L.A. Auto Show: Hyundai debuts ‘Walking Dead’ Tucson
Zombie invasion getting in the way of your daily commute? Fear not! There’s a zombie-proof version of the Hyundai Tucson, inspired by TV show and graphic novel series “The Walking Dead.”
The car, scheduled to go on sale in March, coincides with the 10th anniversary of the graphic novels, said Brandon Ramirez, the senior group manager of product planning for Hyundai.
Hyundai designers and creators of “The Walking Dead” collaborated on the design to create “something unique for consumers,” Ramirez said.
PHOTOS: L.A. Auto Show model debuts
With what Hyundai calls an Ash Black exterior and splashes of red accent graphics, which Ramirez said resemble bloodstains, it is certainly not the average car.
Floor and cargo mats in the car are also customized to look like they have bloodstains.
Consumers can choose stickers that flaunt which faction from the graphic novel series they align with, including Hilltop, Kingdom, Saviors and Survivors.
FULL COVERAGE: L.A. Auto Show 2013
The navigation system has a “Walking Dead” splash screen, Ramirez said. The car is also all-wheel drive in case “you’re trying to escape the zombies,” regardless of the terrain.”
“You could climb right over the zombies,” he said.
If that’s not enough to deter zombie attacks, Ramirez also said the car comes equipped with a zombie survival kit.
“It has all the items that could cure you if you do get bitten by a zombie or a walker,” he said, including a 72-hour survivalist’s backpack.
Hyundai and those behind “The Walking Dead” also created “The Walking Dead Chop Shop” app, where fans can design their own “zombie survival machines.”
The website for the app says, “This infection continues to spread. Walkers are everywhere. Inside, we’ve gathered 3 vehicles and nearly 900 parts. Use them to build your zombie survival machine. Choose wisely. And move fast. Your survival depends on it.”
“I think people will say, ‘Hey, that’s a cool-looking vehicle’ and that it will appeal to not only the ‘Walking Dead’ crowd but others as well,” Ramirez said. “We will see based off demand whether or not to build more.”
