Yesterday, Elon Musk and the team at SpaceX made history not only for their rocket launch but also for sending the first road-legal production automobile into Earth’s orbit. A monumental achievement, and one that us car nerds watched in awe. It was one small step for *ahem* another display of both Musk’s and SpaceX’s enthusiasm for and intensity towards making space exploration a more practical, feasible, and prioritized reality. Thus far, it seems to be a massive success.
The vehicular choice of a Tesla Roadster was perfect as well. Being that Musk is the visionary behind both Tesla and SpaceX, it serves as much a promotion of the forward thinking attitude behind both companies.
Let’s pretend you have a rocket of your own and any vehicle you desire at your disposal. What would you launch into the abyss? There’s no pressure or anything. Just the possibility that whatever you choose will be the first thing extraterrestrials see of humankind.
Me? The question answers itself: It has to be a DeLorean. Or maybe something weirder, like a Plymouth Prowler or a VehiCROSS. But what about you? What’s the one vehicle you want circling Earth?
Bonus rounds:
What would you display on the infotainment screen?
What audio would you have playing?
What would you name your vehicle’s inanimate occupant?
By Ross Ballot
4WD and four-wheeling enthusiast and shamelessly self-proclaimed expert. Off the Road Again Podcast host, Formula 1 fanatic, and Writer for Hooniverse, AutoGuide, and ATV.com. Former contributor to Everyday Driver, ATVRider, and UTVDriver. Can usually be found getting a vehicle stuck in the mud or on the rocks and loving every second of it.
Kamil Kaluski
Opel RAK.2 🙂
Austin Allegro,
“Turn Right”,
Jeremy Clarkson.
Can’t argue with the lads, except in execution.
Put Merle Haggard’s Silver Wings on repeat.
An Oldsmobile Rocket 88 of course.
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-o0LWEspzBlQ/VYvXe3Fhb7I/AAAAAAAAAIk/FM3I3_yVAJg/s1600/1949%2BOldsmobile%2BRocket%2B88.jpg
Slightly off topic, but the most spectacular bit, to me, was the footage of the parallel landing of the booster rockets.
the rest was pretty cheesy, and I am too poor to afford cheesiness.
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/c4d34656133c62296dde61223d51facb6042709c27107a09901db6bed8c50b97.jpg A Plymouth Satellite.
Gargarin’s choice would probably have been the Matra Djet, pretty much the Tesla Roadster of its time:
https://i0.wp.com/weirdrussia.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/gagarin-matra.jpg
Car: Chrysler Voyager
What would you display on the infotainment screen? The Clangers
What audio would you have playing? As above
What would you name your vehicle’s inanimate occupant? Jim.
I like the idea of the Voyager because that’s a name with a proud history in early space exploration. But my brain went a slightly different direction at the idea of a spaceship named Voyager. The infotainment screen would display the Prime Directive and the occupant would have to be either Captain Janeway or Seven of Nine.
I’d still rather represent humanity with genteel knitted space mice things and soup dragons than people in polyester jumpsuits banging on about the sub-prime directive to be honest.
“What’s the one vehicle you want circling Earth?”
One of these, to blame for holding up everyone else.
http://www.american-automobiles.com/images/Atlas-1912.jpg
Car? 1983 Plymouth Sapporo Technica
Display? The digital dash is all you need.
Playing? Have the car saying, “Your door is ajar” on repeat.
Occupant? Icarus
Mercury Comet, while wearing a red Star Trek uniform.
1959 Corvette, duh.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DWMPe3wF9jQ
Triumph TR7, and playing Shape Of Things To Come.
I was going to say my old Triumph TR7, and “Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun”, with a driver named Lucas.
A Taylor Aerocar, with a mannequin of Douglas “Wrong Way” Corrigan at the controls.
http://atomictoasters.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/taylor_aerocar_3.jpeg
Or the all American version seen in a film, and that does without a propellor.
https://www.englishforum.ch/attachments/general-off-topic/97364d1427227364-car-plane-ace701be-2f8a-4c39-a758-4cd8c0b753a1.jpg
At that point you might as well use an Ave Mizar (flying Pinto) playing Disco Inferno or Great Balls of Fire https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/648b08143c50efb96ad3cf131cc6321b33865d9492a569fc7bdbe452f56b733c.jpg
A Ford Prefect
Bonus 1: DON’T PANIC!
Bonus 2: ‘Ape Man’ by The Kinks
Bonus 3: Arthur Dent
Remember, you’re in space. You have to live in it.
You need a motorhome, a Winnebago.
http://www.imcdb.org/i014240.jpg
and we know from the flamethrower that Elon’s a fan of Spaceballs.
i’m surprised this isn’t what was in the FH, based on how many other sci-fi cultural references were packed into that car
https://vignette.wikia.nocookie.net/mst3k/images/4/44/Widowmaker.png
http://mst3k.wikia.com/wiki/The_Widowmaker
Hands-down the Isuzu Vehicross, the Kia Borrego or a Lambo LM2002
On the infotainment screen? Any scene from the original Jurassic Park.
Audio playing? “Bodies” by Drowning Pool
Inanimate occupant’s name? Sir Freedom
https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/61e0a5c84b0e2e1f6d0da5c440fccee8157f80c1e6b68971130fb97262e6aa6f.jpg
Only if you’re launching it into the sun?
It will get there eventually… won’t it?
As will all of this around us, but only on the time scales familiar to MD Harrell