A real-life Transformers car like Optimus Prime is set to sell for £18,000.
Just like the fictional characters, the Japanese-built Archax has moveable arms and can transform from robot to vehicle and back again.
Made by Tsubame Industries, it requires a pilot who operates the robot from a space inside the structure.
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The frame was built by an ironworks firm that makes parts for heavy construction machinery, while the exterior was made of the same fibre-reinforced plastics used in F1 cars.
Standing at 14ft 9in, Archax has four legs but doesn’t walk on them.
At the bottom of each leg, is a Yokohama industrial tyre with the rear wheels driven by an electric motor.
In vehicle mode, Archax’s four legs are spread apart, lowering the centre of gravity and enabling it to a maximum speed of 6mph.
When converted into robot mode, it rises to its full height as a myriad of electric motors throughout the chassis whir into action, hoisting the 3.5-ton machine up in a process that takes around 15 seconds.
The cockpit opening mechanism is operated by holding a switch on the bottom left of Archax’s chassis.
Four separate hatches move in sync to improve access to the lone pilot’s chair inside, a fluid motion that is very much inspired by Gundam robots.
Basic controls include a pair of joysticks used to move the arms and a touch panel which monitors discrete functions such as lights.
A pair of pedals control Archax’s movement, as reported on Luxury Auto News.
The one on the right rocks forward and backward to control speed ahead. The pedal on the left rocks side to side and is used to turn the mech.
The cockpit is completely enclosed, with the pilot seeing the world through footage captured from nine wide-angle cameras.
That footage is then shown on four displays within the chassis.
Big red emergency stop buttons are found not only inside the cockpit, but also outside on the legs.
Tsubame says it has a responsibility to provide a safely operable robot and has performed rigid risk assessments according to ISO standards.
It is currently for sale on the SBX Cars auction site in Tokyo, Japan, with the current bid at $23,000, or approximately £18,000.
The auction ends on July 19.
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