In terms of sheer size, Russia is the largest country in the world. That must have something to do with this gargantuan advertisement found in Russia... According to the caption, the surface area measures more than 1.5 acres (billboard haters should stop complaining right about now, as it appears we have it pretty good over here).
More interesting than the sheer massiveness of the super-colossal ad are the full-sized BMWs, lights ablaze, mounted sideways as if zooming across the surface. Those aren't base model Bimmers, either -- sharp eyed readers will recognize them as the Z4 M Coupe, M3, M5, and M6. Now, that is what we call an advertising budget! Thanks for the tip, Hank!
[Source: English Russia]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
wengleung @ Apr 1st 2008 8:11AM
I'd climb up and drive one home!
Viper007Bond @ Apr 1st 2008 8:22AM
The pictures are crappy quality, but they look to be fake, i.e. shells. Look at the windows -- they appear to be pure black.
And even if they aren't plastic shells or whatever, no way they'd have an engine, etc. -- too much weight and you can't resell these cars for various reasons.
StarkRavingMad @ Apr 1st 2008 8:30AM
Anybody didnt realise today is the 1st of april?
nismohks @ Apr 1st 2008 8:30AM
nah definitely not real cars
would weight far too much for them to be able to mount them sideways at a reasonable cost. Just the physics of accomplishing such a feat and plus the crazy reinforcement of the notice boards would be too much.
i'd still climb up and take the wheels though ;)
FSM @ Apr 1st 2008 8:45AM
Even though I realize today is April Fools, I do believe this enormous ad exists. I doubt however that those are the real cars.
Ivan @ Apr 1st 2008 9:20AM
These are not real cars :) I see them every day
BlackbirdHighway @ Apr 1st 2008 9:23AM
Ha, ha, ha, April's Fools!
kakazsh @ Apr 1st 2008 9:31AM
shells only, of cause=), i think
Version 1.0 @ Apr 1st 2008 10:07AM
Well, I guess I don't have to buy that Z4 M Coupe that I'v always wanted...
Sergey @ Apr 1st 2008 10:08AM
hey. i am from Moscow. this advertising is real. every car weeght around 200kg. i read about it in another russian source. for example go to this page, http://www.fishki.net/comment.php?id=33136. there u can find another angle of view.
ermax18 @ Apr 1st 2008 10:15AM
Ok.. Maybe not real cars but 1:1 scale models. I think the point was that these are life size cars.
chris @ Apr 1st 2008 10:47AM
Russia is NOT the worlds largest country in land mass, CANADA is.
Shody reporting this...
ermax18 @ Apr 1st 2008 11:06AM
Russia is in fact the largest by a long shot. Check your facts.
T @ Apr 1st 2008 11:28AM
Russia is NOT the worlds largest country in land mass, CANADA is.
you must be thinking that Canada is still a colony of the UK, and including the US and australia in your calculations... Alternatively, you might be intuitively including the US as you think canada is another state?
John B @ Apr 1st 2008 11:57AM
As much as I would like to think Canada is larger than Russia - it ain't. Canada (10,000,000 sq. km. approx.) vs Russia (17,000,000 sq. km. approx.)
BMW has a really neat headquarters and dealership in Toronto which is an old converted office building formerly owned by Lever Bros. I believe (the address is 11 Sunlight Park Rd.). It has a high profile location on the Don Valley Parkway which they take full advantage of - the 4th and 5th floors are used to showcase cars and motorcycles to the passing traffic. Given the perspective, the cars look exactly like Dinky Toys from the Parkway - an effect the architects intended. They are however real cars on display. I was fortunate to have a tour of the building by the architects during a recent Doors Open event.
All six floors are used for retailing cars and motorcycles, the sixth floor is where new cars are handed over to customers who are then given the detailed inspection.
Here is some info on the building:
http://www.toronto.ca/auda/2005_11_honourable_context_bmw.htm
http://www.toronto.ca/auda/images/bmw_500x392.jpg
gotsmart @ Apr 1st 2008 11:51AM
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/rs.html
Russia's total area: 17,075,200 sq km
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ca.html
Canada's total area: total: 9,984,670 sq km
Overengineered @ Apr 1st 2008 12:02PM
Russia: 6,592,800 sq mi
Canada: 3,854,085 sq mi
PeterZee @ Apr 1st 2008 12:26PM
I work in advertising, and we did nearly the same thing for Oldsmobile in the 1990s -- with billboards over entrances to the Holland Tunnel, etc., with "Intrigues" mounted on them, headlights blazing. The cars were fiberglass shells, and I'm sure that's what's going on here, because it's the lightest possible solution. Even a steel unibody with real body panels on it isn't a good solution for this kind of application, because weight, etc. Cheaper and easier to do a plastic replica.
icu812ru469 @ Apr 1st 2008 1:03PM
That would not work in US, they would be stolen and replaced with grafitti.
3seriesisking @ Apr 1st 2008 1:08PM
Totally Bitchin'