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[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/carren_v1.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:[[DenserAndWackier It's exactly as chaotic as it looks.]]]]

->''Fighting for traffic safety! Gekisou Sentai, Caaaaaaaaaaarranger!''

''Gekisō Sentai Carranger'' (Extreme Rush Squadron Carranger) is the twentieth installment in the ''Franchise/SuperSentai'' series, airing from 1996 to 1997. Naritaka Takayama sang the TitleThemeTune. It's about a group of [[IdiotHero idiot workers]] at Pegasus Garage who use the power of car-shaped constellations to fight a group of [[QuirkyMinibossSquad idiot aliens]] called the "Space Bosozoku Bowzock".[[labelnote:note]]Space Bosozoku Bowzock, "''UsefulNotes/{{bosozoku}}''" being the name for biker gangs. A comparatively punny name would be "Space Biker Gang Bykergang".[[/labelnote]]

As the twentieth installment of the franchise, it bounces between being considered an AffectionateParody of ''Super Sentai'' and all the tropes it has, [[SelfParody while being a full Super Sentai series in and of itself]]. At the time, ''Super Sentai'' was suffering from low ratings due to a terrorist attack, ExecutiveMeddling and writer discourse affecting the reception of ''Series/ChourikiSentaiOhranger'', meaning ratings started low and continued dropping due to the continuance of executive mandates to make the show silly and comedic over being well-written. That changed in the latter half of the show, as the executives simply ''stopped caring'' and allowed the writers to do whatever the hell they wanted past that point... after which the show's viewership literally doubled in a week in its mid-30s.

The show has long been credited by Western fans as saving ''Super Sentai'' from cancellation; however, as stated in [[http://tokusatsunetwork.com/2016/06/fact-checked-did-carranger-save-sentai/ multiple interviews]], this isn't true at all.

Adapted in the US as ''Series/PowerRangersTurbo''. They ''attempted'' to make a serious series out of it at first (using the goofiest monster suits and stock footage imaginable) but gave up halfway - this disjointed approach nearly had ''Power Rangers'' getting canceled, but the ratings recovered after the halfway point.

It is the 5th Super Sentai to see a US release in April 2017. It can be streamed for free at [[https://www.shoutfactorytv.com/series/super-sentai-carranger Shout! Factory TV]].
----
!!'''Recurring''' Super Sentai tropes:

* AllYourPowersCombined: The Giga Formula, a race car comprised of the Carrangers' individual weapons mounted on a wheeled platform. It can reconfigure into the Formula Nova team cannon.
* BadGuyBar: The BB Saloon, where the Bowzock love to mess around while planning on destroying the world.
* BroughtToYouByTheLetterS: "C" is for Carranger.
* ByThePowerOfGreyskull: "Gekisou! [=AccelChanger=]!"
* CallingYourAttacks: Parodied in one episode. In the Monster vs. Mecha battle, the villain (SS Pamaan) prepares his ultimate attack. Unfortunately, its name is so long that the Carrangers kill him before he can pull it off. (See ShoutOut below for ''why'' it's so long.)
* ColorCharacter: Another Sentai whose codenames have the color as the head word, the first since ''[[Series/ChoujinSentaiJetman Jetman]]'' and the last until ''[[Series/TokumeiSentaiGobusters Go-Busters]]'', followed by the title "Racer".
* CoolBike: For the first time in the franchise, no one in the main team had a motorcycle (instead they had go-karts, which fit better in the car motif). However, Signalman rode one called the Polispeeder.
* CoolCar: In addition to the aforementioned Speeder Machine go-karts (one for each member), the Ranger Vehicles and VRV Machines that composed the team's mecha naturally filled this role. They also had two sentient cars named the Pegasus Thunder and the Dragon Cruiser.
* {{Crossover}}: ''Carranger vs. [[Series/ChourikiSentaiOhranger Ohranger]]''
* CustomUniform: A partial version, since the differences were a male version and a female version.
* EvilWillFail: In true spirit to the season's parody nature, the villains lose primarily because the true BigBad is actually a serious villain, which leads to the Bowzock teaming up with the Carrangers to stop him.
* {{Eyecatch}}: Both before and after the break, the eyecatch features a zig-zagging line, which is revealed to be the Vehicle (or vehicles if more than one are featured) of the hero of the episode which stops as "Carranger" appears on one of the straight lines of the pattern in English. In the post-break version, we hear a small piece of the Carranger theme in instrumental. The footage from these eyecatches were used in the second half of Power Rangers Turbo which makes the only Power Rangers season to also use the eyecatches from Super Sentai. From episode 32, the eyecatch changes: the same "zig-zag" and vehicle is seen at first, but only at the start of the eyecatch, where it opens into a split screen showing the Carranger tied to the color/vehicle, as well as both the vehicle and humanoid version of their VRV Machine.
