Who needs a fancy car when you can cruise around in a souped up sofa? A video of two inventors in the UK who turned an ordinary couch into a drivable vehicle has gone viral, catching the attention of an Indian auto exec.
Anand Mahindra, chairman of Mahindra & Mahindra Limited, shared the 3-year-old YouTube clip on Twitter, where it’s now been viewed nearly 500,000 times. “Just a fun project? Yes, but look at the passion and engineering effort that went into it,” he wrote.
The video by YouTube channel Mekdev shows how they took a basic Ikea couch and fitted it out with a 9 horsepower Briggs and Stratton motor. The engine connects to the rear axle via a continuously variable transmission, just like a go-kart.
Using CAD software and basic tools, they designed and fabricated custom parts to transform the couch into a motorized joyride. The steering lever operates just like a wheelchair, letting you turn left and right. Handles on the lever control acceleration and braking.
A totally unique drifter sofa that looks crazy fun to take for a spin! The video shows two people cruising down the highway in the sofa and effortlessly drifting around corners.
Open-air driving and maneuverability that you wouldn’t expect from a piece of living room furniture. Just goes to show what’s possible when skilled tinkerers get creative.
Mahindra’s tweet praised the ingenuity and passion behind the project, saying it’s inventors like these that will drive innovation in the auto industry. One reply noted that garage endeavors often lay the groundwork for bigger advancements down the road.
Who knows, maybe the next high-performance sports car will take inspiration from this souped up sofa! It just shows that with some imagination and engineering skill, you can turn just about anything into a ride.
