College Student Builds His Very Own Tank

[Prrkitty]

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,348170,00.html

Quote: A Flint, Mich., college student may never have to fight for a parking space again.

That's because he's built his own fully operational half-size replica German World War II Panzer tank.

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I SOOO want a ride!!! Bet he can have *any* girl he wants :) Wonder will he help teach the military how to save money? ;)

[Beldaran]

Why a german panzer? That's kind of... politically insensitive to Jewish people.

[phattonez]

Why a german panzer? That's kind of... politically insensitive to Jewish people.

Are you serious? Who cares? They're famous armored vehicles, why not make a replica of it?

[rock_nog]

Wait what, Beldaran complaining about political incorrectness? Maybe it was intended satirically. I just don't know!

At any rate, I agree, yes, it was a German tank, but I dunno, I just don't see it as much of "making a statement." Well, okay, in one sense, it's making a statement, "Hey, look at this badass tank I built!" But I mean, I dunno, it's hard to describe. It's like, different than if he were walking around in an SS uniform. I guess because with things like vehicles and weapons and such, there's the admiration of engineering that's completely unpolitical, whereas in clothing, it's much more about making a statement than utility.

[Aegix Drakan]

lol

:P That's just pure awesome right there.

[Aliem]

That's impressive. I'd like a mini-tank.


It runs on a three-cylinder diesel engine and has a 360-degree turret with a working cannon powered by an air tank that can fire golf balls and empty cans of Red Bull.Ha. Awesome.

[Beldaran]

I was serious sort of... but not in an Al Sharpton bitchy sort of way. I'm just saying:

The German Panzer was a symbol of terror and death for six years. I'm not saying it isn't ok to build one... it just seems like an odd and sort of impolite thing to do. It would be like going to Hiroshima with a t-shirt that had a mushroom cloud on the front.

[Archibaldo]

I would say so much that it's impolite. Just something for history buffs or something. It's not like he's going around firing golf balls at Jews.

[Feasul]

It would be like going to Hiroshima with a t-shirt that had a mushroom cloud on the front.

I think it would be closer to building a replica of the type of plane which dropped the bomb. Like rock_nog said, it's different from wearing an SS uniform, because uniforms are inherently political. Tanks, on the other hand, not so much. I mean, it's not like he's advocating the policies of the army which originally used it, he's just making a statement about how awesome the tank itself is.

[Skulkraken]

Yeah, it doesn't seem very offensive. For one thing, it's not being used in any sort of anti-Semitic context; he just built it for fun. Also, while it has the Axis cross, it doesn't appear to have any actual Nazi symbols on it.

[Zaphod Q. IX]

Whoa! I want a tank to drive around in. I'd want it to be street legal, though. I'd also prefer it look like a Sherman tank...

Just something about driving around in a Panzer...my Jewish family members probably wouldn't think it was kosher. ;)

[Feasul]

Yeah, yeah, you can all have your Panzers and Shermans, but we'll see who gets the last laugh when I drive to school in the Shagohod.

[Skulkraken]

How about a mecha?

[Feasul]

A mech is basically a big tank with legs, and why on earth would you want to put legs on a tank? All it would do is make the tank less stable. If you want your tank to be able to run on harder terrain, that's what treads are for.
Kids these days, putting legs on their tanks. What'll they think of next, a short focused blade of plasma coming off of a small handle? It'd be almost impossible to wield, I mean, come on. Swordfighting 101 - you have to be able to feel the balance in your sword. You'd have to have some crazy ESP-like intuition to use that thing.

[DarkDragoonX]

A mech is basically a big tank with legs, and why on earth would you want to put legs on a tank?

Does "because it's awesome" count as a reason?

[AlphaDawg]

I wonder how many Pepsi Points (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pepsi_Points) one of those tanks would cost...

[Icey]

Well, I think it's pretty cool that these guys built their own tank. I do have to agree that it can be pretty offensive. To a Holocaust survivor, veterans of WWII, their children, and perhaps some members of the Jewish community, I'm sure this wouldn't be a welcome sight. I have to question why they'd choose to make a Panzer, out of all the available options.

That said, I'm not jumping to any conclusions. I have no evidence these guys are anti-Semites or anything. But it is a strange choice and potentially offensive, depending on who you are. Most young adults and middle aged people today probably wouldn't have a problem with it.

