Chevy "MOONLANDER" Captiva takes off to honor 40th anniversary of moon landing

In an odd convergence of celebration and marketing, Chevrolet of Europe's natural gas conversion partner, Fahrmitgas, has created a Captiva-based special-edition to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing on July 20, 1969.

The small, Rödermark, Germany-based LPG supplier has dubbed their limited-run Captiva the Moonlander, available with either a natural gas-powered 2.4-liter engine putting out 136 hp and driving the front wheels or a 3.2-liter V6 model with 230 hp and powering all four wheels.

Only 40 examples will be produced, each available in a "universe" white and "orbiter" black paint scheme, with decals of the names of the Apollo 11 crew members printed on the chromed rear side windows. Aside from the aforementioned LPG conversion, the Moonlander receives 20x8-inch ten-spoke wheels and 35mm drop in ride height courtesy of a set of sport springs. And for 21,500 euro, you not only get automatic climate control and an iPod, but a replica space suit and matching helmet. Like we said, odd. Full details in the press release after the break.

PRESS RELEASE

"Drive me to the Moon" - On Occasion of the 40th Anniversary of the First Moon Landing:

The Special Model fahrmitgas.de MOONLANDER Based on Chevrolet Captiva

"Drive me to the Moon..." That's the motto under which fahrmitgas.de presents the special model MOONLANDER based on the Chevrolet Captiva on occasion of the 40th anniversary of the first moon landing on July 20, 1969.

The SUV is equipped with a dual-mode engine that runs on gasoline or autogas regardless of equipment line. The front-wheel-drive entry model of the fahrmitgas.de MOONLANDER is powered by a 2.4-liter engine with 136 hp / 100 kW. The MOONLANDER 3.2 model boasts a V6 engine with 230 hp / 169 kW and four-wheel drive.

The universe-white/orbiter-black color scheme of the 'Lunar Rover' is reminiscent of the Apollo 11 rocket as are the "MANNED MISSION LUNAR VEHICLE" decals and the names of the Apollo 11 crew members on the silver-mirrored rear side windows. White 20-inch light-alloy wheels and a ride-height lowering round out the eye-catching looks.

The interior of all 40 vehicles in this limited-edition series features a white fahrmitgas.de MOONLANDER placard with the vehicle's serial number and an iPod. Prices start at 21,500 Euros and include a replica of a space suit.

fahrmitgas.de has been the official supplier of Chevrolet for LPG autogas systems since 2004. But the company from Rödermark in Germany also develops individual concepts for special models. On occasion of the 40th anniversary of the first moon landing the fahrmitgas.de engineers and designers have developed the MOONLANDER based on the Chevrolet Captiva.

The dual-mode engine allows operation of the five-door vehicle with either gasoline or autogas. In autogas mode the MOONLANDER delivers fuel-cost savings of more than 50 percent, depending on national fuel prices. The clean-burning autogas also reduces CO2 emissions by some 12 percent and thus lowers emission-based vehicle taxes.

Customers can choose from two engines for the fahrmitgas.de MOONLANDER. The entry-level model is powered by a 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine with 136 hp / 100 kW. Power is transferred to the front wheels via a five-speed automatic gearbox. The exclusive SUV is also available with a 3.2-liter V6 engine with 230 hp / 169 kW and a peak torque of 297 Nm at 3,200 rpm. This top-of-the-line model features a five-speed automatic gearbox and permanent four-wheel drive. The MOONLANDER 3.2 sprints from rest to 100 km/h in 8.8 seconds and reaches a top speed of 204 km/h.

The appearance of the special model is based on the color scheme of the Apollo 11 rocket: The exterior sets itself apart from the rest with a two-tone color scheme painted universe white/orbiter black. MOONLANDER logos characterize the appearance as do the "MANNED MISSION LUNAR VEHICLE" decals with starting number 11. The silver-mirrored rear side windows carry the names of the astronauts of the first moon landing.

White-painted 8Jx20 ten-spoke wheels with black MOONLANDER emblem are also part of the standard equipment of the limited-edition MOONLANDER. The production run will end after just 40 vehicles, one for each year since the first time man landed on the moon. fahrmitgas.de selected tires in size 245/40 R 20 as the optimal solution. fahrmitgas.de sport springs that match these high-performance tires lower the ride height of the Captiva by some 35 millimeters. The lowered center of gravity further optimizes handling.

The fahrmitgas.de MOONLANDER starts at 21,500 Euros. The standard equipment includes automatic climate control, a stereo system, an iPod and a replica of a space suit complete with helmet.