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SALT LAKE CITY — This one goes out to all the fathers who've traded the dream of a Porsche for the reality of a minivan.
Does wearing a diaper bag on your shoulder make you feel like you're obligated to turn in your man card? If your answer is yes, there's reason to take heart.
Cruising in "manly" style with a baby in tow just got a bit easier, thanks to a Czech-based auto company. But we're not talking cars here. Oh no — when you pull out of the driveway in this bad boy, you'll be sticking to the sidewalk.
Gentlemen, feast your eyes on SKODA Auto's Mega Man-Pram. The monster truck of strollers — and "ultimate accessory for new dads" — comes fully equipped with hydraulic suspension, all-terrain tires, 20-inch alloy wheels, rear-view mirrors, brake lights, a high-beam headlight and anti-stress push-bar grips, among other things.
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And that's just the outside.
Your little bundle of joy will be cradled in sports-style upholstery — obviously the ideal setting for an afternoon of bottle-sipping and munching on Goldfish crackers.
In all, this carriage stands about 6-feet tall.
And now that I've got you begging for more, allow me to crush your dreams gently. The Mega Man-Pram won't be coming to a Babies"R"Us anytime soon. Or ever.
The stroller was developed as part of an ad campaign for SKODA's new Octavia vRS family car. Which basically means the only way you'll be able to get your hands on one is if you're dreaming. The commercial was unveiled last week.
"The 'RS Mega Man-Pram' proves what you can do when you take the RS vision off road and drive it straight into the nursery. The high tech-buggy gives a tongue-in-cheek sense of what you could experience if you RSd your life," said Heidi Cartledge, SKODA's U.K. head of marketing.
To develop the perfect "man buggy" for the ad, SKODA surveyed 1,000 British dads about their stroller needs. The majority — 76 percent, to be exact — said they'd be more inclined to push baby around if they could do it using a "stylish, high-spec buggy."
The dads surveyed identified the main requirements for their ideal stroller included a more muscular design, large alloyed wheels for more height, a hydraulic suspension system, high-spec brakes and brake lights and wing mirrors (sound familiar?).
While the "man pram" in its current state is just a fantasy — the company has no plans to develop or market the monster — there may be a very real market for it.
A third of the dads who participated in the survey told SKODA they're embarrassed to push "conventional" strollers, and a shocking one in four said they avoid it altogether — instead, leaving that duty to their partners when they walk together.
The survey results have sparked some internet backlash over the past week. Several bloggers have expressed outrage, one in particular going so far as to say that any man who is embarrassed to push his child around in a stroller shouldn't be having kids.
Maybe the real man-pram will have surround sound and a big-screen TV. The future is bright, isn't it?
