A TV pilot made in Hawke's Bay about motorsport phenomenon Paddock Hacks has spawned a series - and the buzz has already attracted more than 50,000 hits to a trailer on YouTube.
The brainchild of former Central Hawke's Bay man, David White, Paddock Hacks looks into the practice of driving beaten-up
cars into extinction on farm properties.
Television production company Top Shelf will produce the series, after helping to fund the pilot, in Takapau and Waipawa.
It said in publicity that: "Throughout rural New Zealand, there are people whose weekend entertainment consists of taking apart old cars, modifying them in the cheapest and craziest ways possible, and then thrashing the crap out of them through mud, along river beds, across any accessible harsh terrain they can find.
"Their intention: To finally beat the life out of their vehicles. These are Paddock Hacks!"
Among comments posted on YouTube were, "Top Gear on steroids ... and welfare", "looks better than the new Top Gear America", "bit like David's farm", and "this had better be for real - awesome".
The series will travel throughout New Zealand to "ferret out the offbeat people that populate Paddock Hacking".
"This is a show made for everyone who loves the smell of petrol and New Zealand's can-do attitude; the 'why not put 4WD wheels on my sister's old Ford Cortina and drive it through a river?' way of life," Top Shelf said.
"New Zealand ... New Zealand men ... New Zealand cars ... one sport ... one TV show ... Paddock Hacks coming soon," the YouTube trailer says.
Warning: Violence will be done to cars, sheep will run for their lives, sensible driving practices will be ignored.
