Publications
Partners
A grass-covered Opel, a tea-powered Mini, a way to beat e-tolls in Gauteng… April 1st marks that time of year when the automakers can cut loose and show they have a sense of humour.
We’ve compiled a list of top automotive pranksters. Some April Fools' jokes are downright crazy while others we’d actually like to see implemented.
Take look at our top six automotive pranks:
IMAGE GALLERY: Top automotive April Fools' jokes.
VIDEO: BMW ZZZ Series
VIDEO: Peugeot personalised car horn
1 E-toll loophole - Prying on Every Person Holding Out (POEPHOL)
The Timeslive reported that Gauteng drivers could avoid paying e-tolls due to a glitch in Sanral’s e-tagging system.
The website reported that drivers traveling at 113km/h would avoid being tagged by the gantry-mounted cameras. Reportedly Kapsch, the Austrian company responsible for the development of the e-tolling system, warned Sanral to remove the glitch from the system, known as “Prying on Every Person Holding Out Legally (Poephol)”.
The Timeslive reportedly spoke to Poephol system administrator, Moegoe Dlamini.
Wheels24 gives this a 9/10 in our arbitrary 2014 April Fools' Day ratings.
2 Fancy a Cooper T?
Petrol, diesel, biofuel… Mini scientists have eschewed traditional vehicle fuels to create a rather special version of its iconic Cooper powered by tea leaves.
Mini claimed its Cooper T (we love the pun) is "the world’s first vehicle to be powered by a tea-leaf biofuel composite".
Head of Cooper T engineering, Ivana Kuppa, said: "This particular project has been brewing for years. Our extensive research has shown that the nation's favourite drink is also an ideal biofuel.
"We already know good things come in small packages, but with Cooper T customers benefiting from up to 64km per cup, we are delighted to have the opportunity to bring this car to market."
Mini said its tea-powered Cooper could be ordered in variety of colours including Chamomile Yellow, Red Bush and Earl Grey.
It may not be everyone's cup of tea but we like it - 7/10
3 Gunner get one? Citroen’s C4 Cactus Arsenal Edition
French automaker Citroen poked fun at Arsenal fans with a premier league themed C4 Cactus.
The limited C4 Cactus Arsenal was tipped to "help the club's most dedicated supporters follow their beloved team in comfort and style".
The dashboard featured Citroen’s new Geo Organised Away-day Location, Information and Entertainment interface, or GOALIE.
According to Citroen, "The touchscreen system is preloaded with all of Arsenal’s away fixtures, including directions to the matches, a database of pie and mash vendors and a music playlist of rousing football anthems to sing along to."
Head of Citroen UK's special projects divisio Joseph King commented: "We think Arsene Wenger and the team will be delighted with this new special edition.
"As Official Automotive Partner to Arsenal, Citroen is always looking for new ways of celebrating our relationship. With the new fan-focused in-car technology, we think this model is pitch-perfect for the dedicated Arsenal supporter.”
Citroen added that its C4 Cactus Arsenal would be available to order from all Citroen showrooms later in 2014 except in Tottenham…
Given the way Arsenal performed against Chelsea in March, a decent "GOALIE" could go a long way - 6/10
4 Headed for Rio: Opel Asta-turfed Copacabana
As soccer-fans brace for the 2014 Fifa World Cup Opel announced it had the perfect car for football enthusiasts – the Astra Copacabana.
Sporting a Brazilian flag on its roof, palm trees and dancing lines along its doors, the Astra Copacabana "is the epitome of pure South American emotion" and one can even play soccer inside… no really it has a grass-covered interior!
According to Opel, the seats are upholstered in "genuine Rio turf" comprised of grass from the famous Maracana Stadium: "Every car comes with a certificate confirming the authenticity of the sacred greenery. Just as authentic are the footwells, which are filled with finest sand from the beach that gave this football-themed model its name."