* FinishingMove: The Carrangers all have a unique move, but rely on the Giga Formula/Booster for that last hit.
** The HumongousMecha also get their own finishing moves. RV Robo has the Gekisou Giri/Extreme Racing Cutter, VRV Robo arms itself with the Victrailer's weapons to perform the Victory Twister, and Sirender equips the Siren Vulcan to blow Gorotsuki to smithereens with a barrage of molten slag.
* FiveManBand:
** TheLeader: Kyousuke[[note]]Notably, he does not start acting like one until Episode 32, when VRV Master all but ''tells'' him to be one. Until then, he is just the guy in the Red Racer suit.[[/note]]
** TheLancer: Natsumi[[note]]Her competence in her job contrasts with Kyousuke being a useless twit. She is also the one who would actually ''object to/be suspicious of'' Kyousuke's relationship with [[DatingCatwoman Zonnette.]][[/note]]
** TheSmartGuy: Naoki
** TheBigGuy: Minoru
** TheHeart: Youko
* HomeBase: The Pegasus Garage, in a sense. Dappu used his magic to created an expanded hangar for the Ranger Vehicles and later the Victrailer and VRV Machines.
* HumongousMecha: In addition to the heroes' mechas, there was also Braking, the dragon mecha [=RitchRitchihiker=] used after [[TheStarscream taking over the Baribarian]]. It notably gave the RV Robo a run for its money, ''defeated'' it, and ''captured'' it. This is what forced the Carrangers into [[MidSeasonUpgrade getting new mechs]]. Braking was succeeded by the Norishiron 12 (piloted by Zelmoda), the Akumagic Mecha trio of Sky Gigune (piloted by Zonette), Marine Zaboon (piloted by Grotch) and Land Zuzoon (piloted by Gynamo) that were used in a scheme to capture Dappu and take the Carmagic power he'd granted the Carrangers, and Norishiron Final, piloted by Gynamo, Zelmoda, and Grotch to distract the Carranger while Exhaus himself stole the Carmagic power directly from the five Carmagic constellations.
** AMechByAnyOtherName: The Ranger Vehicles and the VRV[[note]]Victory Ranger Vehicle[[/note]] Machines (which could transform into humanoid forms called "VRV Fighters").
** CombiningMecha: Notable for having the only Super Sentai mecha combination to date that is made up entirely of [[TransformingMecha transforming robots]]. Also notable is that RV Robo and VRV Robo's limbs are interchangeable, a combination scheme that would later become a staple of Sentai robots in the 00s.
*** Red Vehicle + Green Vehicle + Blue Vehicle + Yellow Vehicle + Pink Vehicle = RV Robo
*** V Fire + V Dump + V Police + V Dozer + V Rescue = VRV Robo
** TransformingMecha: In addition to the aforementioned VRV Machines, Signalman's Sirender patrol car could transform into a robot as well, while the Victrailer, the giant trailer that stores the five VRV Machines, can transform into a robot that supports the VRV Robo in combat. White Racer's Radiacar Robo (which transforms from a car into a MegaNeko) is a parody of this concept.
* IdiosyncraticEpisodeNaming: A great deal of episodes, if not all, have terminology relating to roads and driving.
* InTheNameOfTheMoon:
--> '''Kyosuke''': "''[=RedRacer=]!''"
--> '''Naoki''': "''[=BlueRacer=]!''"
--> '''Minoru''': "''[=GreenRacer=]!''"
--> '''Natsumi''': "''[=YellowRacer=]!''"
--> '''Yoko''': "''[=PinkRacer=]!''"
---> '''All''': "Fighting for traffic safety! ''Gekisou Sentai - [=CaaaarrrRanger=]!''"
* LawOfChromaticSuperiority: The Carrangers don't really have a leader within their FiveManBand - Dappu (and briefly, VRV Master) basically points them in the direction of the Bowzocks when they appear - until about halfway through, when VRV Master finally gets this into Kyousuke's head. He then gets hepped on the idea, [[SugarWiki/FunnyMoments takes it a bit too far]], and eventually [[SugarWiki/MomentOfAwesome recovers the stolen RV Robo by himself]].
* MakeMyMonsterGrow: The single silliest method of this in Super Sentai history: the Bowzock eat imo-youkan (a real Japanese snack food made from jellied sweet potatoes) to grow giant; and it's not an enchanted or magical version they need to eat, just [[MundaneMadeAwesome store-bought]] imo-youkan from a local seller on Earth. Better yet, only fresh, hand-made imo-youkan (and from a PARTICULAR store, too, for even more comedy) makes them grow; factory-made pre-packaged and/or stale imoyoukan makes them shrink instead.
** Pre-packaged imo-youkan and its shrinking property becomes a ChekhovsGun [[spoiler:as it is used against Exhaus in the final episode in order to depower him.]]
* MiniDressOfPower: Part of the Carranger girls' suits, that's including White Racer.
