There’s a new novelty in the automobile modification industry that is shaking up traditional notions of car design. The world’s lowest car, as of today, is none other than a Fiat Panda that has been sliced in half. This inventive endeavor, a fully operational, road-legal vehicle, is the product of Carmagheddon, a collective of car modifiers renowned for their audacious projects.
Cocchi Rudi, Matteo Marzetti, and Nicola Guadagnin are the brains behind this radical redesign of the Fiat Panda, a vehicle originally crafted by the iconic Giorgetto Giugiaro. The trio’s love for unusual modification challenges is well documented, and this latest project certainly cements their status as innovative provocateurs in the world of car design.
This reimagined Panda isn’t just an aesthetic wonder – it functions, steers, rides, and drifts like any ordinary, street-legal car. Despite looking more like a robot vacuum or toy car, the modified vehicle is far from a child’s plaything. From the inside, a driver – bent sideways and laying low, depending on their size – can be seen controlling the car using a steering wheel reminiscent of those in arcade machines.
Though it appears to float on concrete, this is far from the case. The Carmagheddon team constructed a go-kart-sized frame, complete with wheels that aligned with the height of the Panda, to elevate it. This innovative addition prevents the car’s frame from scraping and dragging along the road when driven.
The front of the car, or bonnet, employs a similar method to avoid damaging contact with the ground. Wheels akin to those seen on supermarket trolleys have been affixed, further enhancing the vehicle’s clearance level. Once this mini-car frame was welded to the Panda’s frame and additional wheels were installed inside, the world’s lowest car emerged: a fully operational, low-level vehicle.
Despite its unusual build, the modified Fiat Panda performs surprisingly well, even on gravelly roads and cemented streets. Its speed isn’t exactly head-turning, an expected limitation considering its unique design and mechanism. However, the car still steers and moves forward, fulfilling the basic expectations of a vehicle.
To experience driving the world’s lowest car, one must be prepared for an unconventional driving experience. Entry requires crawling into the vehicle, and once inside, there doesn’t seem to be a way to open the windows. Comfort in the car likely depends on one’s ability to recline and relax in a low position, comparable to lying on one’s stomach and watching movies on a laptop. Check out the video below to see it in action.
Source: Carmagheddon (YouTube)
