Take a car, add a barbeque and what do you get? If you’re Triple M radio personality and renowned revhead Merrick Watts, you get the ‘Carbeque’!

Based around a 1973 Ford Landau and styled to resemble the famous ‘Last of the V8 Interceptors’ from Mad Max, the ‘Carbeque’ was unveiled in Parramatta Mall on Friday, November 26, during a live broadcast of Watts’ afternoon drivetime radio slot on Triple M - ‘Merrick & The Highway Patrol’.

Watts, who’s recently signed on as the face of Meat & Livestock Australia’s promotional campaign to ‘Throw another STEAK on the barbie’,  was rapt upon seeing the Carbeque for the first time at the Parramatta unveiling.

“It is balls-out amazing!” a clearly enthusiastic Watts said before firing up the Cleveland V8-powered beast for the first time.
 
“I took our entire marketing budget… it’s not just a car, I introduced the world’s first… CARBEQUE!” Watts added.

“Half car half barbeque!  It’s integrated, it’s part of its genetic make-up, it’s been spliced with a barbeque, you open up the boot, and out comes a cantilevered barbeque, the greatest barbeque you’ve ever seen… not some ratty little hot plate thing, a full blown barbeque!”

After firing up the engine, Watts fired up the burners for the Carbeque’s first grill session, what's tipped to be the first of many over the coming summer months.

Also present at the launch were V8 Supercar drivers Garth Tander and Lee Holdsworth, along with V8 Supercars commentator Neil Crompton, who were similarly impressed with the Carbeque.

“It combines all of life’s pleasures; four wheels and a barbeque. It doesn’t get any better,” Crompton said.

“I love the paint job. It looks like it’s been burnt by the barbeque!” Holdsworth joked.

Half car, half barbeque, the Carbecue is described as every Aussie bloke’s fantasy. To accommodate the twin burner barbeque, which swings out 90 degrees from the boot, the bootlid itself is modified, but cleverly disguised to look like a rear wing. The bootlid mod also allows for esky space below (for the steaks - and beers, of course!) when the barbeque swings back into position.

Based around a 1973 Ford Landau, the Carbeque is powered by a 351 V8 with extractors, a twin exhaust system and automatic transmission. The suspension on the beast was upgraded all round, with an internal roll bar, tow bar (presumably for a trailer-load of steaks!) and rear view camera also fitted.

Other external additions include triple bonnet scoops, rear window louvre, front spoiler, modified grille, chunky bodyside scoops, custom wheels, Cooper Cobra tyres and matt black everything.

Inside, the Carbeque features SAAS front bucket seats, a SAAS steering wheel, LED lighting and $4,000 stereo upgrade. Reportedly more than 98% of the Carbecue features fully rebuilt or new parts.

The Carbeque will be used for Austereo and Meat & Livestock Australia promotions throughout the Summer, so keep an eye out for it! Merrick & The Highway Patrol is syndicated on the Triple M network (MixFM in Perth) Australia-wide 4-6PM weeekdays.

Images: courtesy of Southern Cross Austereo