The first time after getting my driving license and having to find parking in the city, I was so jealous of George Jetson whose car collapses into a briefcase when he gets to work. Glad to see TV converging to reality.
I was stopped by the metal detector at an airport. I didn't know why. Then the guy in the lane next to me said, "Oh, I'm wearing steel-toed boots."
I said, "Oh, I am too." (True)
Without any further questions or checking, they let us both through.
"That? It's just a giant, red, spherical Christmas ornament, with a string to hang it by, that happens to smell of gunpowder... and the monogram 'TNT' on the side."
Damn, Japan used to be the home of cool quirky consumer gadgets in the 80s-90s, I used to dream of as a kid, but sadly no more, now it's China.
Today's consumer innovations I see coming out of Japan are like "hey, wanna buy a cheaply made nostalgia-bate plastic replica of a popular 1980's digital Casio metal watch, for more than the price of a bluetooth smartwatch?"
There needs to be a category of "super" Chindōgu (珍道具) that fail the first rule by being possibly useful despite being impossibly impractical. Maybe 超良い奇妙な道具.
I think it was a fun PR joke that was cool and funny itself and showed they didn't take themselves too seriously.
PS: What I miss from growing up - being awoken about 7:35 am to my next door neighbor's Solar Gold LS Wankel rev shifting from 1st->2nd as he commuted to Spectra-Physics.
Interesting how Japanese companies were pursuing these compact mobility solutions. One other example is Honda made two of them:
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honda_Motocompo in 1980s and
- https://motocompacto.honda.com just a few years ago. This one is electric.
The first time after getting my driving license and having to find parking in the city, I was so jealous of George Jetson whose car collapses into a briefcase when he gets to work. Glad to see TV converging to reality.
O sweet times when it was imaginable to have a combustion engine weighing 32 kg in your check-in luggage.
I sincerely wonder if this wasn't hazmat back then?
Pre-2001 was... different.
I was stopped by the metal detector at an airport. I didn't know why. Then the guy in the lane next to me said, "Oh, I'm wearing steel-toed boots."
I said, "Oh, I am too." (True)
Without any further questions or checking, they let us both through.
"That? It's just a giant, red, spherical Christmas ornament, with a string to hang it by, that happens to smell of gunpowder... and the monogram 'TNT' on the side."
My stepdad brought a chainsaw as carry-on luggage around the same time.
Damn, Japan used to be the home of cool quirky consumer gadgets in the 80s-90s, I used to dream of as a kid, but sadly no more, now it's China.
Today's consumer innovations I see coming out of Japan are like "hey, wanna buy a cheaply made nostalgia-bate plastic replica of a popular 1980's digital Casio metal watch, for more than the price of a bluetooth smartwatch?"
And fetish "little girl" stuff. That market is still active.
The Wikipedia article on it:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mazda_Suitcase_Car
- Double-o Seven, for this mission you will need a fast stealth escape vehicle.
- So do I get an Aston Martin?
- Well ...
UK is in a recession so James Bond needs to tighten the belt.
"Be sure to keep your receipts."
Scootcase
Reminds me of Mike Jittlov's vehicle in Wizard of Speed and Time (1988)
This is a go cart.
BREAKING: Nintendo sues Honda for infringing Mario Kart patent.
See also perhaps (motorcycle channel) FortNine video/skit about Honda's equivalent (the skit ends and review ends at 9m10s):
* https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WQAe7EtVi-4
There needs to be a category of "super" Chindōgu (珍道具) that fail the first rule by being possibly useful despite being impossibly impractical. Maybe 超良い奇妙な道具.
'car' is a bit of a stretch, but it's a cool compact go-kart.
Is the ad character inspired by, or the inspiration for, Mr Bean?
I think it was a fun PR joke that was cool and funny itself and showed they didn't take themselves too seriously.
PS: What I miss from growing up - being awoken about 7:35 am to my next door neighbor's Solar Gold LS Wankel rev shifting from 1st->2nd as he commuted to Spectra-Physics.