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Who ya gonna call? Rivian, apparently!
On Thursday, just as fall hits and Halloween comes into sight the Ecto-R1 debuted along with Rivian’s Ghostbusters app. This is all so fun and I love it.
Rivian
The Ecto-R1 is a true homage as Rivian’s teamed up with with Sony Pictures so there won’t be any lawsuits today. The build takes the R1S’ 22-inch Aero wheels, brightens them and adds painted white covers. The iconic red graphic spans the body obviously accompanied by the No-Ghost logo on the hood and front doors. But it’s the roof rack that gets me.
Rivian said every accessory on top of the Ecto-R1 is functional including the sirens, spotlights, radar dish, and side tanks. There’s also a compass that can only be seen from a top-down view. Those emergency lights aren’t some modern recreation. Rivian said it sourced vintage emergency lights and restored them.
Fans can check out Ecto-R1 builds at Rivian spaces in Laguna Beach, Austin, Venice, Miami Brickell, San Francisco, and New York City in the Meatpacking District where there will also be limited-edition merch. Sadly, Minneapolis is not on the list, I’m noting. It feels personal.
Rivian
For Rivian owners there’s a new Ghostbusters app that will be part of this year’s Halloween Mode. The in-vehicle app can be used while parked and will transform the displays into a Ghostbuster mode. Interestingly Rivian said this will remain active once the vehicle’s put in Drive.
A Trick or Treat Mode will takeover the driver and rear displays while the Ghostbusters theme song will start playing while exterior lights and sound effects kick in to match. It can all be controlled via the Rivian smartphone app as well.
The sound and light show will include Ecto-1, Proton Pack, Slimer, Ghost Trap, Peter Venkman, or Random, with each being paired with custom LED sequences. Owners will even be able to swap their Rivian’s lock sounds to Ecto-1 mode for Gen 1 R1 models along with Proton Pack or Chant on Gen 2 R1s and the R2.
And for those bored while charging a new Mallow Mash arcade game will allow you to pop Mini-Pufts marshmallow men while parked. The kid in me is dying here.
The Halloween update with the Ghostbusters app will launch October 9 and be available until November 2.
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As Director of Content and Product, Joel draws on over 15 years of newsroom experience and inability to actually stop working to help ensure The Drive shapes the future of automotive media. He’s also a World Car Award juror.
