Wednesday, January 30, 2008

Wheeljack

http://www.bananatoys.com/Merchant2/graphics/00000001/TFPalisadesWheeljack.jpg

Every time I reminisce about the classic Transformers’ first generation animated series, it definitely brings out the little boy in me. I can still recall those wonder years when I often beg for a Transformers action figure from my mom… but she never did bother to get me one. Instead, she bought me a kiddy sneaker with the Transformers logo on it - sad but funny!

Anyway, speaking of awesome action figures, aside from Optimus Prime, Bumblebee, Jazz, and the rest of the lot, one of my favorite characters is Wheeljack. His vehicle alternate mode is a dazzling Lancia Stratos Turbo model with its astounding body styling and wheels.

Wheeljack is the Autobots’ intelligent resident inventor and gadget geek. He frequently invents machines and other equipments when situation requires him to do so. Despite the fact that his breakthroughs and inventions were infamous for setting his face on fire while he was still working on them, Wheeljack remains optimistic and eager to do what’s necessary for the team.

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Friday, January 25, 2008

Cybertron’s Scattorshot

http://www.unicron.us/tf2005/toypix/scattorshot2b.jpg

The Transformers animated series began with only some significant characters like Optimus Prime and Megatron. The story started out with an exceptional plot that motivated viewers of all ages to keep track with the TV series. After the first successful years of the Transformers, the story has become more multifaceted with several characters coming out in the story. New breed of robots and other characters, particularly Autobots and Decepticons, surfaced into the expanding story of the Transformers. Several of these characters brought more action and excitement to the story that made Transformers a legend!

During those wonder years that I’ve been watching too much cartoons and fuel tanks were totally out of my head, one of my favorite characters from the Transformers Next Generation is Scattorshot.

Scattorshot is the Autobots’ chief technical specialist. Scattorshot used up most of his time in the base analyzing monitors. He is also famous for being fairly jumpy and hesitant of himself despite the fact that he can perform his tasks with accuracy. He was fixed and modified by the Omega Lock and become a part of the Cybertron Defense Team after being smashed by Decepticon’s leader Megatron.

One of the famous characteristics of Scattorshot is his Southern accent. Scattershot changed into a half-track missile launcher vehicle with Cyber Key Power grenades before he was reformatted.

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Saturday, January 12, 2008

The Gruesome Twosome in the Creepy Coupe 02

How can I possibly forget these characters with their ride from the Wacky Races? Shame on me! If you can still remember the time I featured Wacky Races and its characters, I didn’t include the Gruesome Twosome in the Creepy Coupe 02, right? Maybe I was just too busy working on my radiator that time. Well, to make it up with the gruesome boys, I’ll bring them to you this time!

The Big Gruesome and Little Gruesome are monsters driving a car with a belfry which housed a dragon and various spooky characters according to Wikipedia.com. The Creepy Coupe has the ability to fly short distances with the help of the dragon’s wings and has bats continuously flying around its belfry. Also, they can call upon storms, bats, ghosts and even a witch to help them interfere with the other cars. Big Gruesome spoke like Boris Karloff and Little Gruesome like Peter Lorre.

Nice, ain’t it?

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Friday, January 11, 2008

Autobot’s Hot Rod

The second generation Transformers has expanded with several new and astonishing characters added to the broad fictional storyline of the Transformers’ history. Various characters like the Dinobots made the story more interesting and even more fun to watch. One of the second generation characters that brought energy and significance to the plot was Hot Rod.

According to my source, Hot Rod made his first appearance in The Transformers: The Movie, where he was dubbed by Judd Nelson. One of the greatest features of Hot Rod is his vehicle alternate, which is a dazzling futuristic red sports car with dazzling flames decorated on its doors and hood.

Hot Rod has showcased the ability to fire out lasers from his forearms as well as comprising a pull back saw blade. Hot Rod has a childlike attitude, and plays the role of an older brother figure to Daniel Witwicky, son of Autobot ally Spike Witwicky.

Hot Rod has a type of teacher-student relationship with the expert Autobot, Kup. The flamed red sports car had close frinds as well. He made friends with Springer and Arcee.

Posted by butthead at 01:35:14 | Permalink | No Comments »

Saturday, January 5, 2008

Crumplezone

In cars, we know that crumple zones are those parts of the vehicle which, erm, crumples in the unfortunate event of a collision. These crumple zones allow the vehicle to absorb most of the energy from the collision thus there will be less reaching the occupants of the vehicle. But Transformers fans know a different Crumplezone.

Wikipedia has an article about Crumplezone’s exploits in the animated series which reads:

“Crumplezone is a massive Transformer from Planet Velocitron (Speedia in Galaxy Force) who serves as the muscle to back up his partner Ransack. His bulky frame ( the biggest on Velocitron) possesses incredible speed, racing with fearsome swiftness along even the most winding roadways. He and Ransack were minding their business when they were forcibly drafted by Megatron.

“The two were quickly dispatched to locate Velocitron’s Cyber Planet Key. Eventually uncovering that it was the Planet Cup. The two entered the race, allying with Dirt Boss to win. Despite cheating their way through to the last race the two were beaten by Hot Shot and Override, forcing Megatron to personally intervene.

