Ridge Racer Wiki
Register
Advertisement

The Kamata Angelus (also known as the "White Angel") is a Special Machine, driven by "Angel". It is, along with the Crinale, one of the most prevalent of the Special Machines in Ridge Racer history. It's qualities from game to game include it's extreme speed and it's superb maneuverability.

In Ridge Racer Revolution and Ridge Racer V, the car resembles a cross between a Ferrari F50 and a McLaren F1. In Ridge Racer 7, the car has a bizarre, six-wheeled design, and very small windows. There also appears to be a camera on the front grille.

Generally, the "White Angel" has been rumored to have practically no weaknesses, and is deemed to be exceptionally difficult to defeat.

The Angelus also has a distinctive emblem depicting an angel holding a staff or a spear, with the blue number 0 as its racing number (which represents infinity).

The Angelus is replaced in Ridge Racer Vita by the Zihua Archangel.

Variants[]

Pcsx2 2018-02-26 11-39-55-71

The Medal received after defeating Angel in RRV

The Angelus has appeared in most games with a different design.

Original Angelus[]

"Kamata's Angelus is a work of art on wheels. The beauty of this exterior hides the breathtaking performance beast that lies within."
Ridge Racer V's announcer

The original Angelus had first appeared in 1995's Ridge Racer Revolution as one of the three unlockable cars in the game, alongside the 13th Racing and the 13th Racing Kid.

  • In Ridge Racer V, it had the naturally aspirated, Craymel KA-CLMX W18 DOHC engine producing 1450 hp, 7-speed transmission, and a top speed of 592 kph (368 mph); it was also the only time the Angelus was labeled as a Grip-type car. Plus, the headlights and taillights were re-designed from it's original incarnation in Ridge Racer Revolution.
  • A super-deformed (SD) version of the car, along with the original, also appeared in the arcade-only Pocket Racer. It is also possible to play as the super-deformed version of the car in Ridge Racer Revolution using a cheat setting.
  • The version of the car in Ridge Racer V and Ridge Racers 2 also has a central seating position, just like the McLaren F1, if looked closely, it is possible that the one in Ridge Racer Revolution has this seating position, since both cars look very similar.

Ridge Racer 64[]

In Ridge Racer 64, the Angelus appears under the name "White Angel." It is unlocked by completing stage 4-3 in Car Attack mode. It is renamed to "Galaxian Paradise" in Ridge Racer DS.

RR64 Angelus

The "White Angel" as it appears in Ridge Racer 64

Ridge Racers[]

"Angelus is Kamata's outrageous gun barrel-shaped dream concept machine powered by a gas turbine jet engine. Due to its odd shape, the driver must take a unique motorcycle-like riding form."
―In-game description

The Angelus in Ridge Racer (PSP), has been dramatically changed from its first design, which resembles that of a single-seater, triple barrel-shaped battle-tank, or more specifically, the 1929 Golden Arrow land speed record car, with hints of streamlined aerodynamics akin to that of pre-war race cars in the 1930s, as well as design cues inspired by Art Deco-style cars during that era.

According to the car information, it requires the driver to sit in a motorcycle-riding fashion, and is also turbine-powered, with the turbine mounted on the car's nose, as if the car was built around the turbine itself. There is also no backfire from the exhaust as well, which could potentially hint to the use of electric motors to aid the turbine in acceleration. Strangely enough, even for a turbine-powered car, it features a six-speed gearbox.

Because of its aggressive, futuristic and streamlined shape, in which the wheels are not visibly seen, as they are covered through aerodynamic cowling, rear-mounted airbrakes have been installed (which open as the car is steering/drifting) and that when the brakes are being used, there are lights on the side panels that will glow red.

Performance-wise, it is arguably the superior of the other 3 Special Machines. Although it has the lowest top speed of the bunch, it has incredible mild drifting stability and maintains its top speed very well, even around corners. It is the best choice for the final Special Max Tour where it tests the players skill harder than ever before.

Ridge Racers Kamata Angelus

The Kamata Angelus in RR

Specs:

  • Made In: Japan
  • Drift Type: Special
  • Max Speed: 348 km/h or 216 mph

Ridge Racers 2[]

"The angel mark and the number 0 distinguish the ANGELUS from other machines. It may not look futuristic but the machine has been fully tuned utilising the latest technology. A machine with no weakness, making it a force to be reckoned with."
―In game description.

Like the Soldat Crinale, Ridge Racers 2 features the Angelus from Ridge Racer V. Although it does not retain it's incredibly high top speed from the game, it is still has very good acceleration and it's characteristic mild type drifting. However it has surprising traits in relation to Dynamic type machines, where you don't have to brake to drift, meaning it can take corners extremely tightly. Unlike its predecessor, it is unfortunately overshadowed by the performance of the Terrazi Wild Gang, as it has much lower top speed compared to it, though it is still a viable machine to be used in Max Tour.