Nice one Opel – 6/10
5 Peugeot’s personalised car horn
Ever wanted to change your car hooter’s sound? Perhaps you’ve always wanted it play obscenities at taxi drivers or blast dub-step at slow drivers? Peugeot’s Audio Sonic technology gives drivers the option to create new sounds for their hooter.
The Audio Sonic Horns can even be chosen from the driver's smartphone, said the automaker.
Peugeot’s head of audio sonic personalisatio Orvil Pondaiss, who tested the technology using sounds including his own four-year-old son laughing, said: “Birdsong or Bach, Jazz Trumpet or Dubstep, the only limit will be our customers' imagination.
“We’re delighted that our customers will be able to take personalisation to the next level with our new feature. We’ll be offering guidance on how to create a distinctive horn that will get a positive reaction from fellow drivers.
"Hopefully thousands of Peugeot customers will be looking forward to getting their own horn later in 2014.”.
Peugeot have created a humorous short film to showcase its car-horn tech.
6 BMW Force Injection Booster and new ‘ZZZ’ Series (The Ultimate Sleeping Machine)
BMW pulled out all the stops on April 1st by creating two pranks (well three if you count the above mentioned Cooper T) to fool readers – artificial G-force technology and new ZZZ Series.
BMW’s new Force Injection Booster (FIB) it claims simulates the effects of spirited driving, even when commuting at low speeds, “to create a thrilling ride”. When activated at speeds under 40km/h, the FIB works by “extracting kinetic energy from the car’s engine and converting it into positive g-forces, to simulate the same exhilarating feeling of driving at high speed.”
The new ZZZ Series Cot is the ultimate in baby-care equipment and a must for owners hoping to groom future beemer drivers.
According to BMW: “The BMW ZZZ Series Cot,. Skilfully blending comfort and style, this innovative premium baby cot embodies the spirit of The Ultimate Driving Machine. A fusion of German engineering and advanced technology means your baby will sleep better, for longer, in safety and comfort.”
BMW even created a mini-website for its ZZZ series and it claims there’s even a M-Sport version!
Oddly enough, many parents might purchase the BMW-branded cot.
We’ve compiled a list of top automotive pranksters. Some April Fools' jokes are downright crazy while others we’d actually like to see implemented.
Take look at our top six automotive pranks:
IMAGE GALLERY: Top automotive April Fools' jokes.
VIDEO: BMW ZZZ Series
VIDEO: Peugeot personalised car horn
1 E-toll loophole - Prying on Every Person Holding Out (POEPHOL)
The Timeslive reported that Gauteng drivers could avoid paying e-tolls due to a glitch in Sanral’s e-tagging system.
The website reported that drivers traveling at 113km/h would avoid being tagged by the gantry-mounted cameras. Reportedly Kapsch, the Austrian company responsible for the development of the e-tolling system, warned Sanral to remove the glitch from the system, known as “Prying on Every Person Holding Out Legally (Poephol)”.
The Timeslive reportedly spoke to Poephol system administrator, Moegoe Dlamini.
Wheels24 gives this a 9/10 in our arbitrary 2014 April Fools' Day ratings.
2 Fancy a Cooper T?
Petrol, diesel, biofuel… Mini scientists have eschewed traditional vehicle fuels to create a rather special version of its iconic Cooper powered by tea leaves.
Mini claimed its Cooper T (we love the pun) is "the world’s first vehicle to be powered by a tea-leaf biofuel composite".
Head of Cooper T engineering, Ivana Kuppa, said: "This particular project has been brewing for years. Our extensive research has shown that the nation's favourite drink is also an ideal biofuel.
"We already know good things come in small packages, but with Cooper T customers benefiting from up to 64km per cup, we are delighted to have the opportunity to bring this car to market."
Mini said its tea-powered Cooper could be ordered in variety of colours including Chamomile Yellow, Red Bush and Earl Grey.
It may not be everyone's cup of tea but we like it - 7/10
3 Gunner get one? Citroen’s C4 Cactus Arsenal Edition
French automaker Citroen poked fun at Arsenal fans with a premier league themed C4 Cactus.
