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STAR21 is a high-speed test car manufactured by JR East in 1992. In order to achieve 300km/h commercial operation, the car has been thoroughly lightened and the body smoothed to reduce noise and vibration. The 952 series on the Tokyo side was the first Shinkansen car to adopt an articulated structure. It achieved a speed of 425km/h in December 1993, and was scrapped in February 1998. The leading cars, the 952 series and the 953 series, are preserved in Maibara and Sendai, respectively.