* MonsterOfTheWeek: The Gorotsuki (meaning "thugs", "rogues", or "rascals"). Each one of them is the best amongst the Bowzock at something (best pizza chef [XX Mileno], best fashion designer [ZZ Zeri], best music conductor [BB Donpa], etc.) All also have double letters as part of their first name, like MM Mogu, QQ Kyuutan, or NN Nerenko.
* {{Mook}}s: The Combatant Wumpers.
* OnTheNextEpisodeOfCatchPhrase: A variant, with one of the heroes giving a traffic safety moral at the end of the next time trailer.
** Parodied in episode 15, with Zonette taking over to give a [[AntiAdvice deliberately terrible lesson]], before Kyosuke comes in to correct her.
** Parodied again with episode 36, with the Bowzock handling the entire trailer, culminating in Gynamo reading the usual lesson [[NoFourthWall off a script]].
* RegularCaller
* SecretIdentity: The first show to actually do it, in fact - so see below.
* SupervillainLair: The Baribarian, a gigantic space station covered in highways. The Bowzock leaders themselves hang out at the BB Saloon to discuss how to destroy Earth.
* ThemeMusicPowerUp: For the Carrangers ''and'' the Zokurangers.
* TransformationTrinket: [=AccelChanger=].
* TwoGirlsToATeam: The sixth Yellow and Pink duo.
* VillainsActHeroesReact: As is the norm for ''Super Sentai'', we generally have Bowzock sending out a MOTW with an EvilPlan OnceAnEpisode, with our heroes then arriving on the scene to stop them.
%%** {{Handguns}}: The Auto Blasters. When a catch is pulled, it becomes the Auto Punisher, shooting more powerful blasts.
%%** {{Vibroweapon}}: The [=ViBlades=].[[note]]"''Baibureido''"; a pun on "''Baibureito''"/"Vibrate".[[/note]]
%%** SwissArmyWeapon: [[ImprobableWeaponUser Car Navick]]/[[HomingProjectile Navick Shot]]
%%** BifurcatedWeapon: Auto Punisher + Navick Shot = [[HandCannon Navick Blaster]].
%%** {{BFG}}: The Giga Booster.
%%** Kyousuke: [[CoolSword Fender Sword]]
%%** Naoki: [[GunsAkimbo Muffler Guns]]
%%** Minoru: [[HandCannon Engine Cannon]]
%%** Natsumi: [[PowerFist Side Knuckles]]
%%** Youko: [[TheStraightAndArrowPath Bumper Bow]]
%%** Signalman: [[SwissArmyWeapon Signizer]][[note]][[CarryABigStick Police Baton]], [[{{Handguns}} Gun]], and [[ImprobableWeaponUser Recording Device]] Modes.[[/note]]
----

!!Tropes specific to Gekisou Sentai Carranger:

* AffectionateParody: Of the Sentai genre.[[note]][[DeconstructiveParody Until the final three episodes.]][[/note]]
** Also the ''Series/MetalHeroes'', especially the ''[[Series/SpaceSheriffGavan Space]] [[Series/SpaceSheriffSharivan Sheriff]]'' [[Series/SpaceSheriffShaider trilogy]] with Signalman, who is a space ''traffic cop''.
** Does White Racer's henshin remind anyone else of ''Anime/SailorMoon'''s?
* AgonyOfTheFeet: Happens to Kyousuke when he meets Pegasus Thunder for the first time.
* AllJustADream: Episode 9 has the starting battle the Carrangers have with a powered-up version of BB Donpa be a dream that Kyosuke was having.
* AllThereInTheManual: Parodied; the Carrangers themselves have to refer to the manual ''in mid-battle'' to figure out how the Formula Nova and Ranger Vehicles work. This has proven flawed at least once, when a copy of the manual once fell into a fire in the middle of a battle.
* AndKnowingIsHalfTheBattle: In every episode after the next episode preview, one of the characters gives safety tips for pedestrians (of course, 'cause kids are still not legally entitled to drive).
* ArmyOfThievesAndWhores: The Bowzock Tribe.
* AvengingTheVillain: Episode 8 has YY Bingo's twin brother, YY Gonza, doing this after Minoru kills him in the beginning of the episode.
* BadGuyBar: The BB Saloon, which is the Bowzocks' official hangout spot.
* TheBadGuyWins: In Episode 38, Grotch found out that the Imocho owner is planning to retire, which would be pretty bad for them. Gynamo responds to this by sending out PP Chiipuri, the make-up artist Gorotsuki, to work their magic and make him young again with the youth cream Exhaus provided. Even after Norishiron 12 is destroyed by a misfired youth cream shot and PP Chiipuri is killed off by VRV Robo, [[TenMinuteRetirement Imocho is still open for business as usual anyway]].
