Who said all On Screen Cars had to be nice? Sometimes you just need something that works. That's the goal behind the British hit show Scrapheap Challenge. The show were teams of contestants are given the challenge of designing and building devices to complete varies tasks. You may also remember the show as Junkyard Wars on the Discovery Channel. I plan to feature more cars from this series. Growing up I remember tuning in every week to see what the teams were about to design and build. Now for Spy Cars!
In this episode the teams were given the task of building spy cars. Their spy cars had to be able to navigate through a warehouse setup as a super secret spy base. The warehouse err spy base, had several obstacles that the cars and the team had to take into account. The vehicles were required to hold all four team members while being low enough for clearance of some of the obstacles. The kicker was the fact the vehicle also had to be able to clear a high hump in the middle of the course without high-centering.
The blue team used a lawn tractor as a power plant while towing a trailer for the rest of the team. Not a bad choice for the clearance issues. I think I would be concerned about the lack of power. The back seat on the trailer folded down backwards so the team lay down for clearance. Note the outriggers on the lawn tractor. This can help the driver take in account how wide the trailer is when making turns. This also serves as a place for the driver to duck to when laying low. They navigate the course slowly but without any major problems. Until the team got to the hump. They took a penalty by disconnecting the trailer and pushing it over the hump. The lack of power I talked about earlier cost them a few points.
The pink team on the other hand didn't have power issues. They used two full size front wheel drive cars cut in half. The two front haves of the car were jointed near the back of the drivers seat. They joined the two cars using a huge hinge point. With the aid of hydraulics this allowed them to pivot the car upwards for the hump. By using the front haves they were also able to gain four way steering. They flew through the first part of the course. The four-way steering really made it sweet for turning corners. The team did well until, guess what.. the hump. A major mechanical failure caused their drive shafts to twist and sheer in two. You could hear them cracking up the motor but it wasn't pulling them along. The end of the road for the pink team.
Call of Duty fans have been storming the stores to pickup the latest and greatest in the franchise, Black Ops. This first person shooter the follows the life and missions of black ops personal who is being interrogated. You play through parts of the 1960's during the Cold War. This game is amazing. But what does this mean for OnScreenCars.com fans? Well the creators of the game teamed up with automaker Jeep to inject an on screen car in the game, a special Black Ops Edition 2011 Jeep Wrangler.
The Jeep in the game is designed to look period correct. While the Jeep in real life is modern. Checkout the trailer for the game below. The Black Ops Edition 2011 Jeep Wrangler is a modified version of their popular Rubicon Jeep. It's available in two and four door models and only in black on black color combination. If ya had a Black Ops Jeep why would you want it any other way? Just below the cowl line on the fender sports two Call of Duty: Black Ops logos. The off-road worthy Rubicon is wrapped in MOPAR tail light guards and MOPAR fuel filler cover. All the while riding on 32 inch tires mounted on blacked out Rubicon wheels. Front and rear locking differentials pushed by a 2-speed transfer case insures you're ready to grab all fours on the hash battlefield terrain.
Not to mention get you in time for your next ball game. Even NBA star Kobe Bryant has been seen sporting a new Black Ops Edition Jeep Wrangler. Baller Bryant was presented the ride prior to the season opener game. I wonder if he'll be taken in all the rugged features or not. I bet he's a closet gamer himself. Hey! There's nothing wrong with a little Black Ops on the side. Not a bad gift. The four door model retails for $33k while the two door just over $30k. Speaking of other stars I wonder how R. Lee Ermey would favor with one?
In closing I think Jeep has an awesome package with this one. This would not be the first non-military Jeep sporting a military look. Jeep has been known for production of special edition models like this. But I think this may be the first national release that is tailored after a video game. Great combination I must add. If you haven't played the game you can pick it up through our Amazon links below. Anything you buy through our links helps support our site. Till next time keep your battle machines ready as we bring you another OnScreenCars.com entry. Now drop down and give me 20!
Do you ever wonder where Hollywood finds movie cars? The answer is in the view above. Most tv/movie cars are provided by companies like Cinema Vehicle Services. The video above features the company who provided the Gone In 60 Seconds, 1967 Shelby Mustang GT500 aka Eleanor! They have also worked on a number of other production cars as well. They do a lot of custom work to provide world class quality autos for film and tv. However they also do everyday prop cars as well. Prop cars include everything from garbage trucks to police cruisers.
If you would like to learn more about their company, check them on the web at http://www.cinemavehicles.com/. You can also find out more about Fireball Tim, the movie car designer and host of the video at his site: http://www.fireballtim.com/. See ya next time!
