Sometimes, despite the director’s best efforts otherwise, the villain of a movie or TV series ends up stealing the show. Luke Skywalker became the archetypical example of a pure-hearted but bland hero, while dark side practitioner Darth Vader went on to become a true cultural icon.
Similarly, you’ll be hard pressed to find any viewers of long-running anime mecha franchise Gundam who name its original hero, Amuro, as their favorite character. His nemesis Char, on the other hand, has legions of fans, even though his last on-screen appearance was way back in the 1988 motion picture Char’s Counterattack. Despite his occasional attempts to drop space colonies onto Planet Earth, fans are drawn to the stylish Char, who has always had cool robots and a cool mask. Now, he’s got a cool car, too.
Befitting his status as the ace pilot of the Duchy of Zeon, Char’s mecha are often tuned-up versions of those of the rank-and-file soldiers, sporting special parts and a bright red paint scheme. The Auris Char’s Customize, based on Toyota’s Auris five-door hatchback, continues the tradition, and is packed with goodies such as an antenna styled after the horns (or “blades”) that routinely adorn the heads of Char’s giant fighting machines.
The car’s body kit consists of a unique front fascia, side skirts, and rear bumper, which combine with the Char’s Customize’s 20 millimeter-lowered ride height and upsized 18-inch wheels to give it a far more aggressive stance than the stock Auris.
▼ Stock
▼ Char’s Customize
Other visual accouterments include special Duchy of Zeon badges in place of the Toyota ones on the standard Auris, a sinister blacked-out grille, and more stickers than any one person could possibly read as you drive by,
The fan service continues inside. The Duchy of Zeon insignia makes another appearance on the engine start button next to the exclusive steering wheel, and the entire front face of the passenger’s side of the dashboard is awash in Char’s signature dazzling red color scheme. When stopped, a display in the dash indicates “thruster ready,” then switches to the singular round eye of the Gundam series’ villainous mecha once the car is underway.
The biggest draw of all might be the special GPS navigation system, featuring the voice of Char himself and limited to just 900 units. Aside from giving directions to your destination, the system contains 366 of the character’s famous lines, dispensing a different one each day. Char also provides reminders about not wasting gas and special messages when crossing over into new prefectures on the highway. A selection of voice clips can be heard on Toyota’s website here.
The complete Char’s Customize package, which also includes a few more goodies such as special Duchy of Zeon key fob and owner’s manual covers, tacks on nearly 1,060,000 yen (US $10,600), for a whopping increase of almost 50% over the price of a normal Auris in RS trim. Thankfully, buyers also have the option of picking and choosing from the option list as well, which is good news for drivers who want to show off their fandom in subtler ways, like with a set of limited edition floor mats.
Toyota began taking orders on August 26, with the first deliveries scheduled for October 1. “My other car is a giant warmech” license plate frames, unfortunately, are not available.
Sources: 47 News, Modellista, Netz, Toyota
Top image: Modellista
Insert images: Modellista, Toyota, Netz