Baboons torture-test Hyundai
2012-05-11 13:37
NEXT TIME, READ THE 'DON'T FEED...' WARNING: This could happen to your car pretty much anywhere around Cape Town - but in fact was a 'torture' test by Hyundai of its new i30 hatchback.
The idea behind the craziest toughness test yet undertaken by a Korean automaker was to see how well a new i30 could resist being tortured by 40 baboons - if it came through it would stand up to anything you and your little monkeys (we mean children) could throw at it.
Apparently the cheeky safari park baboons have an affinity for wipers and number plates but those on the i30 were left intact. However, they did poke and prod everything from the antenna to the interior mirror. We’re mostly surprised by how well the leather upholstery stood up to biting.
MONEY FOR MONKEYS
To do the test, park staff left the i30 family car in the baboon enclosure with its doors unlocked. The baboons realised they could finally get to play with humans' toys and jumped for joy... literally!
To pay them for their, er, work, Hyundai donated money to a charity that dedicates it work to the conservation and captive care of new and old-world monkeys, gibbons and apes.