Turbo Tracks

I never had Tracks as a kid, never really wanted him and I was never given him as a gift or anything, so I have no real connection to this character or design. But when I saw how well they translated the G1 style design to the Generations line version, I knew I had to get one and check it out.

Car mode is excellent. The blue seems like just the right hue to invoke the vintage feel. The toy is molded in color, so paint applications are limited, but effective. The most striking decoration is the tribal flame design on the hood.

Another G1 throwback is the inclusion of a rub-sign on the hood. This symbol reveals itself when you apply heat to it. There’s no surprise here, this one’s an Autobot. I think it would be cool if it actually could be either Autobot or Decepticon, but I think transfans would have a heart attack trying to collect good and bad versions of each character.

In car mode you can attach the two missiles to the undercarriage on either side, or you can flip around a panel on the trunk and attach them there. The extra connection point with the option of hiding it is a nice touch.

You can also make a flight mode by folding the doors down and out, and unfolding the wings.

Transformation is well done, with a few interesting twists and turns. The front of the car becomes the legs and have to be pulled down in addition to separating. The arms are stored in the trunk area, and the whole trunk acts as a nice looking backpack which can store the gun inside.

Although not explicitly stated, the toy has a cool mech-alive like feature in its transformation. When you push the hood up on the chest, it simultaneously reveals the head and pushes the arm sections out.

I’m sure this is a QC error on my sample, but the face looks like it got acid thrown at it. Sometimes these mistakes slip by, and are not indicative of the quality of the line as a whole.

The gun unfolds and can fit in either hand.

Articulation is really good, with standout joints being the double jointed elbows and swivel waist. The exception is the feet – the feet are too small and the ball joint not tight enough. He’s prone to shelf diving.

Otherwise, he rocks pretty hard. Of course, the Japanese release of this looks a lot better, with a metallic finish and additional paint details, but that’s the way it always is, isn’t it?