per gallon to that remarkable mpg figure.
“It works by reducing the need for the Ibiza's efficient turbodiesel engine to generate electrical power, as the Aero-Tonto's blades spin like a mini wind turbine producing enough charge to run the car's headlights.”
I think what appeals here is that this is something my dad would probably do. In a sea of engineering wonders and marvels, here Seat come to save the day with … a fan glued to the roof.
AMG Sprinter63
From Seat’s under-engineered stupidity, we move to the hilarity of over-engineering; thanks to those at AMG.
“Ready to attack corners with its AMG custom-engineered sport suspension, the Sprinter63 S is powered by a 503hp handcrafted 4.0-liter biturbo V-8—which means it’s also ready to haul a lot more than just cargo. It’s exactly what you’d expect of our high performance division, if they were given the keys to a Sprinter van," said the AMG press release.
That said, it loses some of its edge given both Ford and Renault have done this for real with their Transit and Espace platforms ...
Formula 1 Twitterers
Social media is a big part of modern motorsport, as sponsors and teams push drivers into increasing their interaction with their fans. But I’m not entirely certain that this incentive from Red Bull Motorsports would get approval from the FIA though …
Honda #FitKit
If there’s something I love more than my Suzuki Swift Sport, it’s laughing at insufferable hipsters.
Honda cashed in on this passion when they released this video promoting a DIY Honda Fit a few April firsts ago, and it’s just too gosh darn perfect.
Kumbucha, faux abstract art, organic produce, ‘España’ — it’s perfect.
BMW NZ’s giveaway
Somewhat ironically, the best April Fools gag on the list isn’t even a gag.
Yes, you probably knew this was going to be somewhere on this list. And deservedly so too — here’s a joke without a punchline that somehow winds up making you smile more than any of the others, a genuinely brilliant idea from a company pushing to rid itself of its ‘quintessentially German’ utilitarian tagline; the ultimate April Fools play from the makers of the Ultimate Driving Machine.
If this didn't make you smile, you're probably not human.