Chicago 2011: Suzuki is sofa king awesome

Suzuki is proudly displaying its "motorized sofa" at the Chicago Auto Show. The chugging chaise appears in its new "Kizashi Kicks" advertising campaign, a television spot comparing the Kizashi sedan to an Audi A4 2.0T and the well-worn sofa. We'll let Suzuki tell you about it, before we deliver the technical insight:

This 1970s-era sofa commissioned by American Suzuki retains its original synthetic trim finished in a fashionable tan and brown plaid motif. The sofa is complete with small tears and frayed stitching to meet Suzuki's overall design intent. The sofa also features a variety of loose coins, cookie crumbs and pocket lint resting just beneath the seat cushions. The steering wheel is comfortably positioned at the center of the sofa, making ingress and egress easy for passengers looking to accompany the driver on casual journeys. The throttle pedal is unmistakable in that it features a custom bare foot shape finished in chrome-plated metal with black accents.

The three-passenger davenport is powered by a single-cylinder Subaru (doh!) "Robin" SP170 engine. With a displacement of only 169 cc, the air-cooled, four-stroke overhead cam gas engine is rated at a whopping 5.7 horsepower at 4,000 rpm. No word on top speed, but the self-propelled furniture reportedly gets about 40 mpg. Braking is accomplished through a hydraulically-operated single-disc on the rear axle, and steering is rack-and-pinion. The tires are appropriately knobby, sized 14.5x7 up front, and 16x8 in the rear, hidden beneath tattered fabric skirting. We've asked for a test drive, of course.

Photos copyright ©2011 Michael Harley / AOL