Shopping Guide
Every since its introduction in 2009, the current Miku-phard champion has been overwhelmingly leading the genre. Currently, his car contains four 75 watt amps and two 200 watt amps for a total of 700 watts, as well as eight 8.2 channel speakers. As one would expect, the sound quality is indeed amazing, and even at ordinary levels, it’s quite enjoyable. However, once the engine is turned off, the battery will only last three minutes at most before it is depleted.
Another key feature are the monitors. One huge monitor is located in the back of the car and can be seen once the rear gate is opened. Small monitors throughout the inside of the car can also be pulled down from the roof. In total, the car has 13 monitors. The system allows for simultaneous viewing of up to six DVDs, however the car only has one Playstation 3. Of course, the system wasn’t meant to play movies, but rather games. Inside the rear gate is a huge one-off controller that provides quite a dynamic experience as you move your whole body to play using multiple monitors. The playing environment is on an even larger scale than that of arcade games!
Miku-phards have become all the rage, and custom builds are increasing. The car is also superior in DB Drag Racing. However, cases where the interior of the car cannot withstand the noise levels and is damaged is anything but rare. The vibration of the sound is often too great in proportion to the weight of the monitors in the roof. To help combat this, Miku-phard owners often imbed a metal arch frame in the roof. Also unseen is the amount of experience and cost that that goes into making a Miku-phard. We were hesitant to ask, but did so quietly, and the answer was astounding. The champion Miku-phard cost between 3-4 times as much as an ordinary visual Itasha. The owner’s dedication is amazing.
It has been three years since the appearance of this new kind of Itasha and a year and a half since it has been truly solidified. The owner of the champion Miku-phard has already won 93 competitions in a row throughout Japan. Ever envisioning new dreams, he said, “I want to do something new, maybe something like using 16 coaxials.” After all, when it comes to otaku, the road never ends!
Photos: Tetsuya Hara
Official Facebook page for Akihabara UDX Parking: https://www.facebook.com/AkihabaraUDXParking