* BananaPeel: RV Robo ends up falling victim to one, courtesy of DD Donmo, the Bowzock's maniacal shopper.
* BeachEpisode: Episode 25 starts like this.
* BirthdayEpisode: Turns out the reason Naoki was kept out of the garage in episode 7 is cause the group was setting up a surprise party for him. He doesn't have the heart to tell them [[CelebrationMiscalculation it's not for another month]], but he's just happy to find out they don't hate him after all.
* BookEnds: [[spoiler: The first monster Bowzock tried to turn gigantic became tiny instead because the imo-youkan wasn't prepared right. Somebody should've warned the final boss Exhaus as after Gynamo eats some stale imo-youkan himself he gets the idea of using them to depower Exhaus and help the Carrangers defeat him.]]
* BroughtDownToNormal : Episode 8 has Minoru lose his Accel Changer while practicing his win pose after beating YY Bingo.
* ButtMonkey: Most of the characters to some extent, but this seems to be the white Wumper's only reason for existing.
* ByTheBookCop: Signalman, so much so he sometimes ends up being a nuisance to the Carrangers. He couldn't stop CC Chakko, the bug collector Gorotsuki, from kidnapping Ichitarou... just because ''the street crossing light was red!!!'' This causes him to veer into LawfulStupid every so often.
* CatchPhrase: Signalman's "Daremo tooranai..."[[note]]"Nobody's passing...", since he always chooses to set the Kobaan Base up in deserted places[[/note]], which even Ichitarou imitates.
* ChekhovsGift: The VRV Machines.
* ChekhovsGun: [[spoiler:Remember that expired imo-youkan Gynamo ate earlier in the finale? Turns out that it can also DePower an enemy as Gynamo used them on Exhaus]].
* ColonyDrop: Exhaus tries to crash Bowzock's base, the Baribarian, into the Earth. [[spoiler: This gets stopped by ''Signalman and Sirender'', of all things, who turn an EarthShatteringKaboom into a survivable landing.]] It gets reversed on him, in that the Carrangers take this opportunity to [[StormingTheCastle assault the place]], but it doesn't quite kill him.
* {{Cool Car}}s: The whole point of the show. (In-show as well, since the original Ranger Vehicles were based off of the Carrangers' "Dream Car"... models.)
* CoolOldGuy: VRV Master, with a [[strike:bit]] LOT of LargeHam involved. And while he turns out to have brought them the Victory Ranger Vehicles in [=VicTrailer=], the Carranger's first impression?
-->'''Naoki''': "He's suspicious..."
-->'''Yoko''': "He goes right past suspicious and into ''creepy''..."
** That exchange is justified, considering Dappu warned them not to trust other aliens. Unless they like gumdrops. Aliens who like gumdrops can always be trusted!
* CreepyCockroach: Subverted with Goki-chan. Sure, it ''is'' an enlarged cockroach, it ''is'' hideous and it ''is'' a Bowzock, but it's not treated as disgusting by anyone in-universe (Zonnette even thinks it's cute).
* CryingWolf: Used in episode 18 when the little girl Emi says there's a alien just for fun, nobody believes her when she really does see a Bowzock member.
* DatingCatwoman: When Kyousuke realizes Zonnette likes him (but not that she likes Red Racer, regardless of who is wearing the helmet), he decides to try and make things right between them. It doesn't work... [[spoiler:at first]].
** Gets a funny CallBack fifteen years later when it's Insarn who falls in love with Kyousuke, in ''Series/KaizokuSentaiGokaiger''.
* DeathByOriginStory: Subverted (and of course, parodied) in the very first episode; after Dappu fails to recruit the future Carrangers, he "dies" at the hands of the Bowzock. This motivates them to avenge his death; turns out Dappu faked his death to get them to do so. He even gets up right away after they first transform and scolds the newly-motivated rangers for not cooperating earlier.
* DeconstructiveParody: While the show is an affectionate parody for the most part, this applies to the final episode; specifically the ending. See StatusQuoIsGod below.
* DenserAndWackier: Easily the most cartoonish Sentai installment.
* DiegeticSoundtrackUsage: Grotch sings part of the closing theme to himself in episode 5, alongside the shrunken MM Mogu.
* {{Expy}}: Almost all of the main cast, hero and villain alike, are similar to ''Series/KousokuSentaiTurboranger''.
** The Carrangers are the car shop employee versions of the Turborangers, complete with a souped-up Turborobo (RV Robo).
** The Bowzock is the Bohma Tribe as an alien ArmyOfThievesAndWhores, with Exhaus being a parody of Ragorn.
* EyePop: During its second battle, the enemy mecha Braking lets out one when it's ShotInTheAss by a GiantMedicalSyringe courtesy of V-Rescue.
* FakeDefector: The Monster Of The Week in episode 40.
* FeudEpisode: Episode 6 is one between Natsumi and Youko.
