The crushing disappointment of Tron: Legacy notwithstanding, one of the coolest imaginary vehicles
in cinema history has to be the light cycle.
In the 1982 original, the light cycles sped across the game grid, producing
a synthesized whiny noise that I incessantly imitated as a child while running
full speed around the house. They were beautiful
examples of fast moving eye candy that no boy could resist. The updated 2010 versions weren’t too shabby either,
featuring a more streamlined and “sexy” design to accompany the likewise
updated scenery. They remained a lovely
toy, and would sit proudly alongside Batman’s Tumbler in any self-respecting
fanboys garage. Alas, the real world and
the game world are still light years apart.
Or are they? Parker
Brothers Custom Choppers and Evolve Motorcycles have seemingly taken mankind’s
first step onto the game grid. They’ve
developed an actual, real-life Light Cycle.
Using the design from the latest Tron
film, the Florida based company has turned fantasy into reality. The electric bike is environmentally sound, fully
powered by a lithium battery. They are
also relatively affordable, costing only $55,000. The bikes are made on demand, and I’d imagine
the wait list is considerably long, seeing as how many geeks would prefer a
light cycle to an actual, affordable car.
Had this development taken place during my
childhood, my head would’ve exploded. An
affordable light cycle brings my lifelong dream of being a real life urban
superhero that much closer to reality (Oops!
Did I say that out loud?!). Well,
maybe that’s taking it a bit far, but it does show that real world technology
isn’t always that far behind Hollywood special FX technicians when it comes to
combining imagination with innovation. Now
if only someone can come up with an identity disc that can derez an opponent on
impact, the world will indeed be a much more fun (and much more dangerous)
place. Thanks to The Smoking Section for this amazing scoop!
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