Some Wanaka residents waited for up to an hour to witness this impressive stunt, which was filmed last week in Wanaka’s Mitre 10 car park for a television advertisement.
Advertising company Colenso BBDO and New Zealand drink manufacturer Frucor Beverages brought two Auckland-based actors south to appear as the leads in the advertisement for the 500ml can of V energy drink, but a monster truck from Cardrona Adventure Park was the real star of the shoot.
Adventure park owner and professional motor stuntman Ian Soanes supplied and drove the huge stunt truck in the advertisement.
The vehicle was kitted out with green panels in keeping with the product colours and had a giant can welded to its roof.
Mr Soanes said the truck was the biggest jumping truck outside the United States, capable of jumps more than 30m long and 9m high.
It was also the best wheel-standing truck in the world, he said.
V senior brand manager Sean Wiggans, of Auckland, said the basic storyline for the advertisement - due to be launched on television screens in just a few days - saw two young men finding the truck in a car park and realising it was remote-controlled.
With the remote control in their possession, subsequent mischief ensues on a grand scale - namely the crushing of two cars (which took two takes and four destroyed vehicles to perfect), wheelies, skids and an impressive jump over a row of cars.
‘‘It's just boys and their toys really,'' Mr Wiggans said.
‘‘We had a big can so we wanted the biggest truck we could find to illustrate that. It's really cool to see the scale of the truck versus normal cars.''
It was the jump, which will feature in the advertisement's closing scene, that drew the biggest crowd of the day and had everyone holding their breath as Mr Soanes piloted the huge vehicle through the air.
A safe - albeit a little wobbly - landing on an empty section below the car park wrapped the shoot.
About 12 broken-down but perfectly intact cars were brought into the Wanaka car park especially for the shoot, which involved a large Queenstown crew - including most of the production staff - and several Wanaka and Queenstown Ican Models and Talent extras.
It is believed some lucky Wanaka residents who were in the right place at the right time were paid about $250 each just to have their cars parked in the background of the shoot.