RR2PSP Kamata Angelus

The Kamata Angelus in RR2

Specs:

  • Made In: Japan
  • Drift Type: Special
  • Max Speed 356km/h or 221mph

Ridge Racer 6[]

"Kamata's dream concept machine. After reducing wind resistance to a bare minimum and rethinking the entire suspension system, it provides never before seen stability."
―In-game description

Ridge Racer 6's iteration of the Angelus returns to it's hypercar profile and retains it's white paint with an updated look. Compared to Ridge Racer V, the top speed is significantly slower at 345 km/h, and is now the second-fastest car in the game (only losing to the Crinale by 5km/h). Also, it no longer has a central-seating position, instead it is now left hand drive, making it the only Kamata machine in Ridge Racer 6 to have this feature. A unique feature of this car is that it has pop-up nitrous boosters if the player uses two or more boosts. In this iteration, the car's a good all-rounder with excellent top speed rating and decent Ultimate Charge, to complement its grippy handling and lightning reflexes, allowing for a very competitive beast of a car, especially in the more difficult races. It is powered by a 6.8 liter V10 engine and resembles the Maserati MC12 with elements of the Mercedes Benz CLK GTR.

Ridge Racer 7[]

"The Angelus was designed around the concept of creating "The Ultimate Super Machine". Its divine appearance and super-high performance distinguish it from other machines, earning it the nickname "Angel". Equipped with drive assist features, any driver can move, turn and brake at unbelievable speeds. An extremely safe machine, even at high speed, due to the inclusion of many safety features."
―In-game description

The Angelus in Ridge Racer 7 has a similar appearance to the version from Ridge Racers, but is overall more rounded and aerodynamic, and actually has visible wheels on the rear, with the car now featuring six wheels, with four extra wheels on the front, covered by cowling that surrounds the front wheels. As opposed to the art deco design approach from its predecessor, this model resembles more of a land speed record car. It also replaces the single headlight on the nose for two on the sides. Unlike the Ridge Racers version which requires a superbike-like riding fashion, this Angelus has a usual and traditional driving form like all the other cars.

Despite it being turbine-powered, it still retains a combustion engine-like sound. The same is said for the Assoluto Pronzione's Ridge Racer 7 incarnation.

This version of the Angelus is reactive with nitrous. When using single nitrous, it is fired from the back, near its taillights, while with double nitrous, it is fired near its rear fenders. Using triple nitrous will reveal secret flaps near its rear fenders and are fired from the secret exhaust tips hidden from within.

The Angelus is statistically one of the best-performing cars in the game. It is similar to the Soldat Crinale in top speed and acceleration, but it is much grippier, its nitrous shots last longer, it also has a very good standard charge although it has a somewhat weak ultimate charge.

It is one of the most controllable cars in the game, easily befitting that of cars with the "Mild" drift type, and it's description notes that it has very high-tech safety features, making it easy to drive in the hands of anyone. This is a polar opposite of the Crinale, which is "deadly in the hands of an unskilled driver".

The Angelus does however not perform very good inertia drifts and can be difficult to swing around sharp corners fast enough. Even with the incredible stability, it's driver still needs absolute control and knowledge of the course.

The Kamata Angelus is unlocked in the "Angelus Extreme Battle", where the player must race their Class 1 Machine against it in a one-on-one duel on Harborline 765. While any Class 1 machine can be used, it is recommended to use a vehicle with top-tier performance in top speed, ultimate charging rates and acceleration, such as the Soldat Crinale, Soldat Raggio, Assoluto Bisonte or Assoluto Fatalita, or equipping a machine with Nitrous U for increased ultimate charge rates.

Ridge Racer Accelerated[]

Ridge Racer Accelerated - Kamata Angelus

The Angelus in Ridge Racer Accelerated.

In Ridge Racer Accelerated, the Angelus returns to its Ridge Racer (PSP) design.

Ridge Racer 3D[]

In Ridge Racer 3D, the Ridge Racer 7 version of the Angelus reappears as the ANGL Concept. It retains its grippy and controllable driving style, although this version, alongside its new name, saw a top speed increase from 345km/h to 353km/h, as well as a new unique sound.

Story-wise, the ANGL Concept would be the final iteration of the Angelus series before the events of Ridge Racer Vita, where Kamata would cease development of the Angelus model line following the release of the Kamata SYNCi and the acquisition of the Angelus' assets by Hong Kong-based manufacturer, Zihua, for their Archangel hypercar concept.

