Who knew the kind of chauffeur-like potential your dog had? Indeed, behind that drooling, tail-chasing, and butt-sniffing veneer lies some real driving acumen. Just ask Volkswagen and the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) in the U.K., which have teamed up to train three rescue pups—Tulip, Jacob, and Harry—to drive an Amarok pickup. We aren't sure what we're more jealous of: the fact that these dogs get to drive the awesome Amarok, or that VW managed to work with the RSPCA without Sarah Mclachlan guilting up the place.
The project serves to show how clever dogs—rescue or otherwise—can be, but that's not to say training the big-brained four-legged trio to drive was easy. See, dogs have curious body structures compared to humans, and most cars are designed to accommodate hind-leg walkers. Thus, VW devised a unique set of leg extensions for the puppies' hind legs to operate the pedals, while their front paws manipulate the steering wheel and the shift lever. The Amarok's top speed was limited "for safety reasons," likely because the dogs might be compelled to roll down the windows and poke their heads out at speed.
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Fittingly, Volkswagen has affixed the specially equipped Amarok pickup with the license plate "FR5T APR." We hear Kia might be looking to copy VW's efforts with one of its new K900 luxury cars, but company representatives couldn't confirm the rumor to us.
from Car and Driver Blog http://ift.tt/nSHy27
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