Is Jay Leno Driving A Couch? CTEK & Edd China Make Vegas Entrance Unique

Seeing comedian and car enthusiast Jay Leno driving a sofa down the Las Vegas Strip is an unusual sight … even for Las Vegas.

However, that’s exactly what happened during the June 24, 2020, episode of Jay Leno’s Garage, an experience made possible by CTEK.

In 2019, CTEK partnered with English mechanic, former Wheeler Dealers TV personality, inventor, and motor specialist extraordinaire Edd China to bring his Casual Lofa, the world’s first street-legal motorized sofa, to the United States for the first time. 

The sofa was on display in the CTEK booth at the 2019 SEMA Show in Las Vegas. However, before arriving at SEMA, Edd and his sofa made a stop to pick up Jay Leno, former host of The Tonight Show.

The duo’s drive to Las Vegas on the couch was featured in Series 5, Episode 14 of Jay Leno’s Garage, an American web and television series.

“Edd and his sofa car are truly one of a kind,” said Jay during the episode.

Built by Edd more than 20 years ago using an A-series Mini engine, the Casual Lofa features leopard-print upholstery, a pizza pan steering wheel, chocolate bar gear shift, a Guinness can hand-operated brake, flower pot turn signal indicators and a speedometer disguised as a mantel clock.

Under the cushions, the Casual Lofa is powered by a 1.3-liter BMC A-plus series engine, and Edd China relies on CTEK’s Battery Sense Technology to ensure the battery is in tip-top condition.

“I’m not really into doing stuff stock. It was always about pushing the envelope and doing things that haven’t been done before,” Edd told Jay. “I built (the Casual Lofa) because I wanted to see if it could be done. I wanted to see if I could build a car that was nothing like a car.”

The street-legal sofa has a top speed of 87 miles per hour.

“It’s like driving in your living room,” said Jay, noting the couch-car hybrid was “relaxing to drive.”

In addition to the Casual Lofa, Edd has built other unique motorized vehicles including a shed, toilet, bed, mobile office, and a shopping cart.