What do you do when launching your car in Gran Turismo 5 just doesn't cut it anymore? You find some way to feature it in a movie, of course. Say hello to the NEXTridoron, a vehicle / superhero that appeared in the Kamen Rider Drive: Surprise Future. What's that? Just wait and see.
We won't pretend to know everything about Japanese culture, but Kamen comics, anime, and movies are a big part of it. The word literally means "mask", and there's a whole genre of sci-fi entertainment based around it. Some of them have medieval armor; others have helmets shaped like insects, and they always fight powerful supernatural enemies. The Power Rangers are a great example of where the Kamen warriors trickled to the west.
The NEXTridoron is, to our understanding, a hero car, but it might also belong to the anti-hero that arrives from the future. At its core, this is just a regular Mercedes-AMG GT, but it has received a special wrap that covers everything, including the headlights. The neon blue lines are inspired by circuit boards and suggest the Merc is being portrayed as a vehicle from the future.
Mercedes has a long history of promoting cars through movies, culminating in the advertorial that was Jurassic World. However, the AMG GT is a sportscar, so it had no place in the dinosaur-infested jungles. It's kind of funny how the first big movie role of one of the most exciting German cars is a Japanese flick about masked warriors.
Mind you, the AMG GT owners have nothing to be ashamed of because they've still bought a seriously rapid machine. Under its bonnet is a 4-liter twin-turbo V8 pushing 510 horsepower to the back wheels. Despite the much smaller engine, it's a faster machine than the glorious old SLS with gullwing doors.
In any case, enjoy the NEXTridoron photo gallery and walkaround video. You are unlikely to see another one like this ever again.
Mihnea's favorite cars have already been built, the so-called modern classics from the '80s and '90s. He also loves local car culture from all over the world, so don't be surprised to see him getting excited about weird Japanese imports, low-rider VWs out of Germany, replicas from Russia or LS swaps down in Florida. Full profile
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