Top in Automotive: Transformers

Showing posts with label Transformers. Show all posts

The Real Steel: Kuratas is a Giant Transformers-Like Robot You Can Drive on the Road

Monday, December 3, 2012

Here's one way to re-discover and bring the inner child that hides in you out in the world: it's named the Kuratas and it comes to us from Japan – could it have been from anywhere else?

The Transformers-like Kuratas is the work of Suidobashi Heavy Industries (SHI) and in particular, artist Kogoro Kurata and robotics expert Wataru Yoshizaki. The 4.5-ton robot stands 4-meters (13.1 feet) tall and can be controlled either by a driver who sits in the cockpit or via a smartphone.

It is capable of reaching speeds of up to 10km/h or 6mph on the road, with SHI also offering the possibility of fitting the robot with guns that in civilian form shoot plastic bottles or fire BB pellets.

In an intro piece about the robot, the Japanese company tells us:

"'KURATAS' is an art piece. It is not a normal vehicle, so it doesn't guarantee your safety and comfort. However, it does makes your dream of becoming a robot pilot comes true."

Thursday, November 1, 2012

After doing it the first time with the Falcatron and seeing all the attention it received from the automotive and gaming worlds alike, Ford's Australian subsidiary and High Moon Studios, the developer behind the "Transformers: Fall of Cybertron" video game, came together to create another Ford-based Autobot.

The new character is named Torque and is spun off the new generation of Ford's compact pickup truck, the Ranger in Wildtrak specification, which is not available for the North American market.

Thursday, September 6, 2012

Autobots and Decepticons move over because there's a new Japanese franchise about cars transforming into robots and it's named Chō Soku Henkei Gyrozetter.

Well, actually, to be frank, it’s far too early to tell if the new franchise will have the success of the Transformers series but the fact that it has licensed several cool cars like the Nissan GT-R, Mazda RX-8, Toyota 86 (Scion FR-S in North America) and Mitsubishi Lancer EVO has certainly captured our attention.

After searching into the unknown depths of the Japanese gaming world (not knowing the language doesn't really help…) we found some basic information about Chō Soku Henkei Gyrozetter.

The new franchise is the work of Japanese video game developer, publisher and distribution company Square Enix, which is mostly known for its Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest series.

Tuesday, August 28, 2012

As much as Ford's Australian division would have liked to see one of its models taking a role in the popular world of Transformers, this won't be happening any time soon.

For now, however, Ford will make do with a design for a conceptual Transformers character named the "Falcatron" based on the Australian market Falcon XR6 Turbo, which in real life sports a 4.0-liter turbocharged inline-six that generates 362hp / 270kW of power.

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

For those of us who grew up in the 1980s, Transformers remind us of some of our fondest childhood memories, which is probably why most of us flocked to the cinemas to watch all three-installments of Michael Bay's trilogy.

But evidently, it's not only 30+ year olds who tenderly remember the perpetually feuding Autobots and Decepticons. Though only in his early 20s, Canadian singer and songwriter, James Struthers, transformed [sic] his passion for the mechanical beings into a song for his debut album, Nadia.

Monday, November 28, 2011

The third and final film of Michael Bay's Transformers trilogy called "Dark of the Moon" came out this summer receiving fairly mixed by mostly negative reviews from critics and cinema-goers alike.

And while the series will most likely be put to rest for at least for another decade or so, some fans continue to be inspired by the movie creating their own short films.

After last year's awesome fan-made clip from the then 21-year old Alexander Vladimirovich Semenov from Russia, we will soon have another new short film that is currently being prepared by 19-year old Robert Kouba from Switzerland.

Saturday, July 2, 2011

The third installment of the popular Transformers movies, "Dark of the Moon", directed by Michael Bay and produced by none other than Steven Spielberg, has made its premiere in Berlin.

Of course, all the stars including Shia LaBeouf, Josh Duhamel, John Torturo, Patrick Dempsey and the gorgeous Victoria’s Secret model-turned-actress Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, were present. But since the movie is about cars, and even though the franchise features a lot of Chevrolet models, Mercedes-Benz was also present with the E-Class playing an Autobot (the good guys) and the SLS AMG appearing on screen as Huntington-Whiteley’s car.

Monday, June 27, 2011

General Motors is trying to squeeze every ounce of publicity out its association with the makers of the third Transformers movie, called Dark of the Moon, which opens exclusively in 3D Tuesday and worldwide Wednesday.

Aside from having an army of cars featured in the film, the Detroit automaker is also launching yet another limited edition Camaro model based on the Autobot “Bumblebee” character.

The 2012 Camaro Transformers Special Edition will be offered as a $3,000 package on 2LT and 2SS Camaro Coupes with Rally Yellow paint. Along with the content provided in the RS package, the Transformers edition adds bespoke black rally stripes that cover the hood, roof, decklid and the unique rear spoiler.

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

VW may have made some headlines with the 2012 Beetle’s appearance on Britney Spears’ latest music video, but when it comes to product placement, the Germans are no match to General Motors.

The General’s say (or is that pay?) is so strong in the movie industry that the Detroit company was able to convince the makers of the Transformers franchise to have a 2011 Chevy Camaro play the role of Bumblebee instead of the original VW Beetle.

