Speed Racer's Mach 5 Rolls Into Detroit

The thunderous Mach 5, Speed Racer's supercharged race car featured in Warner Bros. Pictures' new live-action film "Speed Racer," will be on display at the 2008 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, January 19-21. The International Auto Show is being held at the COBO Center, located at One Washington Blvd. Detroit, MI 48226. - Get Directions

From writers/directors/producers Larry and Andy Wachowski, the creators of the groundbreaking "The Matrix" trilogy, and producer Joel Silver comes the live-action, high-octane film "Speed Racer," which follows the adventures of the young race car driver Speed in his quest for glory in his thunderous Mach 5. "Speed Racer" marks the Wachowski brothers' first writing/directing collaboration since "The Matrix" movies. Joel Silver, who previously worked with the Wachowskis on "The Matrix" movies and "V For Vendetta," is producing the film under his Silver Pictures banner. Larry and Andy Wachowski and Grant Hill are also producing, with David Lane Seltzer and Bruce Berman serving as executive producers. "Speed Racer" stars Emile Hirsch as Speed, Christina Ricci as Speed's girlfriend Trixie, Matthew Fox as the mysteriously masked Racer X, and Oscar winner Susan Sarandon ("Dead Man Walking") and John Goodman as Mom and Pops Racer. Based on the classic series created by anime pioneer Tatsuo Yoshida, the live-action "Speed Racer" will showcase the kind of revolutionary visual effects and cutting-edge storytelling that have become the benchmarks of the Wachowski brothers' films. "Speed Racer" is a Warner Bros. Pictures presentation, in association with Village Roadshow Pictures, of a Silver Pictures Production.

The North American International Auto Show (previously called the Detroit Auto Show and often abbreviated NAIAS) is an annual automobile show (or auto show) that occurs every year in Detroit, Michigan.

The show begins with press preview days, industry preview days and a charity preview event. The charity preview raises money for local children's charities. In 2004 and 2005, the charity preview attracted 17,500 people at $400 a ticket and raised $7 million in total. 2006 was the sixth consecutive year the charity preview event raised over $6 million. 35,711 tickets were sold for the industry preview representing people from 24 countries in 2005 and 6,897 credentialed press from 63 countries. Over 800,000 attended during the days the show was open to the general public in 2004. It is estimated that the show provides over $500 million to the local economy.

The NAIAS was long the only auto show in the United States sanctioned by the Organisation Internationale des Constructeurs d'Automobiles, however since 2006 the Greater Los Angeles Auto Show was recognized and, starting in 2007, the Chicago Auto Show was as well.

Speed Racer is the title of an English adaptation of the Japanese anime Mach GoGoGo, which centered on automobile racing. The series is an early example of an anime becoming a successful franchise in the United States.

The English rights to Mach GoGoGo were acquired by American syndicator Trans-Lux. The main character Go Mifune was given the name "Speed Racer" in the English version. A major editing and dubbing effort was undertaken by producer Peter Fernandez, who also voiced many of the characters, most notably Racer X and Speed Racer himself. Fernandez was also responsible for a retooling of the theme song's melody and its subsequent English lyrics, provided by Danny Davis and the Nashville Brass. When the series emerged before U.S. TV audiences as Speed Racer, fans were quickly drawn to its sophisticated plots involving fiendish conspiracies, violent action, hard-driving racing, and soulful characters with sparkling eyes. In an effort to squeeze the complicated plotlines into existing lip movements, the frenetic pace of the dubbing made Speed Racer famous for its quirky "fast" dialogue.

The Mach 5 is a technological marvel containing useful pieces of equipment. These gadgets were easily deployed by pressing buttons marked 'A' through 'G' on the steering wheel hub. There was another button, marked 'H', mounted in the console.

The buttons had the following functions:

Button A (Auto Jacks): “Releases powerful jacks to boost the car so anyone can quickly make any necessary repairs or adjustments.” Although not designed for this function, the auto jacks can also be used to “jump” the car short distances at high speeds. The "chyock chyock" sound effect played whenever the car jumped through the air is instantly recognizable to the show's fans.

Button B (Belt Tires): Toggles special grip tires for traction over rough terrain (firm, icy, or unsteady ground, ocean floor, vertical mountainsides). At the same time, 5,000 horsepower is distributed equally to each wheel by auxiliary engines.

Button C (Cutters): For use traveling over heavily wooded terrain. A matched pair of powerful rotary saws protrude from the front of the Mach 5 to cut away many obstacles.
Button D (Deflector): Releases a powerful transparent cover which seals the cockpit into an air-tight chamber. The cover is bullet- and crash-proof. The cockpit becomes a water-tight chamber which then allows the car to be completely submerged under water.

Button E * ("Evening Eye"): Controls special illumination lights "which can be controlled singularly or in tandem", allowing the driver to see more clearly than with ordinary headlights. When used with the “night shades” attached to Speed’s helmet, his vision is enhanced with infrared light. The original Japanese version strictly translates this as "illuminating eyes".
Button E was later modified to activate mini-wings that would slide out from under the car to assist Speed in long jumps.

Button F (Frogger mode): Used when the Mach 5 is submerged. An oxygen canister supplies the cockpit with breathable air. A periscope can then be raised to scan the surface of the water. Everything viewed is relayed to a video screen inside the Mach 5's cockpit. The 100-pound auxiliary supply of oxygen is enough to last for thirty minutes.

Button G (Gizmo Rocket): Releases a flying, gull-shaped "homing robot" from under the hood of the car.

Button H (Home): Mounted in the center console with the rest of the controls for the homing robot, this button sends the homing robot back to the Racer house.

Extra Button: Pops, in one episode, put an extra button in the car that makes it glide short distances.

See Also: 2008 Sneak Preview - Speed Racer