* FinishingMove: Redefined with the RV Robo, which ''doesn't'' use an energy sword-style finisher - the RV Sword is, instead, something of a scaled-up Viblade (which seems to glow a bit during use). When RV Robo performs its finisher, the Gekisou Giri/Extreme Racing Cutter, it dashes towards the Gorotsuki while the sky turns dark, starts spinning like a top, crashes into the Gorotsuki really-pointy-sword-first, [[VictoryPose then ends up in an awesome pose]] while the Gorotsuki explodes behind it.
* FountainOfYouth: In episode 38, the Monster of the Week, PP Chiipuri, gets to show off their 'universe's best beautician' cred by turning the owner of the shop who makes the imo-youkan into a much younger man. He was planning on retiring because he was too old, but after the adventure, decides he has enough urge to keep cooking for a while longer.
* FullNameBasis: The heroes generally always refer to themselves by their full team title as "Gekisou Sentai Carranger" rather than just "the Carrangers".
* FunWithAcronyms: When lined up, the first kana of the heroes' surnames spell JI-DO-U-SHI-YA, as in ''jidōsha'', Japanese for "car".
* GenreRefugee: Signalman looks and acts like a ''Series/MetalHeroes'' protagonist....only he's stuck in a goofy AffectionateParody of ''Super Sentai''.
* GiantMedicalSyringe: During the VRV Machines' first battle, V-Rescue (which is in the form of an ambulance) fires one of these at Braking's... [[ShotInTheAss rear]], whose eyes [[EyePop bug out]] as a result (and [=RitchiRitchihiker=] to let out a startled "Aiiiiii!").
* {{Good Is Not Nice}}/{{Jerkass}}: Though they usually mean well, the Carrangers are probably the most genuinely unpleasant people to wear the rainbow colored spandex (except maybe [[Series/KaizokuSentaiGokaiger Captain Marvelous and Luka Millfy...]]). Notable in that they are probably the only Sentai to actually fight against [[Series/ChourikiSentaiOhranger another]] in a teamup movie for reasons besides mistaken identity or MindControl by a KissOfDeath from the cyborg [[Series/DenjiSentaiMegaranger Shibolena]].
** However the two teams made peace and the Carrangers sacrificed their wish (a vehicle that can travel the universe so they could visit all their alien friends) in order to give the Megarangers the necessary power to win their current battle so it's more like they are [[JerkWithAHeartOfGold Jerks With Hearts of Gold]]
* TheGoodTheBadAndTheEvil: In the finale, [[spoiler:the Carrangers and Bowzock leaders made a truce thanks to Zonnette/Vanity Mirror, and teamed up to stop Exhaus.]]
* GotMeDoingIt: Episode 12 has Kyosuke now calling Earth "Earsh" when he gets into an argument with Signalman.
* GrievousBottleyHarm: Zonnette tends to crack one over Gynamo's head when he's said or done something stupid or hasn't blown up Earth yet.
** In episode 2, Zonnette cracks a bottle over Gynamo's head for offering to give her sparklers instead of blowing up the Earth.
** Episode 4 has her do it to him again when he pretends to be asleep.
** Episode 9 has her do it when he says he knew KK Esu was stupid and he was right, with her calling Gynamo a know-it-all.
* HeavySleeper: Dappu's species has this thing where they go into hibernation for a few weeks per year. Dappu himself actually does so once about halfway through the show. This causes problems since, being {{mentor|s}} to a group of {{Idiot Hero}}es, he's effectively their leader...
* HeelFaceTurn: All the main Bowzock, since they're not really that villainous. [[spoiler: The only two exceptions are Ritchihiker and Exhaus: Ritchihiker goes full evil after a festival ritual gone wrong changes him into RitchiRichihiker, and takes over the Bowzock to destroy the Carrangers... only to be killed in his own mecha by the Carrangers and VRV Robo. And Exhaus was always evil, so he was going to die anyways.]]
* HeroicSacrifice: Subverted humorously in the first episode by Dappu, who played dead just to get the Carrangers to transform.
* HoistByHisOwnPetard: [[spoiler:Exhaus' Super Strong form is so powerful, he attempted to finish off the Carrangers (in a heavily damaged RV Robo) with what appears to be a BreathWeapon attack... which proved to be his undoing when Gynamo took advantage of an expired imo-youkan's effects by throwing them into his mouth.]]
* {{Homage}}: The first team attack the [[PsychoRangers Zokurangers]] try on the Carrangers? The [[Series/HimitsuSentaiGoranger Zokuranger Ball]].
* ImAHumanitarian: When the Carrangers are almost cooked into a pizza by XX Mileno.
* IdiotHero: All of them to one extent or another.
* KarmicDeath: The first [[MonsterOfTheWeek Gorotsuki]], BB Donpa, a musical themed bad guy, plotted to annoy other aliens into destroying Earth by literally conducting a symphony of honking cars around the Earth. He escapes getting destroyed by the Giga Formula, only to be blasted to bits by his fellow aliens for making too much noise.
