A few days before the release of the Transformers 2 DVD, Revenge of the Fallen, I figure it’s time to post about them.  From the first movie, Ironhide, the weapons specialist for the Autobots, is one of my favorites.  He did some really cool somersaults evading incoming missiles from the Decepticons during the battle in Mission City.

Tranformers Ironhide Diecast Models for sale on eBay

In the theatrical movies, Transformers and Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen, Ironhide’s alternate mode is a black 2006 GMC TopKick C4500.  More accurately, Ultimate Class IV Topkick Pickup (C4500 medium-duty truck).  TopKicks, aka Chevrolet Kodiak, are typically commercial class utility vehicles used for high-power towing such as dump trucks, moving trucks, and cargo hauls.  The Ultimate Class IV TopKick Pickup is a converted version for use by regular folks for more than regular hauling.  So we’re talking strong enough to haul boats, RVs, trailers,…the works.

Pictures of GMC TopKick C4500

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In the movie, 2 Fast 2 Furious, the second of the series, Brian O’Conner was the only guy who came back from the original movie.  This time around, he had a buddy named Roman Pearce, played by Tyrese Gibson.  O’Conner needed a partner whom he could trust to work an assignment that was forced on him by the police.  Of course, there were conditions.  Pearce was serving a prison sentence, but he can be pardoned if he successfully assisted O’Conner in infiltrating a drug trafficking ring in Miami, where the stage was set for dangerous street racing.

Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder Diecast Models for sale on eBay

Roman Pearce drove a 2001 Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder Convertible.  The metallic silver and purple tuner car was powered by a stock 200-hp 3 L V6 engine.  The body was modded for street racing with a Shine Street wide body kit and rear wing.

A little bit of a trivia here.  According to the book, The Fast and The Furious: The Official Car Guide, Tyrese Gibson had a role in modding the Eclipse Spyder.  Apparently, it was his idea to paint the car with an eye catching webby design.  He also chose the nice Lowenhart BR-5 alloy wheels to polish off the design.

Photos of 2001 Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder

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The second movie in the Fast and the Furious movie series is not well received by fans.  I, however, do not think it was all that bad.  It wasn’t the best, but it was not as bad as many fans would put it.  Maybe because Vin Diesel was not in the movie.  Still, 2 Fast 2 Furious was great for the cars and the filmmakers pretty much stayed true to the tuner street scene.

Nissan Skyline GTR Diecast Models for sale on eBay

In 2 Fast 2 Furious, the story was all about O’Conner who was on the lam when we caught up to him.  Apparently, he’s been trying to stay away from the law since he let Toretto get away in the first film.  In the meantime, O’Conner had been street racing in order to make a living.  Plus, I thought he’s really into it, not just because street racing was part of his previous assignment.

This time around, Brian O’Conner was driving around in a Nissan 1999 Skyline GTR R34.  This car posed some obstacles for the filmmakers because it was not available for sale in the US.  For many, including me, the first time I saw a Nissan Skyline GTR was in the movie.  So in order to include the Skyline in the movie, they had to be imported from Japan.

Funny thing was that they went through all the trouble bringing the Nissan Skyline GTRs to the US for filming, but it had a short-lived role in the movie.
O’Conner only drove it in the beginning.  After the first street race, the police who were trying to catch O’Conner shot a special high-voltage dart at the car shutting down its electrical system.  They caught O’Conner and we never saw the car again.  Oh well, at least, it wasn’t destroyed.

Photos of Nissan 1999 Skyline GTR

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O’Conner’s Nissan 1999 Skyline GTR R34 was a beautifully portrayed.  It was powered by a twin-turbocharged, 2.6 liter DOHC 24 valve straight six engine with nitrous system.  Of course, everyone noticed the Street Glow under-car neon lighting in a few scenes.  The exterior was fully tricked out with street racing body kit.  The interior was fitted with Sparco racing seats and steering wheel.