Honda's Tournament of Roses Float
In its final stages of development and testing in Pasadena, Calif., Honda's 2008 Rose Parade float starts as a Ridgeline-inspired truck and will transform into a spacecraft that will "blast-off" with a replica of Honda's ASIMO humanoid robot at the controls in front of millions of parade viewers on Jan.1. To transform, the hood of the truck folds forward to become an aircraft cockpit, the doors and sides of the truck unfold outward to become wings, the wheels tuck under the body, and the bed of the truck opens and takes on the form of an aircraft tail section, complete with rocket engine - and real fire.