* KidnappedByTheCall: Dappu outright chained the civilians chosen to become the Carrangers and dragged them along to partake in the fight against the Bozo against the will. In order to give them motivation to fight, he then faked his own dramatic and tragic death.
* LovesMyAlterEgo: Zonnette towards Kyousuke, [[spoiler:though she eventually [[DefrostingIceQueen came to warm to his non-Red Racer persona]] as well]].
* MagicalGirl: Radietta Fanbelt/White Racer. Everything from her transformation to her outfit is pure magical girl. Though she does also have a mecha. It's part cat, part car, all cute.
* MasculineGirlFeminineBoy: Natsumi and Naoki.
* [[MinorInjuryOverreaction Minor Offense Overreaction]]: Gynamo ''hates'' Signalman not for giving him a ticket for riding on 1 million kilometers per hour... but just reminding him that he forgot to put his seat belt on.
* OnTheNextEpisodeOfCatchPhrase: Variation. There is no exact phrase, but there is an exact theme of the phrase in the end of every episode: Traffic safety tips.
* OffTheShelfFX: Whenever a ranger is picked up by a giant monster, it will generally be a toy. When monsters grow small, they are also usually shown with toys. (In general, there's a sense that there wasn't as much communication between the production departments as there should have been. )
* OneSteveLimit: Both Signalman and Blue Racer get a giant police car that changes into a mecha.
* PayingInCoins: In one episode, Zelmoda buys a super fuel from Minoru. He pays the 1,000,000 bill in 10 yen coins.
* PokeThePoodle: The villains are a gang with no regard for traffic laws, and blow up planets for the lulz.
** Perhaps the best example is when we're introduced to the Zokurangers as they go around committing [[BlatantLies the most heinous of crimes]]: [=ZokuRed=] (SS Pamaan) shoots some flowers with his gun; [=ZokuBlue=] tramples a sand castle some kids were making; [=ZokuGreen=] scares off a couple by bursting through a window; [=ZokuYellow=] steals a boy's popsicle; and [=ZokuPink=] throws mud on a lady's laundry.
* ThePsychoRangers: Bousou Sentai Zokuranger, brought together by Bowzock's #1 hero researcher, SS Paaman. Notable for: 1) consisting of barflies aside from SS Paaman, 2) Not resembling the heroes in the ''slightest'' except for their vague coloration, and 3) getting their [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yfAPRWCB54A own version of the opening song]].
* RoaringRampageOfRevenge: Signalman pulled one of these on the Carrangers in Episodes 35 and 36. [[spoiler: It was actually [[BigBad Exhaus]]' attempt to frame the heroes.]]
* RealLifeWritesThePlot: More of a "...writes the characterization" -- apparently Yoshihiro Masujima (Naoki) really was that overly polite during his audition, and Yoshihiro Fukuda (Minoru) really hailed from Osaka, so their characters were rewritten that way.
* RearrangeTheSong: The opening theme was replaced with the rearranged (and Stereo!) "Full Accel Version" after only 13 episodes.
* RecycledInSpace: Basically Series/KousokuSentaiTurboranger lampooning the Super Sentai series itself.
** Lampshaded in Series/KaizokuSentaiGokaiger where they change into that team, realizing that it's a completely different one. Kyousuke is not impressed.
* SdrawkcabName: In episode 42, Dappu realizes the reason planet Hazard was blown up is because the bad guys were told by lucky fortune they should blow up planets, especially places starting with Ha-. And they were set up to do it because the one who wrote the fortune is "suahxe", or Exhaus was prodding them into getting rid of a place he didn't want.
* SecretIdentity: At no point does it seem like they're making an effort to do so ''on purpose'', but the Carrangers' human identities are kept secret - in fact, everyone except Dappu and VRV Master thinks they're aliens. (This is apparently a case where everyone believes the Carrangers are too strong to be human - Dappu out-and-out ''introduced them as such'' to the Bowzock in the first episode.)
** Furthermore, this is the first show in the Super Sentai series where they actually bother keeping their identities a complete secret. Amusingly, it's also the one that keeps it best, with no outside characters finding out until the end.
* SelfParody: As mentioned above, ''Carranger'' parodies Super Sentai while also being an official installment in the series.
* SensitiveGuyAndManlyMan: Naoki the gentleman and Minoru the brute.
* ShirtlessScene: The male Carrangers on the beach at the start of episode 25.
* ShotInTheAss: During the second battle with Braking, V-Rescue shoots a [[GiantMedicalSyringe giant syringe]] at the ass of the enemy mecha. Cue it letting out an EyePop, and [=RitchiRitchihiker=] letting out a startled "Aiiiiii!".
