Creating an anime series wasn’t enough for Acura, now it wants to anime all the things!
Japanese culture has permeated the American landscape for decades. From Karate Kid to Sushi, many rich traditions and styles of Japan have been integrated into our way of life, and one of the biggest, at least for us, is its car culture. These are few things cooler than the JDM scene, but there’s one guy who knows how to take JDM to the next level: KBMER. Florida-based artist Kyle Bryce Monteiro combines the world of JDM with the stylistic wonderland that is manga. We’ve seen KBMER turn a Nissan 350Z into a piece of art and he has turned a Mazda MX-5 into an anime-style cartoon character, but his latest work in partnership with Acura takes the cake.
Acura/Facebook
Acura/Facebook
KBMER/Facebook
KBMER/Facebook
At last week’s Long Beach Grand Prix, part of the IndyCar series, KBMER was tasked with turning a Curva Red-painted Acura NSX Type S into a manga style warrior that would look at home in Initial D. Manga is a style of Japanese cartoon that stretches back nearly 150 years and is stylistically characterized by bold and colorful illustrations of mature themes. KBMER is a master at replicating this style in all sorts of media, but he is best known for making cars look like they come straight out of a manga cartoon strip.
In January Acura started production of the NSX Type S, linking the event with the launch of an all-new Acura anime series starring the NSX Type S among other Type S models. But what could be better than bringing the anime creation to real life? After hours in the sun, KBMER’s finished artwork is absolutely stunning. The end result is a mind-bending mix of animation and reality, but it helps when the canvas is as stunning as this.
KBMER/Facebook
Acura/Facebook
Acura/Facebook
As a send-off to the second-generation NSX supercar, the NSX Type S is already highly exclusive; just 350 will be made, of which 300 will be sold in the US.
The Type S gets a few tasty upgrades over the standard car such as bespoke five-spoke wheels wrapped in Pirelli P-Zero rubber, a re-tuned adaptive damper system, unique Type S decals, and a carbon fiber roof. The Type S also sports an updated version of the mid-mounted 3.5-liter twin-turbocharged V6 engine which produces 600 horsepower and 492 lb-ft of torque.
Every Type S is already sold out, which makes us wonder which lucky customer will be getting this custom piece of artwork. Whoever they are, they can rest assured that there isn’t another one out there that looks like this.
KBMER/Facebook
KBMER/Facebook
KBMER/Facebook
