Mercedes will let you build your own version of Santa's sleigh
This is what happens when you give Web programmers too much eggnog.
If you aren't already distracted enough as we race toward a long holiday weekend, here's yet another small Internet-based bauble to keep you away from a big pile of work. Mercedes-Benz just launched its sleigh configurator, which allows you to build your own version of Santa's ride. Hold on, because it gets a little weird.
You can build your Santa-Class in a number of ways. Three bodies are available, and they're designed to resemble Mercedes' old Silver Arrow racecar, the F 015 autonomous concept and the venerable Geländewagen. Five colors are available, nearly all of which (save for black) are traditional holiday hues. You're also given the choice of three different kinds of runners.
Then it gets strange. There exist three choices of "drivetrain" -- 4Matic (four reindeer), Hybrid (two reindeer, two horses) and AMG (a burly, black reindeer with glowing eyes). There are also some options, including safety systems (an angel watching over you), navigation (a shooting star) and intelligent lighting (an elf with a lantern). And yes, there are sound effects to go with all this.
If you've got a spare few minutes, or if you've eaten a handful of mushrooms and are trying to find holiday-themed activities to work into your forthcoming trip, the sleigh configurator is worth a couple clicks. At least Mercedes-Benz included the reindeer -- we're looking at you, Jaguar.