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TTAC commenter gimmiemanual writes:
I was living in China in late 2009, and decided to take scuba classes so I could dive the Great Barrier Reef.
My open water course was done in Qiandao Lake, outside of Shanghai, and this picture was on the wall of my (terrible) local hotel room.
I offered to buy it for what everyone with me considered a ridiculous amount, but the owner absolutely refused to sell it to me. I’ve lazily looked through the internet, but have been unable to figure out what it is.
There’s a 1980s “Red Barchetta”/Hot Wheels vibe emanating from this car and the Ringwaldian model splayed across its hood. Those headlights almost look to be from a later Aston Martin, but I can’t tell.
Best and Brightest: What the heck is this … thing?
31 Comments on “Ask the Editor/B&B: What the Heck is This Concept Car?...”
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Sbarro Challenge III http://jalopnik.com/if-you-want-a-weird-porsche-911-then-you-need-the-sbarr-1450075968
Looks like the same car but the doors are different.
The one in the poster lacks mirrors – was the rear camera supposed to take the place of mirrors?
This was in the pre- flat screen days so the camera display would have had to have been a CRT. I assume it is that black thing in the center console – it must extend quite far inside.
I think TravisOkulski is right. Maybe not the III part, but some versions of the Sbarro Challenge didn’t have mirrors.
http://fastestlaps.com/models/sbarro-challenge especially this photo: http://media.fastestlaps.com/ht6d0phie3e1
And until today I would have thought a “Sbarro Challenge” would involve getting sick off mall pizza after playing some Outrun and buying an Art Ensemble of Chicago LP. (It may have been a bit since I’ve been in a mall).
No mirror but the door is still quite different than the one in the poster.
It’s a Sbarro Challenge alright. I can’t remember which car mag that I saw it in back in the 80s, but I remember it was outdid Weigert’s Vector W8 at least visually.
edit: I just noticed the headline. Not a concept car – they made at least 10 of the Challenge III.
Both are spot on, clicking through there appears to be two distinctly different models of Challenge III’s. One is the picture above, atleast it existed in black and red (or was a re-spray) and the other is the red/orange cars. They share everything but slightly different doors that appear to replace the glass in the door handle/pillar area with more steel and a filled in look.
But undeniably the photos show that is a Challenge III. The question is now, is the black and red car the same or re-spray?
Hey, who the hell ever called you best or brightest?!
I always thought the Sbarro Challenge was eating a piece of their pizza and avoiding the instant trouser chili fountain
*sings* Burn down, burn down the food court, and melt Sbarro: https://youtu.be/q3XxpmKd7a0
We don’t need no water let the motherf***er burn…
I’m the root of all that’s evil, yeah, but you can call me Cookie: https://youtu.be/Adgx9wt63NY
Yah, first glance and I’m thinking “Sbarro”.
Cheerio,
Bunter
She was gonna be an actress
She was gonna be a star
She was gonna shake her ass
On the hood of White Snake’s car
Her yellow SUV, is now the enemy
Looks at her average life
And nothing has been alright
Darkness imprisoning her
All she can see
Absolute horror
She cannot live
She cannot die
Trapped in the minivan
Fighting her only fear
The cars in the Whitesnake video was a pair of Jaguar XJ6’s. Poor cars, at least the hood has enough strength to not get warped. US market cars, they don’t have the proper 7″ outer headlights, but the federal 5 3/4″ lights.
Rolls Royce Grand Shadow Gazoonie Brougham Givenchy Bill Blass Cartier Club Sport TURBO! Hell Kitten Special Limited Gas Miser Edition.
My neighbor bought one for his wife. Ran like a bicycle missing one pedal, sounded like an opossum you surprised in a garbage can. If only I’d bought it off him when he got rid of it!
I got it on eBay for $19.95.
Couldn’t get my money back, he’d moved.
Hey, that looks like my Pinewood Derby entry from 1973.
Haha you guys are awesome. Absolutely never heard of the company or the car. Years of questioning, gone in the first post! Thanks for both the posting and the answers.
What was it ? The 80’s, clearly.
Shut up and take my money.
I see Lamborghini Diablo look to the front and lower half
She’s gonna scratch up the hood!
Whenever questioning something from the’80s remember, cocaine is a hell of a drug.
Too bad it’s a Sbarro, when on a name basis alone it should have been a Bizzarrini.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bizzarrini
Google Image Search –> Best guess for this image: car
Well, that was helpful.
I honestly thought it was a dustbuster with a girl and tires photoshopped on.
since you were swimming and diving, maybe the car should be called a Speedo?
Wedge-tastic!
Did you say it’s a Subaru Vibrator?