# "Men of Metal" AKA complex ad for a car.

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/men-of-metal-aka-complex-ad-for-a-car/240080>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [April 15, 2004, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/men-of-metal-aka-complex-ad-for-a-car/240080 "2004-04-15T01:12:08Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![beajerry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@beajerry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beajerry)\
**Post date:** [April 15, 2004, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/men-of-metal-aka-complex-ad-for-a-car/240080/1 "2004-04-15T01:12:08Z")

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Just got my latest Rolling Stone and in the middle is stapled a little book excerpt of Men Of Metal by a Rowland Samuel.  
Inside is a few chopped chapters of some investigative reporter’s adventures into finding out about some giant robots that have been sighted near Oxford.  
It gives out this link:  
[http://www.r50rd.co.uk/research/internal/v2i/engin/](http://www.r50rd.co.uk/research/internal/v2i/engin/)

It turns out to be a complex advertisement for the Cooper Mini.

Brilliant or Much Ado 'Bout 'Nuthin?

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**Author:** ![dangergene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@dangergene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dangergene)\
**Post date:** [April 15, 2004, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/men-of-metal-aka-complex-ad-for-a-car/240080/2 "2004-04-15T04:04:24Z")

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The CGI on the site is pretty damn good, and it is quite convincing _grin_.

I wonder if Mini/BMW will tie this in to Takara/Hasbro’s Binaltech line of high-end Transformer toys? (I’m still looking for a transformation of the robot, but it does appear to be ‘built’ from Mini parts).

Link to Binaltech stuff  
[http://www.microforever.com/Binaltech.htm](http://www.microforever.com/Binaltech.htm)  
(slight hijack).

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**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\
**Post date:** [April 15, 2004, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/men-of-metal-aka-complex-ad-for-a-car/240080/3 "2004-04-15T19:27:09Z")

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There are only ten Binaltech (“Alternator” in the US) toys planned, and AFAIK none of them are Mini Coopers.

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**Author:** ![dangergene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@dangergene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dangergene)\
**Post date:** [April 16, 2004, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/men-of-metal-aka-complex-ad-for-a-car/240080/4 "2004-04-16T05:03:26Z")

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**RJ** I know there’s only ten, and we’ve already seen seven (eight? Which number is the Black Decepticon?). Do you know what the rest will be? And does this mean no Skids (The mini would work well as Skids, or possibly Cliffjumper, or somesuch)…I NEED TO KNOW!

and once again, apologies for derailing this thread.