Mach Five Explained

Mach Five
Source:Speed Racer
Source Type:franchise
Company:Tatsunoko Production
First:Speed Racer
Creator:Tatsuo Yoshida
Genre:Science fiction
Owner:Speed Racer
Uses:Drives at high speed

The is the fictional racing car which appears in the anime series Speed Racer (known as Mach Go! Go! Go! in Japan) and its adaptations, including TV anime series and live-action films. The car has a set of special devices the driver can deploy with buttons on the steering wheel.

Design

Mach Five was designed by Mitsuki Nakamura, who was the art director of Tatsunoko Production, which produced the 1967 TV anime series.[1] [2]

The initial plan was to keep the original manga design for the anime production, but it was decided to redesign the car, and Nakamura, a car enthusiast, was entrusted with the task.Nakamura scoured photographic materials and designed the car in reference to the Porsche and Ferrari race cars of the time.The car's special devices and other settings were conceived by Tatsunoko's literary section.[3]

Mach Five's design remained timeless and modern half a century after its birth, and passed muster for the Wachowskis' 2008 live-action film adaptation with few changes 40 years later.[3] [4] [5]

Works featuring Mach Five

Original Japanese TV anime series

Speed Racer (known as Mach GoGoGo in Japan) is the first series produced in Japan in 1967 based on the manga.

Mach Five is the racing car driven by "Speed Racer" ("Go Mifune" in the Japanese version), whose car was designed, manufactured, and created by "Pops Racer" (Daisuke Mifune), Speed Racer's father. The car is a two-seater, left-hand drive car with no detailed specifications other than that it is powered by a V12 engine.[6] The body is painted white with the letter "M" written on the hood.

The car has seven special functions, each of which is controlled by a button on the steering wheel assigned to each initial from A to G.[3] [4]

! Button! Name! Function
AAuto-JacksThese are built-in jacks and the driver can make the car jump over obstacles by deploying them while driving.
BBelt tiresThese are deployable tracks, allowing the car to gain traction on any surface, including deserts and rough terrain.
CCutter BladeThese are giant rotating blades that deploys from the front of the vehicle, allowing the car to move forward while clearing obstacles such as luxuriant vegetation.
DDefensor/DeflectorThis is a hard plastic transparent covering that encloses the open cockpit and provides occupant protection bullets and other objects.
EEvening EyeThis is an Infrared night vision system that provides clear vision at night and in fog when viewed through helmet goggles.
FFrogger ModeThis feature allows the car to carry underwater while being supplied with oxygen from an oxygen cylinder, allowing the driver to see above the water through a periscope and video display.
GGizmoThis is a bird-shaped drone mounted under the hood that can be remotely controlled by the driver. It is primarily used to transmit images and voice messages to others.

American remake

The New Adventures of Speed Racer is a remake series produced in the United States in 1993, and has not been released in Japan.

Mach Five's design was full redesigned.

Japanese remake

This was a remake produced in Japan in 1997 and was the second TV series broadcast in Japan. The title in Japan is Mach GoGoGo, and overseas it is called Speed Racer Y2K, Speed Racer X, or Mach Go Go Go: Restart.

The design of Mach Five follows the front part of the previous body shape, but the rear part has been significantly modified. The car was changed from a two-seater to a three-seater with a center cockpit.[6]

The new Mach Five functions a little differently than before.[6]

! Button! Name! Function
AAero jackThis feature allows the vehicle to jump with the built-in jacks, then deploy its wings and glide with jets of air.
BBalloon tiresThis feature allows the car to drive off-road by inflating the tires with air, deforming the suspension, and raising the ride height.
CCutter bladeThese are two laser cutters.
DDefensive shieldThis is the covering that protects the cockpit.
EEmergency wireThese are tow wires (winches).
FFish diverThe car can be transformed into a submersible by retracting its tires and putting out its screws from the rear, allowing it to navigate underwater.
GGallantA bird-shaped drone.

American sequel

was produced in the United States in 2008 as a sequel that takes place about 40 years after the events in the original anime. The series has not been released in Japan.

The design is almost the same as the original anime, but, the wheel rims have been changed from the original silver-white to black, and it is animated in CGI like all of the cars in the series.

Film

See main article: Speed Racer (film). The Mach Five appears in the live-action film adaptation Speed Racer, directed by the Wachowski siblings, produced by Joel Silver, and released by Warner Bros. Pictures.[7] [8]

Mach Five was almost identical in design to the original anime and was used in the film's main races with an actual vehicle. However, the car was rarely driven on real roads, instead it was hung on a crane and the effects were generated by computer graphics.[8]

The film portrays the Mach Five as initially a street legal family vehicle, allowing for it to feature a rear compartment that Spritle and Chim-Chim later use to stow away in the vehicle. The Mach Five is later modified with gadgets and becomes Speed's alternate car for off-track races such as the Casa Cristo 5000, as well as everyday driving like a normal car. The Mach Five originally belonged to Speed's older brother Racer X. Rex, who relinquished ownership of it to Speed before he left the Racer home.

