Well, Mike Goynes called me yesterday to discuss the ultimate ‘power’ wheelchair. He found it online and wanted to share his ‘dream-chair’. There is an old saying, “The only difference between men and boys is the cost of their toys.” This chair proves it is true!
It is the Viking 4x4 All Terrain Wheelchair. The six videos of what this baby can do are amazing. I not saying that I would want to try everything they demonstrated, but it is something else to watch. This bad-boy appears to handle it all without much trouble. It has four-wheel drive and over 4” of ground clearance that allows it to climb stairs or curbs, go up and down steep hills (up to 36 degrees) and comfortably cross beaches of loose sand or mud while still turning on a dime, if necessary. And, after watching the videos I can also see why you might want the four-point seatbelt option.
Even more fascinating is the seating system. “The Viking 4 X 4 has
an automatic digitally programmed vertical seating system that maintains a vertical position at all times. Weather climbing a hill or going down a hill the driver will always be able to maintain a vertical position.” The chair even comes has two sets of tires available (standard and ‘all-terrain’). Even with all these capabilities, it can still travel at 4 mph and run for up to 19 miles without needing a charge.
I had no idea how much this baby would cost ... $15-20,000 was my best guess. I was shocked to see a sticker price of <$10,000 with free shipping. There is even a promotional coupon that takes another $800 off the price. Yup, that is still a lot of money, but boy would it be fun.
A man’s gotta dream, right!
