Hello everyone, my name is Wakamizu, another member of the Web team here at Good Smile Company!
Following on from Oonoshi, I’ll be taking care of the blog today! When I first started I was sitting staring at the monitor and wondering what exactly I could possibly do for the blog when Mikatan told me…
／ ＼
／ ─ ─＼ ”Just do whatever you think you’ll enjoy doing!”
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| （__人__） | ＿＿＿＿＿＿＿_
＼ |r┬-| ,／ | | |
ノ `ー’´ ＼ | | |
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| ｌ | | |
ヽ -一ー_~､⌒)^),-､ | |_＿＿＿＿＿＿__|
ヽ ＿＿＿＿,ノγ⌒ヽ)ニニ-￣ | | |
I’m a big fan of motor sports as well as Hatsune Miku, so today’s theme will be:
A Look at Good Smile Racing’s History with Nendoroid Racing Miku!
…the title ended up sounding a lot more interesting than I think the actual blog will be, but I hope those who are interested will take the time to read through this post!
In 2007, Good Smile Company became a motor sports sponsor for the 2007 Rally JAPAN, a World Rally Championship. In 2008, the Hatsune Miku GT Project began and Good Smile Racing began taking part in the SUPER GT with a Hatsune Miku themed itasha. In 2009, Good Smile Racing (GSR) was officially established as a subsidiary company of Good Smile Company.
At the moment, GSR is working with Studie who provide the looks for the BMWs as well as the former F1 Racer Ukyo Katayama’s racing team ‘teamUKYO’ to create the team ‘GSR＆Studie with TeamUKYO’ who are now taking part in the SUPER GT with a BMW Z4 GT3!
What exactly is the SUPER GT?
| The SUPER GT is one of Japan’s most well known motor races!A total of eight races are held all over Japan as well as in Malaysia. Depending on their position in each of the races, each team is given a certain number of points, which accumulate over each race.
In the end, the team with the most points is crowned the champion of the season! To those watching the races the cars might just look like slightly modified stock cars, but the cars have actual each been very finely tuned to perfection for each and every race! The cars are separated into two different classes depending mostly on their engine ability – either the GT500 class or the GT300 class. GSR takes part in the GT300 class races! |
Ever since GSR was established it has been running under the motto, ‘Racing Together with the Fans!’, and through that concept it has been funded through a system of personal sponsorships!
Sponsors have been given special edition figures for their support!
The very first of which was this Miku!
This version of Miku is now very rare…!
The separated race queen outfit was definitely the highlight of this figure! It also featured some more black and grey onto the standard Miku colors, which ended up making a really awesome looking version of Miku that was named ‘Miku Hatsune : RQ Ver’.
It was only available to the personal sponsors in 2009, so I’m sure that the figure is extremely difficult to get hold of now! She was essentially the very first Miku in the now long series of Racing Miku figures!
Back at this time GSR was a part of a team known as the Studie GLAD Racing, racing in a BMW Z4 M Coupe.
“I remember when we couldn’t even get through the preliminaries, but got through via a letter of appeal…” – GSR PR Emii.
Even GSR had to get through some tough times at the start…!
Into 2010!
In 2009 the team was known as Studie GLAD Racing, but in 2010 to clear up some misunderstandings the name was changed to GOODSMILERACING with COX.
This was also the year that…
The Miku Hatsune GT Project’s Official Character, ‘Racing Miku’ was officially created!
A version of Miku in a mechanic outfit illustrated by redjuice!
She looks absolutely amazing! I love the way this figure looks!
She even came with a wireless headset and an impact wrench to replace tires quickly! I think this combination of cute girls and mechanics really has some potential!
Thanks to the hard work of mechanic Miku, the 2010 season didn’t go too badly for the team…
They finished 16th out of 26 teams!
A very good result for a newcomer team! The car they were using in this season was a Porsche 911 GT3 R, which at the time was a brand new model – one of only 21 in the world!
Then the 2011 Season!
Still working together with Studie, but now changing from Porsche to BMW, the team set forth against all new challenges for the new year! It was announced on the WonHobby stage that they would be working together with Ukyo Katayama and thus the team name would become GSR＆Studie with TeamUKYO!
The special supporter induction of the F1 Racer Kamui Kobayashi also happened this year!
Together with the new team name there was also…
Nendoroid Racing Miku 2011 Ver.!
Her twin-tailed hair looks incredible!
The hair made use of clear plastic, plus the ends of the hair had a lighter gradient that looked great!
The 2011 Miku was based on designs by Yuichi Murakami – a lovely race queen version of Miku! Her hair was not the only highlight by any means – her skirt was also made with clear parts giving an overall really airy feeling to the design, and the black areas dotted around the figure brought everything together to make her look absolutely stunning! Balance is just as important on figures as it is on car designs!
The team were the winners of 3 of the 8 different races, and with those points…
They were the 2011 series champions!!
