There's something almost charming about this video. It's pretty simple: a man driving a car on the highway. The hook, of course, is that the car looks like it's been masticated by Godzilla.
This car isn't just wrecked— it looks like it was a test car at the jaws of life factory. The roof is cut and partially peeled open, like a sardine can, leaving it to flap alarmingly in the wind. Both front fenders are gone, as are the bumpers, trunk lid and most trim pieces. There's no glass, the interior is both gutted and filled with some of the missing parts. What parts are still on the car are bent and twisted.
And yet, it's not that simple. The paint's good — the panels that remain aren't even particularly scratched up. The lights all seem to work, and the car is running along at a good clip, with no apparent difficulty.
The best part of this video may be when an identical model of the car pulls up alongside. Same color, same model, which seems to be a Saipa Saba, an Iranian-built version of the Kia Pride (we had it briefly in the US as a Ford Festiva). The other car even seems to still have a window sticker, giving a remarkable before/after shot.
But what the hell is going on? It doesn't look like accident damage. And why is that guy driving it? I bet before this was shot, the driver of that car said these three words: "Really? For FREE?"
Who knows. It's likely this was shot in Iran, and these cars, in yellow, are common taxis in Tehran. I'm not really sure how that information helps determine what or why, but still.
I gotta admit, I kind of admire that ballsy loon driving that tetanus factory. I bet he has some exciting plans for it. I hope he's going to pick up a date.
(Thanks, Jesus Diaz!)