Cartoon Car Toons!

Yes. Iron Man will be riding a car that we mortals would love to buy – the gorgeous Audi R8!

Earlier, Marvel announced that an Iron Man movie was in the works for 2008. The company also said that renowned Jon Favreau would helm the film.

Deal calls for Audi’s R8 supercar to be the vehicle of choice for billionaire industrialist Tony Stark when he’s not wearing his high-tech suit of armor as the title character. The upcoming S5 sports coupe is also driven by a lead character in the movie. Audi’s A6 sedan and the Q7 SUV will make onscreen appearances in the movie as well, revealed Variety.

The report added: As part of its involvement, Audi will likely pony up tens of millions of dollars to help promote the movie worldwide upon its release, set for May 2. Details of the marketing plans are still being worked out. Recruiting heavyweight promotional partners like Audi for “Iron Man” is particularly crucial for Marvel given that the pic is the first the company is self-financing, with Par only distribbing.

“It’s a big deal whether it’s a character that millions of people are familiar with or if people are not as familiar with,” said Marvel Studios prexy of production Kevin Feige. “There’s so much product going out that anything you can do to make your film stand out is important.”

Stunning cars abound, it’s difficult to choose the right one. Subaru Impreza parts could have been a nice choice. But there’s one car that perfectly befit the fictional character. “The car fit very well with the aesthetic the production designer was putting together,” Feige said. The R8 hooked filmmakers in part because elements of the car’s design closely resemble Iron Man’s superhero garb.

“With his ingenuity and passion for technology, Tony Stark personifies Audi’s values,” said Dirk Roder, the Audi international film marketing, entertainment and gaming. “He’s the kind of guy every girl wants to date and every guy wants to be.” The sleek $108,000 car, which was launched this year, features an engine housing in the rear of the car that glows at night, mimicking the glowing chestplate that Stark must wear to stay alive.

“The R8 was the perfect car for Tony Stark,” Favreau said. “It’s wonderfully engineered. It’s fast, it’s safe and it’s flashy.”

If you are a Warren Ellis and Adi Granov’s fanatic, you might be thrilled by the fact that what’s on comics could be witnessed, in less than a year, on the big screen. The company is responsible for bringing Iron Man back to his roots and cladding him with the sophistication of time.

Jon said that the movie will focus on Tony Stark as a weapons manufacturer and deal with socio-political elements stemming out of Afghanistan. The story will be somewhere between Spider-Man and Batman Begins in tone, but set in a more realistic world. There will also be lots of flying and fighting in the movie, revealed 4 Color Rebellion. So far things sound amazingly wonderful!

For fanatics of this legendary, long-running Japanese manga, you may think that what I’m referring to as the Dragon Ball Z Car is the one that looks like a jalopy which almost self destructed when it hit the oblivious Goku. But actually, I’m not referring to that - in fact what I want to share with you is a real car.

I know, I know, this blog is about cartoons with cars or cars in cartoons or whatever. But this car looks awesome that I have to share it with you. But before that, for those who are not familiar with Dragon Ball Z, let me fill you in those important details first.

The story revolves around Goku and his family and friends. He fights to defend the Earth from numerous villains. Since childhood, Goku has fought many battles and through it all, he became the best fighter in the universe. Now that’s a title that not even Chuck Liddell or Floyd Mayweather can attain in their lifetime. But how come the title Dragon Ball, you ask?

The Dragon Balls according to Wikipedia are “seven magical orbs which are scattered across the world. When assembled, they can be used to summon Shenron, the dragon who will grant one wish within its limit. After the wish is granted, the Dragon Balls are scattered again across the world and become inert for one year. In times past, it would take generations to search the world and gather the Dragon Balls.”

Talk about a treasure hunt. Lol.

As for the popularity of this Japanese manga, check this out. There have been thirteen movies made about the manga. Even the Once Upon in China film series only extended to six movies. In comparison, the Star Wars saga has six movies to its credit. This shows the popularity of the Japanese anime.

And now, here’s the car that I want to share with you. Pretty cool, eh? Check out the hood. What I really like about the car is the rear quarter panel with all those Dragon Balls flying out as if their really being thrown at the onlooker by an unseen force.

So, that’s it for now guys. More toons next time.