Volvo is no stranger to insane, dangerous stunts involving its trucks. But this stunt, designed to show off the sensitivity of the steering wheel, is crazy even by their standards. Namely, putting a hamster in charge of some poor sucker’s life.
Really, Volvo’s engineers say it best. Notice that, in the opening, everybody involved is clearly stone sober, despite this obviously being conceived in a drunken haze. Apparently the Swedish just do stuff like this for fun.
This might well be staged, but if so, the guy behind the wheel, using the carrot, is a masterful actor, because at least twice during this video he’s got a look of absolute terror or his face. Although considering that bit with the rock looks almost precisely like a bit from The Wages Of Fear, there’s reason to be skeptical. Needless to say, the hamster does not actually manage to kill anybody and the stunt is completely successful, but it’s a bit close.
Not as close as the time Volvo nearly killed a world-record slackliner, but still pretty close. Consider this a friendly reminder that European ads are vastly more awesome.
