Weta Workshop started work on the Halo movie some time ago, and even if that’s been put on hold, they continue to work on the Halo short film series thats been leading to the Halo 3 release, as well as developing an as yet unseen game set in the Halo universe. Part of this is making props, replicas, miniatures, and in this case, functional vehicles from the game.
Bungie’s Frank O’Conner elaborates.

Some of the Bungie boys are in New Zealand this week, working with Peter Jackson on the Halo project. For fun, they got to drive around in a real, functioning Warthog. At the wheel, Curtis Creamer, producer extraordinaire –on the turret, Mr. CJ Cowan our cinematics director, and Harold Ryan, studio head rides shotgun. The powerful, four-wheel steering and almost perfect replica of the Hog is fast and agile. Amazing then that Curtis uses these abilities to smash it into what he describes as “the illogical wall section” at a parking lot near Weta.