New Series LAST CAR STANDING Shakes, Rattles, and Rolls Onto Discovery, April 22

- LAST CAR STANDING and Canadian Tire-sponsored Photo Contest will see one lucky winner receive a briefcase packed with $10,000 in Canadian Tire "Money"® -
- Viewers can chat LIVE with LAST CAR STANDING host Christian Potenza, sharing stories about their own clunkers and junkers -

To tweet this release: http://bit.ly/WItgvQ

TORONTO, March 20, 2013 /CNW/ - Clunkers, old buckets of bolts, and other wrecks on wheels are the unlikely "stars" of LAST CAR STANDING, a new high-stakes, high-impact Discovery Canada series that pits the proud owners of lousy cars against each other in a series of escalating driving challenges. Why? For the chance to restore their ride to its original glory! An original Canadian production by Toronto's Proper Television, the eight-part series premieres Monday, April 22 at 10 p.m. ET/PT on Discovery. Hosted by Christian Potenza (SIDEKICK, TOTAL DRAMA), each episode of LAST CAR STANDING features five diverse and fun-loving drivers - each trapped in a love-hate relationship with an embarrassing clunker - who put it all on the line through four brutal rounds of competition until only one last car is standing. Viewers can get in on the bumper-busting action through an exclusive online contest with series sponsor Canadian Tire, and a whole trunk-load of cool web extras.

One by one, each eliminated driver must watch as their beloved beast endures the ultimate humiliation of being impaled on the massive Spike of Shame. But the driver - and the car - that withstands the grind of competition at the end of each episode gets a $10,000 automotive upgrade and best-car bragging rights…or… the chance to return for the Grand Finale to compete against other champion beaters for a $50,000 "better-than-new" vehicle restoration and the title of The Ultimate LAST CAR STANDING!

In each episode, cars are grouped according to class, from rusty old "Boats" and sub-standard Subcompacts, to faltering 4x4s to rundown Vans.  At one point in time, each of these cars was a pristine showroom beauty, but over the years, these once-perfect automobiles have been allowed to fall apart. Each group is put through four elimination rounds until there's just one motor still running. The challenges start with a race around the treacherous Hot Lap; then on to a gruelling climb, tow, or launch up LCS's giant adjustable hydraulic ramp. Next, it's a head-to-head-to-head battle up and down (and over and around) on the dreaded Drag Strip Challenge; and finally the Beater Buster showdown - the ultimate, punishing, automotive obstacle course designed to push each car's capacity to its breaking point.

LAST CAR STANDING premieres April 22 with the clash of the "Mid-size" cars, including:

• '96 Dodge Stratus - The aging purple sedan is affectionately known as "Barney" by its owner, Annia.
  
  
• '91 Honda Accord - The battery must be disconnected every night or it will die, and the transmission is a little "jumpy," according to its owner Petros.
  
  
• '94 Volvo Wagon - The leaky sunroof means that owner Bill requires an umbrella while driving in rainy weather.
  
  
• '96 Chrysler Sebring convertible - Named "The Black Coffin" by owner Alex's mother because she thinks the vehicle is a death trap. And she's probably right.
  
  
• '97 Cadillac Catera - The Catera's sudden electrical failures give new meaning to the term "stop and go traffic," claims its owner Andrew.

The series - and dumpster-worthy cars - continues with "Boats" (April 29), "Sporty Cars" (May 6), "Econo-boxes" (May 13), "Vans" (May 20), "Sub-Compacts" (May 27), and "4x4s" (June 3).  The season wraps with the Grand Finale on June 10, when the five "winning" wrecks from LAST CAR STANDING episodes return to face off for $50,000 in automotive upgrades! It's a tough choice that will have viewers debating which option they'd choose for their own car…

And the Grand Finale winner isn't the only lucky one! One viewer will also have the chance to fix up their own wheels - or anything else in desperate need - with $10,000 in Canadian Tire "Money"®. Together with the broadcast premiere on April 22, LAST CAR STANDING and Canadian Tire will launch an online photo contest at LastCarStandingContest.ca . To enter, viewers can upload photos of their own cars for a chance at the Grand Prize: a briefcase containing $10,000 in Canadian Tire "Money"®. Nine secondary prizes - gift packs containing car products - will be randomly drawn and awarded weekly. The interactive experience extends through the Discovery Social Screen and on mobile via the Discovery App; and viewers can drive the LAST CAR STANDING conversation with host Christian Potenza during LIVE chats on Twitter (@LastCarStanding) during each Monday's 10 p.m. ET broadcast (hashtag #Last Car). At Discovery.ca, viewers can watch full episodes and video extras, explore photo galleries, and find series and episode descriptions.

About Discovery:

The world is just awesome! With compelling real-life programming that inspires and entertains, Discovery reveals the world in all its wonder, diversity and amazement. Discovery offers a signature mix of adrenaline-charged stories, larger-than-life personalities and vivid imagery for viewers with curious minds. With the best non-fiction programming from Canada and around the world, Discovery captures the excitement of a passion for life - one lived fully and at its most extreme. With exceptional and immersive storytelling, the channel offers in-depth, behind-the-scenes glimpses at the extraordinary people and places that shape our world. Launched in Canada in 1995, Discovery is now available in more than eight million Canadian homes. Discovery is offered in standard definition (SD) and high definition (HD) simulcast - for viewers who want an even bigger and bolder experience. Discovery Canada is a joint venture between Bell Media, which is owned by BCE Inc. (TSX, NYSE: BCE), Canada's largest communications company, and Discovery Communications Inc. Find more information and interactive online features at Discovery.ca.

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SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS:
Discovery Canada on Facebook:   facebook.com/discoverycanada
Discovery Canada on Twitter:     twitter.com/DiscoveryCanada

Image with caption: "Christian Potenza hosts LAST CAR STANDING, premiering April 22 on Discovery (CNW Group/Discovery)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20130320_C6761_PHOTO_EN_24684.jpg

Image with caption: "New Series LAST CAR STANDING (CNW Group/Discovery)". Image available at: http://photos.newswire.ca/images/download/20130320_C6761_PHOTO_EN_24685.jpg

SOURCE: Discovery

Jodi Cook, Discovery, 416.384.4603 or [email protected]
Noah Zatzman, Discovery, 416.384.5903 or [email protected]
Jessica Culp, Canadian Tire, 416.480.8261 or [email protected]