Car Companies' Weirdest Collaborations: A Donut Media Game Show

Fast Fashion Car Collaborations

• 💡 Ford partnered with Eddie Bauer for two-toned limited editions of their Explorer, Bronco, and F-150, selling over a million units by 1999.
• 🚗 Mercedes-Benz collaborated with the late fashion icon Virgil Abloh on the Project Maybach in 2021.
• 💎 An FD Mazda RX7 was built in collaboration with Chrome Hearts, featuring their signature cross motif and a $2,000 sterling shift knob.
• 👜 Bugatti adorned a Chiron with custom handbag fabric from Hermes for owner Manny Khoshbin.
• 🚗 The first Gucci collaboration with an automaker was with AMC on the 1972 Hornet Gucci Sportabout.

Gaming and Automotive Mashups

• 🎮 The hero car for Need for Speed: Most Wanted, the BMW M3 GTR, was brought to life by the manufacturer 30 years after the game's release.
• 🕹️ Activision joined ranks with Jeep to produce a limited run of Modern Warfare 3 themed Wrangler vehicles.
• 👾 An 8-bit car, the Lexus LS400 (also known as Toyota Celsior), was a punchable obstacle in Street Fighter.
• 🚗 The Karen Futo from Grand Theft Auto was heavily based on the Toyota AE86, with 'Futo' being an anagram for 'tofu', a nod to Initial D.
• 🍄 Nintendo collaborated with Mercedes-Benz to feature their cars, the GLA and 300SL Roadster, in Mario Kart 8.

Famous Movie and TV Car Tie-ins

• 🚀 A special edition Nissan Rogue was released in 2017 to promote Star Wars Rogue One, with 5,400 units made, each including a replica Death Trooper helmet.
• 💥 Lexus partnered with Marvel for the Black Panther movie, creating a one-off widebody LC concept car and a limited production Inspiration Series.
• 🍸 James Bond famously drove BMW vehicles during the Pierce Brosnan era, including the Z3, 7 Series, and Z8.
• 🦸 The Hyundai Kona Iron Man special edition featured Stark Industries badges and Iron Man masks on the seats, costing $4,000 more than the standard model.
• 🐶 In 2001, Mitsubishi released a limited run of Pajero Minis for the Japanese market featuring Snoopy and Woodstock.

Performance and Engineering Collaborations

• 🏎️ Mercedes-Benz styled the SLR, then handed it over to McLaren to complete the supercar, inspired by the 1950s Mercedes 300 SLR.
• 💨 The Pagani Zonda borrowed its V12 engine from Mercedes-Benz, a collaboration made possible by the friendship between Horacio Pagani and Juan Manuel Fangio.
• 🐍 Lamborghini reworked an iron block truck engine into aluminum for the Dodge Viper to keep its weight down for a sports car.
• 🛠️ German tuning company Brabus modified a micro car, the Smart 125R.

Badge Engineering and Rebadging

• 🤝 Diamond Star Motors (DSM) was a joint venture between Chrysler and Mitsubishi that produced cars like the Stealth and Talon.
• 🚙 The Saab 97X was a rebadged Chevrolet Trailblazer, positioned as a more upscale SUV.
• 🇯🇵 The Infiniti G35 was known as the Nissan Skyline 350GT in Japan, serving as a test mule for the R35 GTR.
• 🚘 Subaru and Toyota joined forces to create the affordable sports car, the Subaru BRZ and Scion FRS (nicknamed the Toyobaru).
• 🇺🇸 Toyota attempted to bring Chevrolet into the Japanese market with the badge-engineered Toyota Cavalier.