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Last summer, we thought the heat might have been getting to the executives at 7-Eleven. Sure, offering two-meter (six-foot, seven-inch) tall Evangelion statues as special promotional prizes was a cool idea and all, but did they really expect anyone to pony up the 1,836,000 yen (US$16,000) they were asking for the 25 more giant figures they was selling outright?

Well, not only did all 25 of those Eva statues find homes, they sold out in just two minutes. Emboldened by that success, 7-Eleven has teamed up once again with the hit anime franchise to release the most expensive item the convenience store has ever sold: the Evangelion car.

While Evangelion’s themes of loneliness and the struggle for self-worth come straight from the mind and experiences of director Hideaki Anno, the inspiration for its iconic giant biomechanical robots are oni, the horned ogre demons of Japanese folklore. So it’s only fitting that the Evangelion car’s model name is Orochi, the eight-headed serpent that terrorized Japan in ancient myth.

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With its outlandishly aggressive sheet metal, you might think the Orochi was specially designed to be an anime tie-in, but in fact manufacturer Mitsuoka Motors has been building the model for years. It is extremely rare, though, and you’re only slightly more likely to see one on the streets of Tokyo than a rampaging space alien.

▼ The “normal” Orochi

ファイル:Mitsuoka Orochi 01.jpg

But while Mitsuoka’s halo car turns heads in any form, it’s been made even more eye-catching with custom graphics from Evangelion mechanic designer Ikuto Yamashita.

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Prices for regular Orochis start at a little under 13 million yen ($113,000). The Evngleion version is one-of-a-kind, though, and thus commands enough of a premium to be priced at 16 million yen. The car goes on sale at 10 a.m. on November 14, but 7-Eleven showed the car off a few days ahead of time at a special unveiling.

The Evangelion Orochi can be purchased from any 7-Eleven location in Japan, with your last chance to put in your order being November 30. There is, however, only one available, and given the response to the chain’s Eva statues, 7-Eleven has announced that in the case of multiple interested parties, a draw will be held to determine which lucky fan gets to exchange their fat wad of cash for the very special ride.

Too bad those Evangelion license plates can only be used on scooters.

Source: Oricon, Livedoor
Top image: Mitsuoka
Insert images: Mitsuoka, Wikipedia/TTTNIS