Toy Review – Transformers – Turbo Tracks

The Geek Bits

Name: Turbo Tracks
Toyline: Transformers
Subline: Reveal the Shield
Released: January/February 2011
Availability: General retailers (Target, Walmart, Toys R Us)
Price: $12.99
Includes: Turbo Tracks, blaster, instructions
Worth the price? Buy it at normal retail, do not hesitate if he’s on sale.

If there’s anything AUTOBOT TRACKS loves, it’s himself.  In his opinion, nothing is quite so fine as the glint of sunlight off his perfectly polished chrome, or the looks humans give his sweet paint job as he rolls by.  He’s no coward, but he avoids battle all the same, if only to protect his precious body from getting scuffed on or, even worse, dented.

TURBO TRACKS is an update of the original Generation 1 toy TRACKS.  While the original toy transformed into a Corvette with wings, this new update turns into, well, a sports car with wings.  Makes sense, if you ask me.  How does he hold up as a toy?  Let’s find out.

Vehicle

A nice blue with red and yellow flame decals on his hood, Tracks’ car mode is reminiscent of his original form but without being a specific car make or model.  His four wheels spin independently of each other, while his headlights are painted grey and taillights are painted red.  In a nice touch, the trunk key hole is a tiny silver circle — that’s a little detail I didn’t expect.  On top of his hood is the rub sign.  Every single Tracks I’ve seen in stores have it off-center, so you’ll have to pick and choose the best, if you get that option.

Flight Mode

This is a mixed bag.  When you ask anyone who knew the original toy what the most distinctive thing about Tracks was, you’d probably get the answer “He had wings.”  So obviously Hasbro had to include a winged car.  Unfortunately, the small, stubby wings don’t quite look as convincing as the G1 toy.  They look too small to allow any sort of flight, and they are almost laughable.  The missiles on the trunk are a nice touch.  If they could only utilize the C-clip system as the robot mode does, then they could rotate to fire in more than one direction.

One thing I did differently was rotate his wheels so that they’re parallel to the ground. Why? I dunno, just thought it looked cool.

Robot Mode
A beautiful update to the original Tracks toy; this is Tracks as how you remember him. One thing worth noting is during the transformation process, when you push the chest up, his shoulders automatically move out to make room for his head. Elegant piece of design, that. His launchers attach behind his head for near-shoulder mounting firing, but unlike his vehicle mode, you can attach them so they can be aimed in several positions. His blaster gun is hidden within his trunk, meaning there’s built in storage and it shouldn’t get lost.

The Good
His vehicle mode is sleek and stylish. His transformation includes some clever bits, and being able to aim his missiles in robot mode adds to the play value. Add a whole bunch of articulation, and you’ve got yourself the makings of a good toy.

The Bad
As much as I appreciate Hasbro trying to give us a flight mode… it seems almost tacked on. I understand that there probably wasn’t much room for his wings, but they seem awfully dinky. And sometimes it seems like his panels don’t want to fit just right when in vehicle mode, leaving too many lines and seams showing.

The Final Rewind
Tracks may have his flaws, but he’s still a darn fun toy. I’d just avoid the flight mode a bit, if I were you. Keep him primarily in robot mode, though, and you’ll have fun.

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