* ShoutOut: SS Pamaan's attempted final attack when giant-sized is a amalgamation of all the previous series' HumongousMecha' attacks -- he gets about halfway through before getting a Gekisou Giri to the face. He's also named after {{Franchise/Superman}}[[labelnote:note]]each "S" in his name is pronounced "Su", so he's "Su-Su-Pamaan"[[/labelnote]].
--> '''SS Pamaan''': I've thoroughly researched the art of giant fighting -pamaan! Witness my ultimate killing sword -pamaan! Great Galaxy Blitzkrieg Science Darkness Sword: Lightning Blitzkrieg Plasma Cyber Aurora...
--> '''Red Racer''': The technique's name is way too long!
--> '''SS Pamaan''': Centrifugal Gravity Super Thunder...
--> '''Carrangers''': RV Sword Gekisou Giri!
--> ''(RV Robo hits SS Pamaan with the Gekisou Giri, blowing him sky-high!)''
** The main villain wants to [[Franchise/TheHitchhikersGuideToTheGalaxy destroy Earth to make room for a space bypass]].
** Braking had a weapon called the King Slugger where it would [[Series/UltraSeven detach the sharp fin on its head and throw it at an enemy]].
** Radietta is a big one toward {{Magical Girl}}s - her TransformationSequence into White Racer, in particular, borrows plenty of notes from Franchise/SailorMoon (whose anime was also produced by Toei).
** And speaking of Radietta, how does she make her DynamicEntry in her first appearance? [[Series/TokusouRoboJanperson By throwing her introduction card at SS Pamaan's gun.]]
** The first few notes of Signalman's theme song sound suspiciously similar to "''Go, go Franchise/PowerRangers''".
** When White Racer's car goes into HumongousMecha mode, it does so with a "rising" animation straight out of ''[[Franchise/UltraSeries Ultraman]]''.
** Norishiron 12's accelerator device causes a sparkle to appear at the corner of its mouth before it starts moving at SuperSpeed, calling to mind Manga/Cyborg009's accelerator hidden in his molar.
* SleptThroughTheApocalypse: Dappu would have done this, if not for the timely appearance of VRV Master.
* SneezeCut: Happens in episode 41 because [[spoiler: Dappu references his father, and VRV Master sneezes, hinting at the revelation he's the person Dappu's talking about.]]
* SomethingPerson: Like [[Series/NinjaSentaiKakuranger Ninjaman (Samuraiman)]] before him, Signalman is another rare example of a Sentai hero who follows this trope.
* SpaceIsNoisy: In episode 2, BB Donpa's plan to destroy Earth is to levitate the cars into space and make so much noise with them that nearby aliens will attack Earth to stop the noise. In the end, his own bike makes so much noise that a passing alien takes offense and blows him up.
* StatusQuoIsGod: At the end of the series, all of the Carrangers are right back where they started, returning to their normal dumb lives and having learned absolutely nothing from ''saving the universe''. Not that they're concerned with it in the first place, though.
** Subverted later in ''Megaranger vs. Carranger'', where the Carrangers are still active and got involved with the Megarangers' conflict with [[OmnicidalManiac Helmedor]].
* StoryArc: Despite being an AffectionateParody Sentai series, it does have a set of multiple mini-arcs:
** RV Robo Arc: Episodes 4 & 5
** Signalman Arc: Episodes 12 & 13
** Signalman's parting/Bowzock Festival Arc: Episodes 27 & 28
** VRV Robo Arc: Episodes 29-32
** Evil Signalman Arc: Episodes 35 & 36
** Norishiron 12 Arc: Episodes 37 & 38
** Akumagic Mecha Arc: Episodes 41-43
** Exhaus Arc: Episodes 46-48
* SurpriseParty: Subverted in Episode 7. The other Carrangers spend the whole episode preparing Naoki's birthday party. Turns out [[CelebrationMiscalculation they were off by a month]].
* TagalongKid: Ichitarou to Signalman. He has even stood in for him at the Kobaan Base on occasion.
* TapOnTheHead: In episode 2, Souichiro gets one by Dappu bonking him with a mallet.
* TeamDad: VRV Master leans towards this in contrast to Dappu. (A neat bit of {{Foreshadowing}} too, since he's actually [[spoiler: is a father. Dappu's, to be specific. [[FridgeLogic Although just how, exactly, he fit his head inside that helmet is never answered]] ]].)
** In keeping with Carranger's parodic nature, he also likes to do typical "Oyaji" stuff, like Pachinko (which he's apparently very good at), drinking coffee milk, and getting shaves at the barber. Daily. [[FridgeLogic Despite pretty obviously not having any hair (or even taking his helmet off, for that matter).]]
** To a far lesser extent, when ZZ Gyuri and four Wumpers board the stolen RV Robo, the Wumpers correspond to the colors of the usual pilots (with the white Wumper taking Yellow Racer's seat). The blue Wumper even does Blue Racer's Plugnado Spark pose before firing said attack.