The limited C4 Cactus Arsenal was tipped to "help the club's most dedicated supporters follow their beloved team in comfort and style".
The dashboard featured Citroen’s new Geo Organised Away-day Location, Information and Entertainment interface, or GOALIE.
According to Citroen, "The touchscreen system is preloaded with all of Arsenal’s away fixtures, including directions to the matches, a database of pie and mash vendors and a music playlist of rousing football anthems to sing along to."
Head of Citroen UK's special projects divisio Joseph King commented: "We think Arsene Wenger and the team will be delighted with this new special edition.
"As Official Automotive Partner to Arsenal, Citroen is always looking for new ways of celebrating our relationship. With the new fan-focused in-car technology, we think this model is pitch-perfect for the dedicated Arsenal supporter.”
Citroen added that its C4 Cactus Arsenal would be available to order from all Citroen showrooms later in 2014 except in Tottenham…
Given the way Arsenal performed against Chelsea in March, a decent "GOALIE" could go a long way - 6/10
4 Headed for Rio: Opel Asta-turfed Copacabana
As soccer-fans brace for the 2014 Fifa World Cup Opel announced it had the perfect car for football enthusiasts – the Astra Copacabana.
Sporting a Brazilian flag on its roof, palm trees and dancing lines along its doors, the Astra Copacabana "is the epitome of pure South American emotion" and one can even play soccer inside… no really it has a grass-covered interior!
According to Opel, the seats are upholstered in "genuine Rio turf" comprised of grass from the famous Maracana Stadium: "Every car comes with a certificate confirming the authenticity of the sacred greenery. Just as authentic are the footwells, which are filled with finest sand from the beach that gave this football-themed model its name."
Nice one Opel – 6/10
5 Peugeot’s personalised car horn
Ever wanted to change your car hooter’s sound? Perhaps you’ve always wanted it play obscenities at taxi drivers or blast dub-step at slow drivers? Peugeot’s Audio Sonic technology gives drivers the option to create new sounds for their hooter.
The Audio Sonic Horns can even be chosen from the driver's smartphone, said the automaker.
Peugeot’s head of audio sonic personalisatio Orvil Pondaiss, who tested the technology using sounds including his own four-year-old son laughing, said: “Birdsong or Bach, Jazz Trumpet or Dubstep, the only limit will be our customers' imagination.
“We’re delighted that our customers will be able to take personalisation to the next level with our new feature. We’ll be offering guidance on how to create a distinctive horn that will get a positive reaction from fellow drivers.
"Hopefully thousands of Peugeot customers will be looking forward to getting their own horn later in 2014.”.
Peugeot have created a humorous short film to showcase its car-horn tech.
6 BMW Force Injection Booster and new ‘ZZZ’ Series (The Ultimate Sleeping Machine)
BMW pulled out all the stops on April 1st by creating two pranks (well three if you count the above mentioned Cooper T) to fool readers – artificial G-force technology and new ZZZ Series.
BMW’s new Force Injection Booster (FIB) it claims simulates the effects of spirited driving, even when commuting at low speeds, “to create a thrilling ride”. When activated at speeds under 40km/h, the FIB works by “extracting kinetic energy from the car’s engine and converting it into positive g-forces, to simulate the same exhilarating feeling of driving at high speed.”
The new ZZZ Series Cot is the ultimate in baby-care equipment and a must for owners hoping to groom future beemer drivers.
According to BMW: “The BMW ZZZ Series Cot,. Skilfully blending comfort and style, this innovative premium baby cot embodies the spirit of The Ultimate Driving Machine. A fusion of German engineering and advanced technology means your baby will sleep better, for longer, in safety and comfort.”
BMW even created a mini-website for its ZZZ series and it claims there’s even a M-Sport version!
Oddly enough, many parents might purchase the BMW-branded cot.
Vote for your favourite April Fools’ Day car prank in our homepage voting booth!
