Toy Review - JP MP-25 Masterpiece Tracks

[griffin]

(Please post comments, photos or even a fully comprehensive review - these are just brief details to start you off)

Series - Masterpiece
Sub-line - none
Size/class - n/a
New/remould/redeco - new
Wave - n/a (MP-25)
Released here - released in Japan November 14th 2015 (to be here later as a special import by ToysRUs)
Approximate Retail Price - 7500yen (about AU$95) (likely to be AU$150 at ToysRUs)
Approximate Size - 16cm
Allegiance - Autobot
Alt-mode - Sports car
Main Features/Gimmicks - Flight mode, Raoul & Blaster.
Main Colours - Metallic blue, grey, white, red.
Main Accessories - Gun, Display stand, Raoul, mini Blaster, car fender-cannon, (side mirrors).

http://www.toycollectors.com.au/transformers/2015/jp15a70.jpg

[GoktimusPrime]

Had a long day at work today, so too buggered to type a review. Did take a few pics though. :)

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y227/goktimusprime/Transformers/Masterpiece%20Tracks/mp_tracks01_zpstchv446m.jpg

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y227/goktimusprime/Transformers/Masterpiece%20Tracks/mp_tracks02_zpsw9m8ihyy.jpg

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y227/goktimusprime/Transformers/Masterpiece%20Tracks/mp_tracks03_zpsjpaapisj.jpg

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y227/goktimusprime/Transformers/Masterpiece%20Tracks/mp_tracks03a_zpsecxvr2ux.jpg

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y227/goktimusprime/Transformers/Masterpiece%20Tracks/mp_tracks05_zpsbh1qeeop.jpg

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y227/goktimusprime/Transformers/Masterpiece%20Tracks/mp_tracks06_zpsthjn26ir.jpg

[drifand]

Car mode doesn't look that great.

[UltimateGalvatron]

Car mode doesn't look that great.

Wha...?

I think the car mode looks better then the robot mode...


Although flying car mode looks ugly, lol :D

[GoktimusPrime]

Okay, brief thoughts:

* Flight Mode looks ridiculous... if you're not a fan of G1. :p Objectively speaking it does look silly, but it's exactly what the G1 toy and cartoon model did, and is quite accurate to that. Those of us who grew up with G1 loved Tracks' Flight Mode because he was, at the time, one of the few Autobots who could fly - and the only Autobot Car* who could (aside from Sideswipe in robot mode, but his rocket pack only gives him very limited flight capacity, whereas Tracks has sustained flight). It was a freakin' awesome intermediate mode! :D The two stabilisers at the back are a really nice touch.

* One thing I don't like about the Flight Mode, at least on my toy, is that the tabs on the arms don't lock in well into the slots on the sides of the car. Even if I push 'em in hard, they just sit there pretty loosely. Not sure if it's just isolated to my figure though.

* I can see what DELTAprime meant when he said that Tracks' transformation is complicated (http://otca.com.au/boards/showpost.php?p=498114&postcount=101)... it's not difficult per se, but it is rather fiddly. The trickiest part for me is uncoupling the rear section of the vehicle. I find it's easier when I use one hand to pinch the doors in and gently pull/wiggle them in the opposite direction. I strongly recommend using the instructions, especially when separating the legs, as it shows you where the tabs are located (and thus where you should be exerting separating force). At least have the instructions next to you as standby just in case. :o

* The body feels rather "panelformed," and relies on four tabs to hold it together. The shoulder tabs on mine actually hold together reasonably well. It's not the greatest, but not bad either, especially considering that this toy is housing a tertiary intermediate flight mode which other MP Cars don't. I find that the tabs on the "ribs" are actually more prone to popping out, at least on mine. I wonder if removing at least one of the wing mirrors might help, as they both press up against each other in robot mode.

* The head on mine doesn't want to lock into place very strongly. It's fine for display purposes, but is prone to either dropping back or falling forwards during play. I prefer the latter.

