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- "450lbs of rompin', stompin' comedy out there!"
- — Bil Dwyer on Chinkilla
Chinkilla was a robot owned by Jay Leno which fought in a number of exhibition matches during Season 2.0 and 3.0 of Comedy Central BattleBots.
Weighing in at 450lbs, it was substantially heavier than the 325lb (later 325.9lb) maximum for superheavyweights competing during those seasons. Consequently, its appearances were restricted to the aforementioned demonstrations, as well as promotional segments and features on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. Chinkilla's main weapon was a front flipping scoop painted to resemble a caricature of Jay Leno's face; his 'chin' forming the scoop's lower lip. Alongside these were a set of four spinning blades - two on each side - which offered additional offence against other robots attacking from the sides.
According to Gearheads: The Turbulent Rise of Robotic Sports, Chinkilla was commissioned by two special effects workers from NBC, who built the 450lb robot in the space of a fortnight.[1] Following its appearances in the Comedy Central run, Chinkilla was put into storage in the NBC studios and eventually disassembled, though NBC themselves would retain the rights to the robot's likeness and front artwork.
In 2015, a successor to the original machine was planned to enter World Championship I under the Team Chinkilla name. The team were supposedly forced to withdraw at the last minute due to copyright issues raised by NBC, with Team Chinkilla promising to resolve the issues in time for World Championship II.[2] A February 2016 post suggested that work had indeed started on a successor, Chinkilla 2, with a photo showing various components for it including a motor and a newly-welded triangular wedge piece. However, Team Chinkilla would again not appear in the televised season, and it is not known whether Chinkilla 2 was actually completed.[3]
Outside BattleBots[]
Chinkilla's BattleBots fights were preceded by appearances on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, which featured several builders and drivers of the era including Christian Carlberg and Lisa Winter. Chinkilla also fought Mauler 2000 in a quarter-sized BattleBox on a November 9, 2000 episode of Leno's talk show. It would ultimately win after Mauler's spinning top came loose and the robot stopped moving, despite Chinkilla's scoop appearing to be stuck under the arena wall.[4] The robot made a total of four promotional cameos on the show.
Robot History[]
Season 2.0[] |
---|
Chinkilla vs. Ginsu (Exhibition) ![]() Chinkilla lifts Ginsu. |
Season 3.0[] |
Chinkilla vs. Nibbler, Reactore, SMD, Mordicus, Gungnire, & General Gau (Exhibition) ![]() Chinkilla is hit by Reactore. ![]() Chinkilla's chin becomes caught on Nibbler. |
Chinkilla vs. Ginsu, Dreadnought & La Machine (Exhibition) ![]() Chinkilla is attacked by all three opponents. |
Results[]
CHINKILLA | ||
Season 2.0 | ||
Exhibition | ||
Exhibition Match | vs. Ginsu | Won (JD) |
BattleBots Season 3.0 | ||
Exhibitions | ||
Exhibition Rumble | vs. Nibbler, Reactore, SMD, Mordicus, Gungnire & General Gau | No winner declared |
Exhibition Rumble | vs. Ginsu, Dreadnought & La Machine | Won (JD) |
Wins/Losses[]
- Wins: 3
- Losses: 0
- Draws: 1
Competition | Wins | Losses | Draw |
---|---|---|---|
Season 2.0 * | Ginsu (Exhibition fight) | None | None |
Season 3.0 | Ginsu, La Machine & Dreadnought (Exhibition fight) | None | Nibbler, Reactore, SMD, Mordicus, Gungnire & General Gau (Exhibition fight) |
* Chinkilla's "win" over a static gas pump is omitted from its win/loss record.
Mark Beiro Introductions[]
"From The Tonight Show on NBC, here is the undisputed champion, Jay Leno's CHINKILLA!"
"Jay Leno's thick-headed, muscle-bound CHINKILLA!"
"A robot so devastating that he demanded to fight three robots at the same time. Jay Leno's infamous CHINKILLA!"
See Also[]
- A brief segment featuring Chinkilla on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno
- The Associated Press article on Jay Leno and Chinkilla
- Team Chinkilla - BattleBots Facebook page
Trivia[]
- Chinkilla was the heaviest combat robot of the classic era to fight in the BattleBox, at 450lbs.
- This record was eclipsed by Chomp in the 2020 season of the Discovery reboot.
- Chinkilla's name was jokingly included on the official signup list for the 2018 season Desperado Tournament as No.18.[5]
- Team Overboard listed Chinkilla as their favorite robot on their application form for World Championship VI.
References[]
- ↑ Gearheads: The Turbulent Rise of Robotic Sports, p.185
- ↑ https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=pfbid02e2dmDJqrE7yf6SPYYxavAERmMUGFtG2o7fFcuhzKTTii88S69CrSX6nr4S1zgzkCl&id=483638785121179&comment_id=544518559033201&reply_comment_id=556489534502770
- ↑ https://www.facebook.com/483638785121179/photos/a.579174702234253/579174668900923
- ↑ http://www.robotcombat.com/video_leno4_hi.html
- ↑ https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/412598461180018689/874818186585993236/image0.png