Cup Noodle releases new Tomica “car” collection

Designed to replicate an open-top vehicle, complete with ingredients on board.

Nissin is well known for thinking outside the box, or cup, when it comes to marketing its popular Cup Noodle brand of instant noodles. One surefire way to attract attention is to collaborate with another big company, and the more unlikely the partnership the better, as evidenced by its latest collaboration with Takara Tomy’s toy car brand Tomica.

Tomica is a household name in Japan, where many people have grown up playing with Tomica cars. However, the brand is now making us rethink what constitutes a toy car with this collection, which puts Cup Noodles on wheels.

▼ There are seven models to collect in the series, with six flavours in the “Dream Tomica Cup Noodle Collection” and one “Dream Tomica No.161 Cup Noodle W Tab“.

Each model is about one-third the size of an actual Cup Noodle, and the exterior has been designed to resemble the real product as much as possible, with details like the logo and nutritional and allergy information printed on the outside.

▼ They measure 35 millimetres (1.38  inches) wide, 41 millimetres high and 35 millimetres deep.

On the inside, the model replicates the setup of an open-top bus, with a window for the imaginary driver’s seat on the bottom level, and up top, the “W tab” lid — a two-tab lid that resembles animal ears —  opens up to reveal the ingredients on board.

▼ Seafood

▼ Curry

▼ Chili Tomato

▼ Miso

▼ Spicy Noodles

▼ Aromatic Coriander Tom Yum Kung

While the six models above will be sold in blind boxes, both Takara Tomy and Nissin know demand will be great for the original Cup Noodle, so that model is being sold as a separate product from the blind-box range.

▼ The Dream Tomica No.161 Cup Noodle W Tab

Suitable for ages three and up, these Cup Noodle cars? buses? cups on wheels? will be popular with both children and adults. Priced at 880 yen (US$6.22) each, it could be a pricey endeavour trying to collect all seven, but if you’re willing to try your luck, they’ll be available to purchase from early September at Tomica retailers around Japan and at online shopping sites such as Takara Tomy Mall.

Takara Tomy Mall is accepting reservations for the collection now, although you won’t be able to choose which one you’ll receive when purchasing from the Dream Tomica Cup Noodle Collection. We’ve gotta say, the Dream Tomica series — which has previously given us “dream” vehicles such as Jiji on wheels from the Studio Ghibli anime film Kiki’s Delivery Service — just seems to be getting weirder with every new collaboration, so we can’t wait to see what they’ll come up with next!

Source, images: Press release
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