An Australian drinks maker, Ice Break, has sponsored the building and racing of what's billed as the world's fastest couch, or sofa. Metro UK reports:
The humble sofa has come a long way - this one can do 101mph and has been named the fastest motor couch in the world.
Its driver, Glenn Suter, smashed the previous 92mph record in his unusual vehicle, powered by a 1,400cc Suzuki superbike engine.
A coffee table and fruit bowl were included by the Australian designers, whose previous speedy masterpieces have included a motorised toilet.
. . .
Paul McKinnon, who built the machine for Australian drinks maker Ice Break, added: ‘It’s the oddest vehicle we’ve ever built.
‘With race cars, you can use the aerodynamic body kit but with the couch it was a matter of just doing what we could. We tried to break the airflow with the coffee table.’
There's more at the link.
Here are two videos of the beast, the first as it breaks the 100 mph barrier to set a new world record for sofas, the second as it races a V8-powered Holden pickup (Holden being the GM/Chevrolet brand equivalent in Australia).
I think I'll leave my recliner serenely un-motorized for now, thank you very much . . .
Peter
4 comments:
Gives a whole NEW meaning to shopping from your couch :-) You could drive it to the store, etc...
I suspect I may have witnessed the world land speed record for a non-motorized couch.
Thirty or so years ago I was doing mineral exploration work in a remote part of Northeaster Washington. Driving down a narrow, winding (but paved!) mountain road behind a ratty old pickup with a large couch hanging out the back, I decided to hang back a bit. Sure enough, a bump in the road was just enough to jostle the couch loose and it fell out the back of the truck.
It was built on casters, apparently industrial strength casters, because when it landed it took off racing down the road behind the truck. The driver was either oblivious to the fact that he'd lost his cargo or happy to be rid of it, because he just kept on going.
And so did the couch. For a good quarter mile down the road. It finally spun off the edge and down the mountain on an outside corner. The last I saw it was flipping end over end through the manzanita.
You folks distracted by a couch built around an internal-combustion engine?
Heck, all I see in this video is a tall blonde with two long legs to die for!
Toejam, it's one of those optical illusions for men. Stare at those legs long enough, and a race car and a motorized couch will appear!
That 13 second mark seems to be where I lose all focus, though.
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