# I saw a stealth car! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 21, 2000, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-saw-a-stealth-car/34013 "2000-09-21T16:44:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Padeye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@Padeye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Padeye)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2000, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-saw-a-stealth-car/34013/1 "2000-09-21T16:44:21Z")
Crusing Indian School road last Saturday morning and I see a black nondescript sedan waiting to pull into traffic. It has a black naugahyde bra that extends quite a bit back from the grill, really far back. The entire freaking car, every square inch of sheet metal, is covered in naugahyde and zippers with only the glass and lights showing. It looks like The Gimp from [_Pulp Fiction_](http://us.imdb.com/Details?0110912). I think I saw a secret factory test car or an extremely kinky motorist. Looked GMish, maybe a small Cadillac but hard to tell. Any other sightings like that. ---
**Author:** ![Coldfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a587f6/32.png) [@Coldfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Coldfire)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2000, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-saw-a-stealth-car/34013/2 "2000-09-21T16:53:45Z")
You could still see it? What a lousy stealth car. Seriously: this does indeed sound like a car that was purposely disfigured to hide its real looks. And yes, I saw one too once. Turned out to be a Lotus Elise. I saw the first pictures and immediately recognized a few details, like the dash and the rear lights (I saw the proto in an Autobahn roadside parking, so I had a chance to walk around it a bit before a very rude Brit pushed me away, got in and dashed off :)). ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2000, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-saw-a-stealth-car/34013/3 "2000-09-21T16:54:02Z")
Well, as an avid auto enthusiast, I must admit that this is a new one on me. Usually, when auto makers are testing their new models on the streets or transporting them to their testing grounds, they tack on fake plastic panels to disguise the car from spy photography by competitors or auto mag reporters. The sado-masochistic look you described is a new one to me. I’m going to cross post this on a favourite auto enthusiasts web site and see if my fellow car nuts have seen this before. ---
**Author:** ![Strainger](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/strainger/32/244_2.png) [@Strainger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Strainger)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2000, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-saw-a-stealth-car/34013/4 "2000-09-21T17:01:13Z")
That was me, Padeye. Like my new wheels? ---
**Author:** ![Danalan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/76d3ee/32.png) [@Danalan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Danalan)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2000, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-saw-a-stealth-car/34013/5 "2000-09-21T17:03:38Z")
This brings up a lot of questions. Why would you need to cover a car like that in Phoenix? Why would some exotic experimental car be in Arizona for testing? What kind of idiot has a black car in the desert? Maybe most important, were you anywhere near the TeePee, and do they still have the most amazing chile rellenos in the US? ---
**Author:** ![Padeye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@Padeye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Padeye)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2000, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-saw-a-stealth-car/34013/6 "2000-09-21T17:05:17Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Danalan \* > \*\*would some exotic experimental car be in Arizona for testing? \*\* GM has a proving ground in nearby Mesa where they try to burn the cars to a crisp. They’re moving the thing to Mexico though because Phoenix isn’t hot enough. ---
**Author:** ![Padeye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@Padeye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Padeye)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2000, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-saw-a-stealth-car/34013/7 "2000-09-21T17:06:58Z")
Lol, my buddy I was going to see lives just south of the Tee Pee, I’ll give it a try. ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2000, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-saw-a-stealth-car/34013/8 "2000-09-21T17:08:39Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Danalan \* > Why would you need to cover a car like that in Phoenix? Why would some exotic experimental car be in Arizona for testing? What kind of idiot has a black car in the desert American, European and Asian car makers often bring cars to test in Arizona because of the relatively high temps. They are stressing car componentry in high heat, high speed, long distance scenarios. They often do this for cars that are not even going to be released in North America. Or it could have something to do with sectret military testing of recovered alien technology… ---
**Author:** ![Phobos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Phobos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phobos)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2000, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-saw-a-stealth-car/34013/9 "2000-09-21T17:17:57Z")
I once saw a stealth plane fly overhead. It must have had the “stealth” switch set to “off”. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2000, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-saw-a-stealth-car/34013/10 "2000-09-21T17:24:32Z")
I’d say Padeye saw either a prototype (the “suitcase” look is big this year) or an [art car](http://www.artcars.com). ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2000, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-saw-a-stealth-car/34013/11 "2000-09-21T17:26:57Z")
Oops, should have said that the “suitcase” look is the most common disguise this year. ---
**Author:** ![ponch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/bcef8e/32.png) [@ponch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ponch)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2000, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-saw-a-stealth-car/34013/12 "2000-09-21T18:03:23Z")
I always see car makers testing their prototype vehicle’s handling characteristics on the small twisty roads in the mountains of NC. ---
**Author:** ![Homer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/df788c/32.png) [@Homer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Homer)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2000, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-saw-a-stealth-car/34013/13 "2000-09-21T21:39:39Z")
Definately a test car. Maybe the new Caddy Evoq? Damn. That’s so cool. Was it vaguely Vette shaped? What were it’s lines like? Any recognizable shoulder, roof, or bumper lines? What shape were the headlights? Now I’m going to be wondering about this until I can decide what new GM prototype this was. I wanna see a prototype! –Tim ---
**Author:** ![honkytonkwillie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/3da27b/32.png) [@honkytonkwillie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/honkytonkwillie)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2000, 8:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-saw-a-stealth-car/34013/14 "2000-09-22T08:54:59Z")
The car belongs to Rob Halford, the former front man of Judas Priest. He lives in the Phoenix area, and it’s no secret anymore that he is gay. However, he was in California last Saturday, on tour with Iron Maiden and Queensryche. So it must have been his house boy taking it out for a spin. BTW, I saw Halford, Queensryche and Iron Maiden at Desert Sky on Sept. 9th. Great show.