The best part, though, is the cannon has functionality... as long as they don't abuse their golf ball firing power, we can all rest easy ;)

[Aliem]

Really the only way the fact that it's a panzer tank could be made offensive would be if they painted a large swastika on either side, dressed as Hitler while driving it, and shouted anti-semitic statements. =p

Since, as far as we know, none of that is happening, it's all a moot point dwarfed by the fact that the guy built his own tank. No matter how you look at it, that's fucking badass. ;)

[rock_nog]

Why have a tank on legs? I'll show you why to have a tank on legs.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=W1czBcnX1Ww

Not only is that incredibly badass, but it's also creepy as hell and sure to scare the crap out of anyone who has to face it.

[Zaphod Q. IX]

Why have a tank on legs? I'll show you why to have a tank on legs.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=W1czBcnX1Ww

Not only is that incredibly badass, but it's also creepy as hell and sure to scare the crap out of anyone who has to face it.

OK. Now I don't want a tank. I want one of these things.

I now have an erection.

:|

Seriously.

That may be the coolest thing I have ever seen. In my life. Ever.

It also deserves it's own thread.

[Icey]

Why have a tank on legs? I'll show you why to have a tank on legs.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=W1czBcnX1Ww

Not only is that incredibly badass, but it's also creepy as hell and sure to scare the crap out of anyone who has to face it.

Very possibly the coolest thing ever. Imagine coming across that baby randomly in an alleyway or something.

:o

[ctrl-alt-delete]

I would say so much that it's impolite. Just something for history buffs or something. It's not like he's going around firing golf balls at Jews.

I think we can all admit though...that would be pretty fucking awesome.

Seen the tank with legs thing before...somebody posted it here.

Cool shit.

[rock_nog]

Very possibly the coolest thing ever. Imagine coming across that baby randomly in an alleyway or something.

:o
I'd rather not. As much as this thing completely rocks, it ranks at about a 10.0 on my creepy-shitometer. And yeah, I know it's been posted here before, but I did think it was the best argument for tanks with legs that I had ever personally seen. I mean, imagine the Battle of Hoth with large-scale versions of these... At first, you hear that droning, that terrible droning off in the distance. And then they're there, raining down hell. And tow cables be damned, you might trip one of those things, but it's gonna get right back up, and it's gonna be pissed.

[Gerudo]

Why a german panzer? That's kind of... politically insensitive to Jewish people.Someone builds a cool replica tank, and you're fussing over the fact it's a GERMAN Panzer tank?

What is wrong with you?

Just admire the fact that someone built his own tank before I toss you down a hill for being such a pessimist. Jebuz... :glare:

[Yoshiman]

That tank would be the best thing to bring to an Airsoft game. Everyone's shooting each other with little plastic beads, you ride in and launch soda cans at their heads.


Why a german panzer? That's kind of... politically insensitive to Jewish people.
So are the crapload of WWII video games out on the market if you go by that definition. :p


Really the only way the fact that it's a panzer tank could be made offensive would be if they painted a large swastika on either side, dressed as Hitler while driving it, and shouted anti-semitic statements. =p
Is it wrong to laugh at the thought of Hitler riding around in a miniature tank claiming to one day control the world?


And that walking robot is really creepy. It reminds me of the Hunters (http://www.rpgmaker.net/~brandonabley/blog/half-life-2.jpg) in HL2: Ep2. I hated those damn things.

[mrz84]

As awesome as it is, I concur that a tank with legs would be sweeter than the one this guy made. It is still awesome, but meh. :sweat:

[Prrkitty]

I think this is the first time I've ever read of someone building a tank... and thought it was cool.

What I think is funny though is that it shoots... "... empty red bull cans." Wonder why the cans have to be *empty*?

[Dann Woolf]

Why a german panzer? That's kind of... politically insensitive to Jewish people.

I think you need to stop focusing on the political incorrectness and start focusing on the TOTALLY BITCHIN' TANK!

[Prrkitty]

I think you need to stop focusing on the political incorrectness and start focusing on the TOTALLY BITCHIN' TANK!

Quoted for emphasis. That was my first thought when I read the news article.... TOTALLY BITCHIN' TANK!!