It was basically the first time this team was together once again, but even so they managed to take the gold! All thanks to the support of all the personal sponsors!! Mikatan made a report about the series championship before, which you can read here:
The Miku Hatsune BMW is the Season Champion of the 2011 Super GT!
And now we are back to the present…
The 2012 season!
This season the team name has stayed the same – GSR＆Studie with TeamUKYO, however the team is running two separate cars this season – Car #0 and Car #4!
The team is growing more and more every year… and this year also brings…
Nendoroid Racing Miku : 2012 Ver.!
She looks just like some kind of fairy!
Most people normally refer to Miku as an angel, but I think she could easily be described as a fairy based on this year’s design! She is so cute!!
This year’s design was by the illustrator GAN, and features a lovely pearl white outfit and unique costume! The little tiara placed on her head is also a lovely touch!
It’s certainly a change to the ‘cool’ style of Racing Miku in the past, but it shows that Miku is the queen of the circuit once again this year! The outfit once again makes use of clear parts which really adds to the cute and light feeling the design gives! I just don’t have the vocabulary to explain how cute she is to everyone out there, I hope you all feel the same was as me….
So, how are the results of this season looking so far…?
Race #1 (Okayama)
Car #0 – 3rd Place / Car #4 – 15th Place!
Race #2 (Fuji)
Car #0 – 1st Place! / Car #4 – 11th Place!
Race #3 (Sepang)
Car #0 – 12th Place / Car #4 – 10th Place!
The third race took place just the other day in Malaysia, Sepang.Car #0 managed to keep 2nd place almost the entire race when just near the end it ran out of fuel and unfortunately ended up in 12th place. On the other hand, Car #4 managed to finish in 10th place, giving Car #4 its first points of the season!
The next race will take place on the weekend of the 28th July! Hopefully we can get back on track to being the season champions again!
Looking back at all the past versions… Racing Miku has been amazing every single year! I can’t help but be amazed at the unique design that each illustrator has brought to Racing Miku each year, and props to the sculptors that made such lovely figures every year as well!
Finally, a big thank you to everyone over at GSR!
I’m sure most of you already know, but there are also of course a number of other Racing Miku figures – both Nendoroid Petite and Scale Figure versions. I would love to have gone through all of them as well, but I unfortunately don’t have the time, so I just took a look at the Nendoroids this time around.
If I ever get the chance, perhaps I’ll show the other figures as well some time! There have been a couple of posts about racing Miku in the past on Mikatan blog – take a look at these posts if you’re interested!
2009
Nendoroid Miku Hatsune RQ Ver. + Parasol + Nendoroid CAR (Japanese)
2010
Nendoroid Racing Miku 2010 Ver. (Japanese)
Nendoroid Petite Racing Miku Set 2010 Ver. (Japanese)
2011
Nendoroid Racing Miku 2011 ver.
Nendoroid Petite: Racing Miku 2011 Ver.
2012
Nendoroid Racing Miku 2012 Ver.
But I still have more to show everyone!
I want to show off these two cars that were announced on the GSC website on the 5th June. – GSR Miku Hatsune BMW 2012 : Season Opening Ver. and GSR ProjectMirai BMW 2012: Season Opening Ver.
The prototypes just got back from Anime Festival Asia Malaysia, and let me just say they are amazing… absolutely amazing!
This is how they look from the front!
The cars GSR are using are 2011 model BMW Z4 GT3s! Definitely a very sexy front appearance for any car lovers!
They are also a nice 1/32 scale!
This picture compares the new version to last years 1/43 scale Miku Hatsune GOODSMILE BMW Z4 2011 : Sepang Champion Ver..
I don’t think there was anything wrong with a 1/43 scale model, but I won’t deny that the 1/32nd scale size has a lovely presence to it!
Both of the cars have a really colorful body design that contrast brilliantly with the black tires. They really give off a professional aura!
The 1/32 scale GSR Miku Hatsune BMW 2012: Season Opening ver. and the 1/32 scale GSR ProjectMirai BMW 2012: Season Opening ver. !!
Both will be on sale from October this year!!
Notice #1!
Good Smile Racing is currently looking for personal sponsors! There are a number of sponsor courses available that each come with lovely original goods and other extras! Check out the Good Smile Racing Official support site!
Personal Sponsor Information (Japanese)
Notice #2!
It’s time to introduce a newly announced product!!
“It’s Pirate Time!”
A Nendoroid of Marika Kato from the series, ‘Bodacious Space Pirates’!!
The Official Product Page can be found here!
She will be available from October 2012!
Anyway, tomorrow Mikatan will be back! Look forward to her return!!
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Copyright (C) Crypton Future Media, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
(C) redjuice/Crypton Future Media, INC.
(C)Yuichi Murakami / Crypton Future Media, Inc.
(C)GAN / Crypton Future Media, Inc
The BMW logo, the BMW wordmark and BMW model designations are Trademarks of BMW AG and are used under license.
(C)SEGA (C)Crypton Future Media, Inc. Design Cooperation: Nendoroid