Tunnel Runners

May 1, 2006 10:07 AM

Tunnel Runners drive convoys of very expensive sports cars very slowly through tunnels under London. It's the acoustics.
posted by carter (32 comments total)

Why do rich people do such stupid shit?
posted by Keith Talent at 10:19 AM on May 1, 2006

At least the beginning is pretty stupid and boring. I couldn't watch more than a minute of it, and their overly controlling media player won't let me fast forward.
posted by grouse at 10:23 AM on May 1, 2006

What grouse said.
posted by brautigan at 10:28 AM on May 1, 2006

That sure was a car driving through a tunnel.
posted by Roger Dodger at 10:31 AM on May 1, 2006

Tough crowd today ;) - the music stops after about a minute and a bit.
posted by carter at 10:34 AM on May 1, 2006

Welcome! Sulphur dioxide!
Hello! Carbon monoxide!
The air, the air
is everywhere

Breathe deep, while you sleep
Breathe deep!
posted by Smart Dalek at 10:48 AM on May 1, 2006

Driving slowly in nice cars through a tunnel at night. Brilliant.
posted by sfts2 at 10:51 AM on May 1, 2006

Yes, the music stops and then the fun begins! Well, I assume it was fun for them. It certainly wasn't for me.

I'm not criticizing the post, though. Just the videos, which are unimaginably boring. I think the post is good because I find it interesting to know that people do weird stuff like this.
posted by pinespree at 10:52 AM on May 1, 2006

its good to be back in yer mammys womb.
posted by sgt.serenity at 10:54 AM on May 1, 2006

This reminds me of Richard Morgan's novel Market Forces—big expensive cars, tunnels, dystopian London.
posted by smrtsch at 11:05 AM on May 1, 2006

As obnoxious as Harley riders' "toy runs" but without a thin veneer of charity on top.
posted by scratch at 11:07 AM on May 1, 2006

What else do you expect?
These cars break the speed limit in first gear.
Sad, get them to the Autobahn... Quick.
posted by lorbus at 11:11 AM on May 1, 2006

There's a gaggle of Ferrari owners that like to meet up and park along a block near me and rev their engines. Damn, those things are loud. I associate expensive cars with quiet engines, but I guess that's not always the case.
posted by StickyCarpet at 1:38 PM on May 1, 2006

Well, that was less than enthralling. Polite slow driving in look at me cars is less interesting than dumbasses in beaters bashing them into each other, especially with better music.
posted by fenriq at 1:41 PM on May 1, 2006

Like this, fenriq?
posted by MrMoonPie at 1:46 PM on May 1, 2006

Yep, MrMoonPie, much better! Though I kept having Die Hard flashbacks while watching the video for some reason.
posted by fenriq at 2:20 PM on May 1, 2006

I get the part about the penis extenders, but what does the tunnel symbolize?
posted by elderling at 2:41 PM on May 1, 2006

elderling : "I get the part about the penis extenders, but what does the tunnel symbolize?"

The cars symbolize the penis. The tunnels symbolize cars.
posted by Bugbread at 2:48 PM on May 1, 2006

Well that was boring. As someone who has seen a lot of stupid shit on the interweb, this worthless site surprised me.
posted by pkingdesign at 4:18 PM on May 1, 2006

I get the part about the penis extenders, but what does the tunnel symbolize?

The twats that drive them, right?
posted by pracowity at 4:54 PM on May 1, 2006

i'm not sure what part of the word "slowly" the OP has trouble with, but (as evidenced by footage around the 2:15 mark) these guys seem to be driving anything BUT slowly. perhaps you only watched the first minute or so? why is this an FPP? best of the web, indeed.
posted by casconed at 5:09 PM on May 1, 2006

These are slightly better if you're into the whole driving on public roads at outrageous, illegal speeds.

...and of course the grand daddy, previously on mefi
posted by asterisk at 7:36 PM on May 1, 2006

You know, in my original comment, I should have noted that I was thinking about demolition derbys. Not really the whole illegal street racing stuff.

Which, now that I'm a father, scare and bother me deeply. But, as a kid, was about half as bad and stupid as what we did.
posted by fenriq at 8:11 PM on May 1, 2006

I watched about 1/3rd of the video and didn't see any tunnels--sham!
posted by ParisParamus at 8:13 PM on May 1, 2006

"Why do rich people do such stupid shit?"

It's not rich people....it's the English. They definitely do some weird, somewhat autism-flavored activities. Trains spotting and plane spotting for example.
posted by Nicholas West at 8:29 PM on May 1, 2006

Oh, I've always wanted to ask this, but never had the chance. What is up with the zig-zag dotted (dashed?) lines on streets in the UK? They're too regular for the painter to have been drunk.

Oh, and you can fast-forward; the clip just needs to finish downloading (as per usual with WMP).

Now what would have been funny would've been a motorcyclist with some eggs... j/k! Don't actually egg rich people's cars, folks. Unless you're some kind of automotive bigot.
posted by Eideteker at 8:47 PM on May 1, 2006

Dude. So it's totally like illegal and dangerous to drive real fast and stuff, and I don't want to wreck my sweet car, so let's instead get all our awesome bros together and go through tunnels real slow. I mean like real slow -- when you see the "slow" sign, you wail on that brake pedal. And then it's like we're all hanging out and revving and stuff, but we're totally moving. It will be awesome. Bring your brother's camcorder and we'll totally start a website and stuff.
posted by VulcanMike at 8:55 PM on May 1, 2006

"It's not rich people....it's the English. They definitely do some weird, somewhat autism-flavored activities. Trains spotting and plane spotting for example."

LOL!
posted by ParisParamus at 9:00 PM on May 1, 2006

Booor-ing!
posted by zardoz at 9:18 PM on May 1, 2006

i kinda hate car culture...but this is wicked cool...
posted by es_de_bah at 9:39 PM on May 1, 2006

The zigzag lines mark the approach to a pedestrian crossing. You can't park there. It would make it too difficult for drivers and peds to see each other.
posted by grouse at 12:42 AM on May 2, 2006

haha I have done this!

My last car had a big exhaust and air filter combination and I could often be found revving the bollocks out of my car - making it growl like a mutha in the tunnels of Manchester, Salford and Leeds.

Sadly my current car has to take me on 400 mile motorway journeys and the noise would send me under.

(but I will eventually give in to my carnal desires)

I've had the pleasure to gun a Ferrari 360 modena. And have been around several Aston Martins, Ferraris and a Lambourghini while they where revving their nuts off.

The boxer engine in the Subaru, esp with a 3" exhaust fitted is so deep and frightening. Brilliant.

These noises will, within a few generations, be replaced by the whine of electric motors. Which they will have to make them sexy (but then theres bits of riding horses I imagine people thought it would be a shame that future generations wouldnt be able to appreciate with the horseless-carridges)

Still.

Everyone should have the chance to appreciate the noise of an Aston Martin V8 in the new V8 Vantage.
posted by 13twelve at 4:14 PM on May 2, 2006