Weird and Viral Automotive Stories of 2024
Unsurprisingly, 2024 was another year full of weird, funny and viral stories involving cars and drivers, many of which were featured in our Buzz section.
Want us to refresh your memory? Here’s a look back at some those stories that made us laugh or scratch our heads here at The Car Guide.
- Also: Yeah, Baby: Austin Powers’ Shaguar Could Be Yours
- Also: Digital Artist Revives Pontiac Aztek With Inspiration From… Hyundai?
Ottawa Mechanic Crashes Customer’s Car
Leaving your car at the repair shop shouldn’t be stressful. However, some technicians may not have the appropriate driving skills to test drive the car once the maintenance and repairs are conducted. A Honda technician from Ottawa showed us how one can be reckless (or lack serious attention) when driving at night for a test drive. The video was recorded by the customer's dashcam.
Stolen Ferrari Found 28 Years Later
Last winter, a red Ferrari F512M that was stolen from F1 driver Gerhard Berger during the 1995 Italian Grand Prix was miraculously recovered by the Metropolitan Police in the U.K. after it received a tip that an insurance broker was trying to ship a stolen Ferrari to the U.S.
Hasta la vista, Elon!
Mexican artist Chavis Marmol generated a buzz with one of his latest creations back in March: a Tesla Model 3 crushed by a giant pre-Hispanic statue in the middle of Mexico City. The 42-year-old sculptor said he wanted to get Elon Musk’s attention and denounce some of his antics.
Jacques Villeneuve’s Pink Audi
Retired Canadian driver Jacques Villeneuve gave himself a unique 53rd birthday present, namely this custom-built, pink-painted Audi RS 6 Avant. The wagon was commissioned by the former F1 champion more than two years ago and configured by Audi Zentrum in Varese, Italy. In a video on Instagram, Villeneuve said the RS 6 Avant has been his dream car since it first came out in 2002. Pink is his favourite colour and was featured on his helmet.
Nissan’s Tire-Scented Perfume
Japanese automaker Nissan came up with this weird idea, which is not that surprising given that the company has its own line of perfumes, some of which are named after its vehicles including the 350Z, GT-R, Armada and Patrol. The new fragrance is called “Smell My Dust” and uses a combination of actual tire dust and sakuras a.k.a. cherry blossoms, which are quite popular in the land of the rising sun.
Another Electrifying DeLorean
Conversions of current or vintage cars into electric cars a.k.a. electromods are increasingly popular and more sophisticated. Even the world-famous DMC DeLorean is part of the movement. This one is a creation of Electrogenic, a U.K.-based company that normally works on European classics but decided to make an exception by taking on the automotive icon from the Back to the Future movie trilogy. Any DeLorean owner can have their car transformed, or they can order the conversion kit, have it shipped to their home and do the work themselves.
“Cyberstuck”
In Seattle, a Tesla Cybertruck with a broken rear suspension and wheel was abandoned on the side of a street in late summer and immediately became viral. It even had its own Google Maps POI at one point and attracted tourists and mourners, who erected a memorial as a joke.
Lando Norris’ LEGO McLaren
It’s not the first time we’ve seen life-size car replicas in LEGO blocks. This one is a little different. It’s a one-of-a-kind, fully drivable McLaren P1 made from LEGO Technic elements. Fully drivable? Well, the car has functional steering, making it the first LEGO big build ever capable of steering and taking on tricky racetrack corners. And if that wasn’t enough, McLaren F1 driver Lando Norris was asked to put it to the test by completing one lap of the iconic British racetrack at Silverstone, which is 5.89 km long. You don’t want to miss the video.
Zuckerberg’s Custom-Designed Porsche Minivan
What do you do when you want a sporty, opulent minivan that’s far removed from the boring Pacificas and Siennas out there? Luxury car brands don’t offer any, at least not in North America, so you pretty much have to create one of your own. That’s what Meta boss Mark Zuckerberg did. Looking for a more practical Porsche for his wife, Pricilla Chan, he set out to design a unique three-row model based on a Cayenne Turbo GT. The result was, well, questionable.
The PrankPort
If you were looking for a way to park in EV-only spots despite owning a gas-powered car, truck or SUV, or simply to pull a prank on EV drivers looking to use a public charger, a new gadget on Amazon claims to be exactly that. Called PrankPort, this 3D-printed, magnetic-surfaced fake EV charging port can be slapped on any conventional vehicle with an internal combustion engine (ICE). All you have to do then is to plug in the cable and—voila!
The Shaguar is For Sale
You might remember this 1967 Jaguar E-Type roadster finished in a blue and red Union Jack from the three Austin Powers movies, in which it earned the nickname “Shaguar.” A few weeks ago, Mecum Auctions announced it will be up for sale at its Kissimmee event in Florida on Jan. 18, 2025. Incredibly, there was not a double car produced for these films. Only this one was used, meaning it was driven by the colourful spy portrayed by Mike Myers along with his leading ladies. Yeah, baby!