Friday, June 17, 2011

And by “King of Overkill” we mean, of course, the….how should we put this delicately… excessively ornamented Porsche Cayenne SUV photographed outside a dollar store in Ontario, Canada, last week by Carscoop reader Jonathan Fernando.

This blonde Swedish diva [aka a previous generation Volvo S40 finished in a yellow hue] was spotted all dressed up and ready to meet the king of her dreams at a parking lot in Toronto, Canada, by another one of our readers, James Dong.

Thursday, April 28, 2011

Today we get our first look at the second, full-length theatrical trailer for Michael Bay’s upcoming blockbuster film, “Transformers: Dark of the Moon”. The brand new trailer provides us a deeper look into the story, characters and the action we can expect to see in the third and possibly final chapter in the Transformers franchise.

While Shia LaBeouf returns as Sam Witwicky, this time he will have to do without Megan Fox who was replaced by super-hot-model Rosie Huntington-Whiteley. Aside from the new (human) faces, we’ll also see a fresh batch of Autobots and Decepticons wreaking havoc on earth, in space and on each other, with Michael Bay promising a more mature and perhaps darker story line. We shall see.

The third chapter of the Transformers films opens everywhere on July 1, 2011. For the time being, follow the jump to check out the new theatrical trailer.

Monday, February 14, 2011

Yep, it's Valentine’s Day and we all know what that means: having to choose between Made of Honor and Eat, Pray, Love for our February 14th viewing (dis)pleasure. Is there nothing a heterosexual man dreads more than having to sit down with his partner to watch a boring, car chase-free romantic comedy?

Fortunately, we at Carscoop share your pain. We had to endure the horrors of the Sex and the City movie and overwrought melodrama of Julie & Julia. We’ve seen the worst and lied about it to our significant others afterwards. So, here’s how you get out of it: describe your favourite car movie as something that you'd interest her. It’s easier than you think:

Thursday, December 9, 2010

Get ready for the third installment of Michael Bay's Transformers franchise as the first trailer of the upcoming new movie called Transformers 3: Dark of the Moon, has hit the air. Being that Megan Fox abandoned the series, we're somewhat less excited about this one, and the new trailer, which gives a fictional twist to Neil Armstrong's 1969 moon landing, ain't helping much either. In any case, you can watch the clip right after the break.

Monday, November 22, 2010

Chevrolet's 2009 50th Anniversary Corvette Stingray Concept that made its way into the Transformers movies is one of those love-it / hate-it cars. On the one hand, it was sleek and muscular and pointed to the next generation Corvette. On the other hand, it owed a bit too much design-wise with the 2003 Cadillac Cien and the nods to the original Corvette Stingray appeared a little forced.

Still, I'd find it hard to believe that anyone, even lovers of the '09 Concept, would consider putting down over US$40 grand on this so-called replica. It's even harder to believe that underneath all that fibreglass is a 2005 C6 Corvette; it could just have easily been based on a twenty year old Mazda Miata / MX-5 like so many other eBay customs.

So what does the US$42,500 "Buy It Now Price" get us? For starters, the underpinnings from the C6 Corvette including its 440 hp LS2 V8 and 6spd automatic transmission. You get a clear title and 29,111 miles on the odometer to boot.

Friday, November 5, 2010

Is US$130,000 a little too much to be paying for a Vin Diesel-driven Dodge Charger R/T? Do you think the home of the American muscle car is Dearborn? Is your DVD collection populated with Bad Boys and Pearl Harbour instead of xXx and Stealth?

Carscoop hears you, and so does MotoeXotica of St. Louis. On eBay right now is the second of three quasi-Police issue Saleen Mustangs built for the first Transformers film in 2007.

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

BUMBLEBEE is racing down a side street to catch up with the other AUTOBOTS, who have found another piece of the ALLSPARK. Suddenly, a DECEPTICON POLICE SUV appears and cuts BUMBLBEE off!

Well, not really, but it sure looks like that in this video. According to The Washington Post, the story goes that a Metropolitan Police SUV was on its way to investigate a suspicious package in the D.C. area when it strayed onto the Transformers 3 set.

Tuesday, October 5, 2010

The third installment of Michael Bay's Transformers franchise will move production to Washington, D.C. next week. DCist reports that the film will be shooting between October 11th and 15th on the Mall, apparently to satiate Bay's fantasy of blowing up historical monuments (no idea if that's legit).

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Michael Bay, you need to be taking notes, because this fan-made Transformers short film is epically cool. Created by 21-year old Alexander Vladimirovich Semenov from Russia, the film doesn't use little white trash GM robots or the ridonkulous SR-71 pirate grandpa; instead, it stars a cool old VAZ 2106...I think...and some dinky little cell phone robots.

Sunday, September 12, 2010

This video of a real-life Transformer snapped rolling on Hollywood Boulevard has been making the rounds on YouTube for a few months. No, it's not a lame viral marketing attempt by Citroen or a trailer for a new shaky cam Michael Bay / Jerry Bruckheimer movie.

Friday, September 3, 2010

Found over on Robo Steel's website (thank God for the internet), here are some Transformers that you can actually own. Before you read any further, you should know that acting fast is key here, because both versions of the 60-cm Optimus Prime are sold out at €280 each. Don't worry, the €5,500 2.5-meter version is still available (whew).