Along with the Mach Five, the movie features the "Mach 4" and the "Mach 6", two different single-seater cars created specifically for stunt races. The designs of the Mach 4 and Mach 6 are vaguely reminiscent of the Mach Five's (as in the original American comics), although the only functions the Mach 6 features are the jump jacks, which are standard equipment in race cars in the movie.[9] Little about the Mach 4 is known, as it appears only briefly in the film and is portrayed as a red-colored companion to the 6.Speed's main car for races on the WRL track (Thunderhead, etc.) is the Mach 6. The Mach 6 was destroyed in a fixed race, but was later rebuilt for the film's final race.

The "real" Mach Five

In 1997, a replica of the Mach Five, which was based on Nissan's entry-level race car, the Saurus, modified and covered with an FRP body, was produced to promote the Japanese anime remake. It was unveiled at the time of the TV broadcast in Japan, and later ran again at the Toyota Automobile Museum in 2010.[6]

In 2000, a prototype of the Mach Five replica with retractable saw blade was sold at a charity auction on E-Bay in 2000.[10] In 2002, 100 product models of Mach Five replica were planned to be manufactured as road-legal vehicles.[10] The body, built on the 2001 Chevrolet Corvette platform, was to be extensively modified to look like the Mach Five.[10] The Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles, California has a mid-engine prototype of the Mach Five in its collection.[11]

In 2008, after the premiere of the film Speed Racer at the Nokia Theater in Los Angeles, California, the actual racing car used in the film was unveiled.[12]

A full-scale replica of the Mach Five was exhibited at the 2009 Tokyo Motor Show. It was produced in connection with a project by Japanese chocolate maker Tyrol Choco, in which Mach Five miniature cars were given away through a lottery.[13]

Mach Five in popular culture

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: 『マッハGoGoGo』放送開始40周年記念企画 - メカニックデザインを担当した中村光毅氏に直撃 (1/8) . Celebrating the 40th anniversary of the broadcast of Speed Racer - a direct interview with Mitsuki Nakamura, who was in charge of the mechanical design (1/8). August 24, 2007 . ja. Mynavi News . Mynavi . April 11, 2024 .
  2. Web site: 今だから話せる「ガンダム」「ダンバイン」「パトレイバー」生みの親たちのメカデザイナーズサミットレポ(1/5) . Now's the time to talk about it. Report from the Mecha Designers Summit, featuring the creators of Gundam, Dunbine and Patlabor (1/5) . Marumoto . Daisuke . December 18, 2012 . ja. Excite Review . . April 11, 2024.
  3. Web site: 『マッハGoGoGo』放送開始40周年記念企画 - メカニックデザインを担当した中村光毅氏に直撃 (4/8) . Celebrating the 40th anniversary of the broadcast of Speed Racer - a direct interview with Mitsuki Nakamura, who was in charge of the mechanical design (4/8). August 24, 2007 . ja. Mynavi News . Mynavi. April 11, 2024.
  4. Web site: The Engineering Superhero Who Inspired Generations: Speed Racer . Carney . Dan . April 30, 2020. Design News . April 11, 2024 .
  5. Web site: 追悼・中村光毅美術監督 SFアート&デザインの草分けにして巨匠. Memorial to Mitsuki Nakamura, art director, pioneer and master of SF art and design . Hikawa . Ryusuke . May 20, 2011 . ja. . . April 11, 2024 .
  6. Web site: トヨタ博物館で「マッハ号」が走った . "Mach Five" running at Toyota Museum. Okugawa . Hirohiko . January 12, 2010 . ja. Car Watch. Impress. April 11, 2024 .
  7. Web site: Movies - Speed Racer Special Report . . April 11, 2024 .
  8. News: Bowles . Scott . May 30, 2007 . First look: 'Speed Racer's' demon on wheels . . https://web.archive.org/web/20070602124009/https://www.usatoday.com/life/movies/news/2007-05-30-speed-racer_N.htm . June 2, 2007 . April 11, 2024.
  9. https://www.imdb.com/video/trailer/vi2175926553/ IMDb Video: Speed Racer
  10. Web site: Macdonald. Christopher . Buy a Mach 5. Anime News Network. April 11, 2024. October 1, 2002.
  11. Web site: Petersen Mach 5. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20110716134805/http://www.petersen.org/default.cfm?DocId=1813&CarID=258. 2011-07-16.
  12. Web site: 「マッハGo Go Go」実写版映画のレーシングカーはこれだ! . This is the racing car in the live-action version of "Mach Go Go Go"!. April 28, 2008. ja. AFPBB News . April 11, 2024 .
  13. Web site: Life-Sized "Mach 5" Racing Car from "Speed Racer": Tokyo Motor Show 2009 . October 22, 2009. GIGAZINE . OSA . April 11, 2024 .
  14. Web site: Trulio . Matt . MTI At 25—Looking Back At Speed Racer . SpeedOnTheWater.com . 17 April 2023 . 1 February 2023.
  15. Web site: Racer Motors Mach 5 . . Sam Mitani . 31 March 2008 . 25 January 2016.
  16. Web site: Nitro Type News | Stone the Crows! CarriePirc Does It Again! . Nitrotype.com . 2014-05-19.