On June 5th, 2017, the guys over at NASA revealed their new Mars Rover concept vehicle at the Kennedy Space Center in Forida, and for lack of a better term, it’s awesome. It’s a 6-wheeled behemoth that looks straight out of a Hollywood sci-fi blockbuster, and for good reason: members of the team that built the rig are veteran movie prop builders. I mean, if you’re going to go to Mars, you might as well do it in style, right?
A lot of people are comparing it to the Batmobile in the most recent “Dark Knight” Batman movies, and while I can see that, I think the design influence comes from somewhere else. And that somewhere else is none other than the 1990 buddy cop action movie Tango & Cash. It’s like the guys who cooked this thing up were hanging out drinking pizza and beer, thinking of how awesome it would be if the “RV from Hell” would kick butt on the surface of the Red Planet, tossed some futuristic mods at it, and drafted up a proposal to NASA. And they bought it!
I mean, look at these two vehicles:
![](https://bangshift.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/D81_1203_low-685x449.jpg)
Here’s a side view of the Mars Rover Concept. It has a mobile lab in the back and drives like an SUV.
![](https://bangshift.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/8232957946_9baee75608_b-685x514.jpg)
And here’s the “RV from Hell” from Tango & Cash. This one doesn’t have the extra axle, but it does have a mini-gun pod and space in the back for some experiments of some type!
Nope it’s the vehicle from “Ark 2” in battle dress ! I just can’t upload the image
Reminds me of the Surface Orbitor Rick Dobbertin built back in the day.
That’s the first thing I thought of too.
With weight the deciding factor for all things related to space…how would they get this “beast” to Mars? Engineers, not movie prop people, will solve the problem.
Drinking pizza and beer, LOL. Now, that’s funny, I don’t care who you are.
Had to check my calendar. Nope, not April 1st.
Just the thing to drive around on a giant film set to pretend they’re driving around on the surface of Mars…..
I saw this earlier today and for the life of me couldn’t remember what movie it reminded me of – and it just came to me… Anyone remember Damnation Alley? George Peppard, Jan Michael Vincent but the real star was the huge Landmaster – amazing vehicle I utterly fell in love with… heres the trailer but the whole films on yt
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wmui7WAO-mQ
That’s the first one i thought of too. Except without the funky tri-wheel bogie set up.