Car crushing mayhem at Hot Wheels Monster Trucks wows families
Young fans and older petrol heads alike will love Hot Wheels Monster Trucks – a ridiculously spectacular, car-crushing stunt show. This weekend the Liverpool M&S Bank Arena is the home of these giant-tyred off-road behemoths, which originated in America in the 1970s. The line-up includes trucks named after the toys many in the crowd own at home, from the famous Bigfoot to Mega Wrex, Race Ace, Tiger Shark, Bone Shaker and Gunkster.
READ MORE: New hidden gem Wirral store that’s like a ‘sweet shop for beer lovers’ Branded a ‘Glow Party’, Saturday night’s show was every bit as big and brash as you would imagine. Strobing lasers lit up the darkened arena, as did the neon lights decorating the heavy duty vehicles.
And yes, it was loud. Very loud. From the revving of engines to the screeching of tyres, the experience was often deafening.
As my extremely excited small companion observed: “They’re so loud I can’t speak!” Ear protectors were on sale for the princely sum of GBP15 a pair. If you’re attending this show with a little one who is sensitive to noise, or don’t fancy a bout of tinnitus yourself, I’d strongly recommend bringing some kind of ear plugs/defenders.
But what about the action? It was breathtaking. First up was a ‘wheelie competition’, but it wasn’t the sort of contest you see between lads on bikes in your street.
This involved the colossal monster trucks driving across rows of five cars – on just two wheels, and sometimes even one, as pulled off by Bone Shaker. The skill of the drivers is astounding – I was convinced Mega Wrex was about to flip over. However, a mystery panel of judges on a big screen – helped by fans in the crowd – awarded Gunkster the win, after a huge jump performed by Darron Schnell, whose wife Rebecca ran him close as the driver of the famous Bigfoot.
(Image: Liverpool Echo)
Next up was a doughnuts contest, with the colossal machines spinning in circles and burning rubber, ludicrously fast.
It looked like the winner of this round, Mega Wrex, was going to take off! Then was a long jump competition, as the trucks soared over the cars, Mega Wrex again claiming the win. Post-victory, driver Rick Steffens was asked the secret of his success: “Turn your brain off and put the pedal down!”
It wasn’t all about serious sporting prowess. Nothing brought a smile to the face of my +1 as much as the appearance of Megasaurus – a vehicle that transformed before our eyes into a fire snorting dinosaur. Boasting giant claws and massive jaws, Megasaurus lifted a car up in the air, then ate it in half.
As he devoured his prey, the wide-eyed child by my side shouted: “This is the most insane one yet – he’s the greatest!” Now admittedly, tickets to Hot Wheels Monster Trucks don’t come cheap. With fees, they start at GBP30.75 for children (under 12) and GBP36.40 for adults, so for a family of four the best part of GBP135, and at the top of the range, those prices are GBP53.35 and GBP60 respectively, meaning you’d fork out nearly GBP227.
(Image: Liverpool Echo)
However, the show was a genuine spectacle, lasting the best part of two hours, and I can’t imagine these incredible metal machines are economical to run!
After the interval there was also a brilliant performance from Team FMX, a group of freestyle motocross riders, who hit staggering jumps off a huge ramp – the likes of which your kids wouldn’t even attempt with their toys – onto a giant inflatable landing pad. Marc Pinyol, Nicolas Texier and Julian Mannon literally left members of the audience open-jawed with these audacious stunts – standing or doing handstands on their seats and handlebars mid-air, before pulling off no hander back flips. Finally there was a freestyle round, as the monster trucks returned to rev around the arena and crumple any of the car wrecks that remained on the course.
Rick Steffens saved the best till last in Mega Wrex, as he performed a ‘walking wheelie’ – his vehicle almost vertical – across the debris.
Google it – you won’t believe your eyes!
READ NEXT: