Note: All images in this post are Photoshop concepts only. They are not mods or official content, and do not exist in-game. I'd like to propose a new stock "Classic" configuration for the Ibishu Hopper that would pay tribute to the Toyota FJ40 & FJ45. The existing "Classic" Hopper would live on, renamed as the "Tribute". My reasoning for this is that, with a production period from 1989-2001, the Hopper would be timed just right in order to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of Ibishu's first 4WD vehicle - a second world war military vehicle mechanically similar to the 1942 Toyota AK10, but historically different. The presence of Japanese military bunkers on Jungle Rock Island (which is implied to be part of the Hawaiian Archipelago) hints at a stronger Japanese military during the war, possibly aided by these vehicles (The AK10 never reached production, but the pre-hopper vehicle likely would have). Therefore, the "Tribute" assumes the role of a low-production celebratory vehicle, while the "Classic" becomes a mass-market retro edition. Getting back to the new Hopper Classic, either two or three new parts would need to be created. First would be a white-coloured (possibly fiberglass?) front fascia and valance. Alternately, a trim plate that surrounds the headlights and grille could reduce the parts count, while also more closely mimicking the FJ40. (Edit - I forgot to mention a third part. See my post on bumpers below for details) Likewise, the hardtop roof would also be re-textured, trading its black plastic for white. As with the front end, these would not merely be skins, but would be separate parts available in the parts selector to allow compatibility with other skins. (As in the case of the Hopper Luxe below) Pssst... hit that "agree" button if you'd like to see this added as official content ↓
But then, even I sometimes complain about why the devs keep adding parts for the Hopper instead of the K-Series or the new Pessima, admit that, I'm still OK with that idea.
Whoops! Almost forgot to include the Hopper Classic Luxe! Since only manual transmissions will be available, this limited-edition cosmetic variant will fill in the gap left by the missing automatic, while also making official use of the "two-tone" skin. Thanks for your support! The reason that the Dev team keeps adding parts for the Hopper is because of its recent introduction. They weren't able to release everything they wanted with it in 0.9, so they decided to release the initial version and add more parts and features over the next few updates. I suspect that the reason the planned "Beam Safari" configuration hasn't been released yet may be that they are waiting to add a winch to the front. This is likely to occur at the same time as the D-series tow truck, which was waiting for a means to chain up a car's wheels. Now that Node Coupling is in-game, you can probably expect both within the next few updates. As for the K-series and the new Pessima, there is some evidence to suggest that a "Hill Climb" configuration for the Pessima is in the works, which would likely bring a newer, high-performance engine. There are also the unused V10 sound effects in the game files, which are widely believed to be intended for the K-series.
I actually like this idea quite a lot. I never really thought about it while looking at the Hopper, but I guess it would be an excellent addition to the Hopper from standard.
We care, we care. The Hopper Classic would also pay tribute to this lesser-known machine, which could be replicated by any customizer that swaps the white front fascia and valance for the stock ones.
The one additional part that I forgot would be a simple steel bumper for both the "Classic" and "Tribute" versions of the hopper, similar to the ones used on the Jeep J8 & 75th Salute:
There is already a Russian FJ40 mod that isn't half bad (as far as Russian mods go). I'm not sure if it still works in the current versions but I had a good time with it when I discovered it. but, as much as I would like an FJ40 because I drive one (profile pic), I don't think there is much of a chance of a lookalike unless it is community made.
https://www.worldofmods.com/beamng/cars/3380-toyota-land-cruiser-j40-1980.html I think its the same one, but I doubt it works. More OT: I really like the classic hopper idea, especially since I feel like the hopper is turning into the K-Series and newer Pessima; they are somewhat rarely modded, even with the uv map apparent.
The idea isn't to go back in time and gain an earlier generation of the Hopper, but rather to create a "retro" trim package for the Hopper we currently have. As mentioned before, the reasoning is that because the in-game generation of the Hopper was produced from 1989-2001, It would be right around the fiftieth anniversary of the original Hopper, assuming it had been designed during the second world war. As a result, Ibishu would celebrate by producing the low-volume "Tribute" edition (the current "classic" configuration), as well as producing the "Classic" edition for a broader market. The eventual hope might be to eventually receive a 1960s version of the Hopper so we can place them side-by-side, but that would likely be a long way off into the future.