* TeamHandStack: Attempted by the carrangers in episode 38, but Youko isn't paying attention.
* ThemeNaming: The surnames of the Carrangers ('''Ji'''nnai, '''Do'''mon, '''U'''esugi, '''Shi'''nohara and '''Ya'''gami) form the Japanese word ''jidōsha'' ("automobile").
* ThematicRoguesGallery: The Carrangers are, obviously, based on cars. Their enemies are a gang of alien biker punks.
* ThisIsSomethingHesGotToDoHimself: Episode 8 has a powerless Minoru fighting against YY Gonza to prove he's worthy of the Carranger powers, with Dappu stopping the others from jumping in. Minoru... does horribly, and Gonza just kicks his ass. It gets so bad that the other Carrangers ''have'' to jump in.
* TomboyAndGirlyGirl: Natsumi and Youko.
* TookALevelInBadass: Y'know that ColonyDrop further up the page? Guess how it got stopped. [[spoiler: Sirender ''catches it in midair and '''pushes it back into orbit.''']]
** Also happens to Kyousuke when he finally starts steps up to the plate and acts like a Red [=Ranger/Leader=].
* TookALevelInDumbass: The MonsterOfTheWeek of Episode 33, UU Ussu, drank a PsychoSerum called "Gekibaka" (Japanese for "Violent Idiot"), which makes him more powerful at the cost of being ''incredibly stupid''.
* TrademarkFavoriteFood: Imo-youkan for the Bowzocks. Somewhat justified since that allows them to grow and become giants.
** Actually, LL Onene reveals that she prefers green tea cake other to imo-youkan before proceeding to enlarge.
** Also, XX Mileno, being the Bowzock's best pizza chef... well, you already know what his favorite food is. Heck, he puts his serving of imo-youkan on pizza to grow to size!
** And ZZ Gyuri, the MOTW who commandeers RV Robo against the Carrangers, is absolutely cuckoo for kimchi.
* TrainingFromHell: Episode 10 has Natsumi put [[MonsterOfTheWeek LL Onene's]] mind control headband on Naoki's head, then has him pedal a cart dragging a 200kg/440lb weight to get him to be able to outrace her.
* UnusuallyUninterestingSight: A hallmark of the series - unless they're actively causing trouble, very few people ever seem to take more than casual notice of the Bowzock. All the more notable when the empowered [=RitchRitchihiker=] pulls TheStarscream on Gynamo, and he and Zonnette spend the next few episodes doing varied stuff on Earth (even getting jobs at a pachinko parlor - the same one that VRV Master attends, to boot!).
** Grotch, for example, goes out and buys the imo-youkan himself. This is ''after'' he himself grew to giant size and stumbled about town. Still, the store owner does admit he looks pretty strange.
---> '''Grotch:''' ''(in reaction to the store owner staring at him)'' Don't look at me like that...
* VerbalTic: Dappu, who likes to add his name to the end of all his sentences. He even does it with his handwriting.
** So do the Gorotsuki, by constantly repeating their names (most of the time excluding the double initials), which even replaces CallingYourAttacks for them. Most of them also yell out their full names when enlarging via imo-youkan.
* VictoryPose: Parodied in one episode where Minoru kills YY Bingo... and then decides his pose wasn't cool enough and practices several others trying to find the best one. He gets so absorbed in his task he doesn't notice his Accel Changer fell off and spends the majority of the episode unable to change to Green Racer.
* VillainSong: The show's ending theme is an upbeat song sung from the point of view of the villains, about having a chance to relax after a tough day of getting beaten by the heroes, and wondering if maybe the good guys can let them win next time. Surprisingly, Grotch and MM Mogu both sing this in Episode 5 while driving.
* WeirdnessMagnet: Ichitarou and family. Dappu setting up shop in Daddy's shop was merely the beginning.
* WhereAreTheyNowEpilogue: Kyousuke recaps what the heroes and villains were up to after Exhaus' defeat.
* WhyDidItHaveToBeSnakes: Minoru used to be afraid of lightning after being shocked by an electric eel as a child. He got over it.
** Interestingly, Zelmoda too has the same fear. We don't see him recover, though.
* WorldsBestCharacter: Each MonsterOfTheWeek claims to be "the universe's best" at what they do. This ranges from "universe's best mechanic" to "universe's best beautician" (these apply to MM Shuurisukii and PP Chiipuri, respectively).
* WrenchWench: Natsumi. To such an extent that she can dismantle a ''moving'' bicycle untransformed, and as Yellow Racer she uses it as an attack.
* WrenchWhack: Episode 8 has Minoru attack YY Gonza with one when he's without his powers and Accel Changer. It doesn't work.
* WrestlerInAllOfUs: In Episode 10, Naoki has an ImagineSpot of Natsumi putting him in a Boston crab.
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