Bear in Lamborghini stuns Huntington Beach -- but it’s a prank

Bear sightings have become a common occurrence in the Los Angeles foothills, but in Huntington Beach?

Passersby were stopped in their tracks this week at the sight of a bear peering out the window of a yellow Lamborghini near the beach city’s Main Street.

Video footage shows a crowd form around the car, with spectators hesitantly running up to the window to snap a photo with the mellow ursine and give it a pat on the head. Some believed people were simply ogling the flashy sports car before noticing a furry head poking out the window.

“What’s he eat?” one woman shouted.

“Why is there a bear in the car?” another person asked.

A photo of the spectacle posted to Reddit generated buzz, and user RandysWay claimed the Lamborghini and bear – Yogi – as his own, hinting at an upcoming video, which was posted to YouTube Tuesday.

Turns out, it was all a prank to launch of a new Youtube comedy channel JustinTime Pranks, said Justin Lyons, one of the masterminds behind the stunt. He and his counterparts weren’t planning on posting the finished product until later this week, but it went viral on its own.

“People thought there was a celebrity in the car,” he said. “They didn’t see the bear.”

A collaboration with YouTubers Uncle John and Chuck Testa, the small group spent about two hours filming for the short video, but more “Bear in the Lambo” footage is coming, said Lyons, who owns aphotography company. Testa, owner of Ojai Valley Taxidermy, features prominently in Internet memes based on his commercials.

The bear, which is, of course, stuffed, and the car, which has had its share of celebrity appearances, belong to his collaborators, Lyons said, and the stunt was pulled together in one morning.

“There was such an absurd amount of people around the car, he couldn’t move forward even if he wanted to,” Lyons said of the commotion the stunt created.

A Facebook page dedicated to the “Lambearghini” had more than 550 likes by Friday afternoon.

Twitter: @Sam_Schaefer

Samantha.Schaefer@latimes.com

Schaefer writes for the Los Angeles Times.