Zihua Archangel

The Angelus' latest incarnation, the Zihua Archangel

Gallery[]

Ridge Racer 6[]

Ridge Racer 7[]

Trivia[]

  • The name "Angelus" is Latin for "angel" and also a religious reference to a Roman Catholic prayer representing the Incarnation of Christ, of which the prayer is often said during the morning, noon and sunset.
  • The "White Angel" name is likely a reference to the "Silver Arrows", which refers to pre-war racing cars from Auto Union (Audi) and Mercedes-Benz.
  • As Kamata are considered the canonical constructors' champions of Ridge Racer 6, as stated in the RC410's description, it is commonly accepted that the Angelus in that game is considered the winning car of the Ridge Universe racing series.
  • The badging of the Angelus uses the ITC Benguiat font in blue, with italics.
  • The Ridge Racer V incarnation of the Kamata Angelus holds the highest top speed out of all cars in the entire series, boasting a top speed of 591 km/h (367 mph), even without the need for nitrous, as it had not been introduced until Ridge Racers.
  • The last four letters after the "KA-" prefix in the Ridge Racer V's Angelus' engine suggests that it is the "climax", due to being the most powerful and most advanced engine in the game.
  • The Craymel KA-CLMX's name is a reference to the Tales of RPG series, which is also made by Namco. However the engine's name is often misspelled in the game as either "Claimer" or "Clemel".
  • The Ridge Racer V incarnation of the car is the only vehicle known to use a "W" engine, in particular, a W18. In theory, the engine would be three straight-6 engines lined up together and mounted on the same crankcase. It's engine is also notable for having the most number of cylinders out of any cars in the series.
  • The text on the medal received after defeating Angelus in RRV says "Honi soit qui mal y pense". It is the motto of the British chivalric Order of the Garter, and it can be translated as "May he be shamed who thinks badly of it".
  • The Angelus in Ridge Racers has a winged ornament on it's hood, similar to the "Spirit of Ecstasy" symbol of Rolls-Royce. This makes sense as the Ridge Racers incarnation of the Angelus is turbine-powered and that Rolls-Royce also, to this day, creates aircraft engines (especially jet turbines), in addition to cars.
    • It also bears similarities to the MTT Turbine Superbike, a motorcycle powered by a helicopter turbine, also for it's motorcycle-like driving position, and the Lotus Type 56, a turbine-powered IndyCar.
    • The Ridge Racer 7 version is somewhat similar to the Tyrrell P34, a six-wheeled Formula One car, with a similar layout: with two wheels on the rear and four on the front.
  • The Ridge Racer 6 incarnation of the Angelus is one of two cars in the entire game not to feature any branding on the tires, the other being the Monstrous.
  • One of the Angelus' liveries in Ridge Racer 6 features the number 888, where this is considered to be a lucky number in Chinese culture.
  • The Angelus, alongside the Crinale, in Ridge Racer 7, are two cars with racing numbers which cannot be changed whatsoever. This is because the car does not use the traditional number stickers that every other car has, and that the number zero has been both symbolic and synonymous with the car.
  • When an AI driver driving the Angelus appears in a race in Ridge Racer 7, it'll do multiple 360 drifts after crossing the finish line on the last lap. This happens regardless of whether the driver wins or loses.

See also[]

Cars in Ridge Racer V
Regular cars Kamata Fiaro · Danver Toreador · Rivelta Solare · Kamata Fortune · Rivelta Mercurio · Himmel E.O.
Duel cars Danver Spectra · Rivelta Crinale · Soldat Rumeur · Kamata Angelus
Pac-Man cars Pac-Man · Pac-Man's Ghosts (Blinky, Inky, Pinky, Clyde)
See also: Jeger · VECT Engineering
Cars in Ridge Racer (PSP) and Ridge Racer 2 (PSP)
Class 1/4 Kamata Fiera · Age Prophetie · Danver Bayonet
Class 2/5 Age Abeille · Gnade Esperanza · Assoluto Bisonte
Class 3/6 Assoluto Fatalita · Himmel E.O. · Soldat Raggio
Specials Kamata Angelus* · Soldat Crinale* · Rally-X Car' · Namco Pac-Man* · Danver Hijack^ · Terrazi Wild Gang^ · Age Angelus Kid^ · Age Crinale Kid^ · Yamasa Raggio^
* indicate cars in both games but with different designs, ' indicate cars only in 1, ^ indicate cars only in 2
Cars in Ridge Racer 6 and Ridge Racer 7
Lower Classes Kamata Fiera' · Age Abeille' · Age Prophetie' · Terrazi Wild Gang' · Gnade Magnifico^ · Danver Bayonet' · Terrazi Starnose' · Sinseong Jujak^
Upper Classes Assoluto Fatalita' · Assoluto Bisonte' · Soldat Meltfire' · Terrazi Centellee^ · Kamata RC410^ · Himmel E.O.' · Gnade Esperanza' · Soldat Raggio' · Danver Hijack'
Specials Himmel 490B · Gnade G00 · Assoluto Pronzione · Danver Bass Cruiser · Age Ultranova · Terrazi Terrajin · Kamata Angelus* · Soldat Crinale* · Monstrous · Namco Pac-Man*
* indicate machines in both games but with different designs, ' indicate machines with Complete Machine variants, ^ indicate machines introduced in 7
Advertisement