It may not be as cool-looking as the life-size Gundam robot in Tokyo, but, for a home-made statue, this real-life Bumblebee Transformer is pretty awesome.

A big Transformers fan from Lemoore, California, Tom Rhoads decided to build a Bumblebee replica right in his front yard. He started working on the 18-foot-tall statue right after his son was born. Seeing these are financially-troubled times, Tom created the life-size Transformer out of an old Volkswagen Beetle, instead of a brand new Camaro, like in the movie.

Rhoads and a friend worked on this Bumblebee statue for an entire year, then lifted it into position using a crane and reinforced its legs so it wouldn’t fall down.

via Daily Stab

We’ve already posted some photos of the completed life-size RX78 Gundam, during the day, now we though you might enjoy seeing it in action at night.

Just like the Japanese said, the real-life Gundam in Odaiba’s Shiokaze Park has lights radiating from various body-parts, which make it look way much cooler when the sun sets. Check it out:

via Pink Tentacle

Gundam fans all over the world, rejoice! The life-sized RX78 Gundam robot has been completed and is expecting visitors.

Just like the Hello Kitty Castle in Shanghai, China, might become a pilgrimage site for pink-loving girls, Tokyo’s RX78 could turn into the same thing for robot-anime enthusiasts. Announced back in March, as a way of celebrating 30 years since the debut of the Mobile Suit Gundam anime series, the 1:1 sale Gundam has just been completed.

The RX78 Gundam towers 18 meters, features a movable head, 50 light-radiating points on his body, and shoots smoke from various fiberglass-reinforced plastic parts. The popular mech will be watching over Odaiba’s Shiokaze Park until August 31st. Hopefully they’ll just move it somewhere else after that, because depriving Gundam fans of such a symbol would be a regular crime.

Some might think the RX78 Gundam looks a bit too retro for 2009, but it’s a regular icon in Japanese culture, so choosing what model to build was never in question.

See even more photos at pyunari part 1 and pyunari part 2