Get in the damn drift car, Shinji? Evangelion Tomika toy brings D1 machine home in miniature form

https://ift.tt/3ogerCQ Casey Baseel

Real-world Evangelion Racing team’s Supra inspires die-cast replica.

After numerous delays, Evangelion: 3.0+1.0 Thrice Upon a Time finally made it to Japanese theaters this past spring, and then was released for worldwide streaming through Amazon Prime last month. While there were no fewer than two previous supposed final endings to the series, Thrice Upon a Time looks like it really, truly is the end of the Evangelion anime.

Even if the on-screen narratives of Shinji and his fellow Eva pilots have come to a close, though, Eva is such a pop cultural force in Japan that its spinoff endeavors will never really end, which is why there’s now an Evangelion-themed sports car.

You don’t need a driver’s license to send the Toyota Supra above, decked out in the colors of Eva Unit-01, flying down a stretch of open track, however, as it’s actually a new addition to the lineup of Tomika, Japan’s favorite miniature toy car series, basically the country’s equivalent to the U.S.’ Hot Wheels.

If you spend more time watching anime than motorsports, Eva and cars might seem like a strange combination, but there’s actually an entire real-world Evangelion Racing team in Japan that’s been competing in such high-profile series as Super GT and D1 since 2010, and which grew out of the Ultraman Racing Team established in 1994.

And yes, the team’s race queen promotional models do wear outfits inspired by the plugsuits worn by Shinji, Rei, Asuka, Mari, and Kaworu in the Evangelion anime.

今週末鈴鹿にてS耐第5戦が開催されています今回ゆづぽんとりさまるが行っているので皆様ST-Zクラス505号車とエヴァンゲリオンレーシングRQ2021の応援お願いします
現在RQ大賞コスチューム部門にもエントリー中！
大賞公式https://t.co/95sY9gt0dq
ギャルパラhttps://t.co/g3aieXf6nP#evaracing pic.twitter.com/023B8DCP3x

— 霧島 聖子ミスFLASH2021グランプリ (@renna1208) September 18, 2021

おはようございます
レースクイーンも到着しました！！
本日、りさまるはA.T.FIELDコスチューム！！

お天気も良くて風が気持ちいいです(^^) pic.twitter.com/QRTkqg8zDu

— エヴァンゲリオンレーシングLIVE (@evaracing) September 18, 2021

▼ They also put up “A.T. Field” barriers to keep unauthorized individuals out of their paddock.

まさかっ！？
A.T.FIELD！？
#鈴鹿S耐 #S耐 #スーパー耐久 pic.twitter.com/ffICLkyAQW

— 鈴鹿サーキット (@suzuka_event) September 18, 2021

Evangelion Racing is currently campaigning a fifth-generation Supra in the D1 drifting series, and that’s what’s serving as the model for the Tomika Eva RT Test Type GR Supra.

チェックラン終了#evaracing #D1GP #oreda_channel pic.twitter.com/2OEfqNWZn9

— エヴァンゲリオンレーシングLIVE (@evaracing) June 25, 2021

While Tomika’s usual target market is little kids, the Eva Supra is plenty appealing to grown-ups as well. The toy has no engine, but it’s just begging for fans with a little imagination and some Photoshop skills to use it to recreate the tail-happy antics of its real-world drift missile counterpart.

▼ You will, however, have to make your own “vroom vroom” noises if you want to replicate the exhaust note.

エヴァRT初号機 SAILUNスープラチェックランにリフトオフ！#evaracing #D1GP #oreda_channel pic.twitter.com/57XlVx0k2f

— エヴァンゲリオンレーシングLIVE (@evaracing) June 26, 2021

The Tomika Eva RT Test Type GR Supra is priced at 1,000 yen (US$9.15) and can be purchased online through Rakuten here, with shipping scheduled for October.

Source, images: PR Times
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