“Ransack and Crumplezone followed Megatron to the Planets Earth, Animatros and Gigantion in his quest for the Cyber Planet Keys. However this nearly proved their undoing when Starscream betrayed Megatron and sealed him, Ransack, Thundercracker and Mudflap in a steel globe. Crumplezone was the only Decepticon not trapped and managed to locate Scourge, who freed Megatron and the others.”

Surely, no machine on Earth today can stand up to Crumplezone in battle. I think he would just crush nerf bars with his fingers. For a more detailed account of Crumplezone’s fate in the animated series, you can visit Wikipedia’s article.

Posted by butthead at 02:06:59 | Permalink | No Comments »

Thursday, January 3, 2008

Cartoons Car Forever

Happy New Year guys! It’s been a while and I miss this place - the realm where I can disconnect myself from the real world. Thanks to cartoon cars!

The previous year was a blast. We’ve shared a lot of cool stuff together like the Transformers movie, Cars from Walt Disney and Pixar, Batman, Rude Dog, Wacky Races etc. This year, we hope to share more cartoon cars with you and we would like to thank you in advance and thank you for your endless support! Until next post… ciao!

Posted by butthead at 01:56:31 | Permalink | No Comments »

Tuesday, January 1, 2008

The Duke Of Hazzard’s General Lee

 

I know you know who General Lee is. Well for those who do not, lemme tell you something about it. General Lee is the automobile driven by the Duke cousins Bo and Luke in the television series The Dukes of Hazzard. It is known for being part of chases and stunts, especially high jumps, in almost every episode. The car’s name is a reference to the Confederate General Robert E. Lee. You can read the entire details of this at Wikipedia.org.

The Wikipedia.org says, “The idea for the General Lee was developed from the famous bootlegger Jerry Rushing’s car, which was named for General Lee’s favorite horse, Traveler. Traveler was also the name of the car in Moonrunners, the 1975 movie precursor to The Dukes of Hazzard.”

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Sunday, December 30, 2007

A Flying Car

Can you still remember Chitty Chitty Bang Bang? Well if you can recall, it is the title of a movie as well as a stage play. It has got a flying car as a huge part of it. It doesn’t have the Acura CL window motor however the parts are made to be quality and so is the production car.

The Chitty Chitty Bang Bang is actually a vintage racing car which is featured in the book and musical film of the same name. The Novel is actually written by James Bond famous writer Ian Fleming and Count Louis Zborowski in the early 1920s helped him bring the car to life and christened it “Chitty Bang Bang”.

Wikipedia says, “The Chittys were built and stored at Higham Park, Zborowski’s country house at Bridge near Canterbury in Kent. The cars were so loud that Canterbury reportedly passed a by-law prohibiting them from entering within the city walls.”

To where “Chitty Bang Bang” originated was actually not known but it was a part of a World War I song.

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Saturday, December 29, 2007

The Bat Cycle

Batgirl has the Batblade and both Batman and Robin got the Batcycle - a fictional personal motorcycle of comic book superhero Batman. The Batcycle is a modified street-bike with a 786 cc liquid-cooled V-4 engine. It contains a computer-controlled carburetor and bulletproof wind-guard as the Wikipedia informs. The motorcycle certainly does not have the Acura CL tornado fuel saver though.

The Batcycle is said to be shown in the 2008 superhero film as it will be directed by Christopher Nolan. But the new vehicle will be handling the new name called the Batpod. Nathan Crowley will also be designing the new batcycle. Crowley is a known designer of the Tumbler Batmobile for Batman Begins (2005). The bike has 508 millimeter front and rear tires, and the engines are located in the hubs of the wheels. The Batpod is steered by the shoulders instead of hands, and the rider’s arms are protected by shields. For the film, the bike is armed with grappling hooks, cannons, and machine guns. Six models were constructed for the film’s production to anticipate some of them crashing as the Wikipedia informs.

Posted by butthead at 01:06:26 | Permalink | No Comments »

Monday, December 17, 2007

Batgirl Rides The Batblade

I know many of you are familiar with Batman and Robin but only a few of you recognize the BatBlade. If you can recall, when Batgirl first appeared on the movie screens in 1997, that was also when the BatBlade appeared. The role of BatGirl was played by Alicia Silverstone. The movie Batman and Robin features this particular motorcycle. The best part of the Batblade is that it can run during the most extreme weather conditions.

Of course, the motorcycle certainly does not have the Porsche headlight but is handles a 600cc, 95 HP Honda prototype and is 3.2 m long. It is supposedly made to attain 175 km/h on ice but it functions better when it was featured on the movie. The design is made to last even when exposed to difficult curves of the road.

The body of the Batblade is significant to the Batgirl as its body is specifically made for drag racers. The rear tire of the motorcycle is not actually for a two wheel vehicle but from a car. So it is really big. Originally, in the production vehicle, the motorcycle is equipped with the most gorgeous parts but on the movie, it was enhanced.

In the real world, it was made to run on smooth road but in the movie, it can run during extreme conditions. A cryonic ignition steers anti-freezes levels, so the engine can function even in temperatures under -40 degrees Celsius. No wonder it is called the Batblade.

Posted by butthead at 01:46:04 | Permalink | No Comments »