* The engine is a really nice touch, cos let's face it, who hasn't recreated the episode "Make Tracks" with their G1 Tracks toy before? :D I used to use a Lego man to represent Raoul (and every other human :p), but of course, I would always have to imagine Tracks having his bonnet popped up. Now I can actually do it! Unfortunately...

* I really wish that Raoul had articulation like the Spike & Daniel figurines that came w/ MP Convoy & Ultra Magnus. I'd gladly sacrifice the display stand if it meant having a better Raoul figure. Now where's that Lego man? :p

* Love the flip-around logo panel. :D Even though Tracks' logo was never concealed in the cartoon, I prefer having it hidden in vehicle mode.

* A shame that the missile launchers are so small, but it's unavoidable considering that they're self-contained weapons that have to tuck inside in vehicle mode. They also transform into landing gears for the flight mode, which I haven't tested out yet.

Overall
Not as solid as other MP Cars, but still a reasonably good figure in its own right. Recommended.
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y227/goktimusprime/avatars/jaam_jaam.gif

--------------------------------------------------------
*As in the sub-group. I know that the Overdrive and Downshift were also Autobot cars with flight modes, but Tracks was the only Autobot Car with a flight mode!

[drifand]

Wha...?

I think the car mode looks better then the robot mode...


Although flying car mode looks ugly, lol :D

The pin at the window looks like a crack to me.

[Thurmus]

I have the same problem with the flight mode arm tabs. It seems to me the tabs are too big for the socket.

I also have made the head go too far forward because mine doesn't lock in place.

I really like the flight mode. Although and it may be angles photos are taken from, but my backpack has a lot more space between the top of the head and the back bumper. Or I am clipping it on wrong.

[GoktimusPrime]

I really like the flight mode. Although and it may be angles photos are taken from, but my backpack has a lot more space between the top of the head and the back bumper. Or I am clipping it on wrong.
Same here. It feels like a Mini-Con could hide out in there. :p

[Lord_Zed]

* I really wish that Raoul had articulation like the Spike & Daniel figurines that came w/ MP Convoy & Ultra Magnus. I'd gladly sacrifice the display stand if it meant having a better Raoul figure. Now where's that Lego man? :p



Oddly enough at this size I actually prefer the non articulated posed figure to the goofy proportioned Spike figures who only look any good when in Optimus or Magnus's cab. I don't actually think the articulated figures are any better as they look completely unnatural in any pose. For display purposes Raoul actually looks good just standing there posed with the MP's, though I do think he is a touch small.

Of course a Lego minifigure would be better, but they put effort into their minifigs.

I want a fixed pose Mp scale GB Blackrock figurine now.

[GoktimusPrime]

More pics. :)

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y227/goktimusprime/Transformers/Masterpiece%20Tracks/mp_tracks07_zpsiagcqyhn.jpg

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y227/goktimusprime/Transformers/Masterpiece%20Tracks/mp_tracks08_zpsmg0iuyus.jpg

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y227/goktimusprime/Transformers/Masterpiece%20Tracks/mp_tracks09_zpsurdcjjka.jpg

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y227/goktimusprime/Transformers/Masterpiece%20Tracks/mp_tracks10_zpsyg9ghxxx.jpg

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y227/goktimusprime/Transformers/Masterpiece%20Tracks/mp_tracks11_zpsnts81cvk.jpg

[drifand]

I can't see why Nippon yasan charged customer twice the price for shipping. Granted is heavier but not a bigger box.

[Nevac]

I love the alt mode on Tracks the Corvette is a really nice looking car and he looks great with his fellow bots. He does have quite a bit of visible kibble underneath. As for his bot mode not a fan of the backpack it just seems to hang there and looks a bit off side on being hollow and noticeable.

His transformation is fairly complex compared to recent MP's did anyone have trouble splitting the legs? Mine felt like they were glued together, my friend and I had to put a lot of force to split them. I looked up youtube vids to see if we were doing it right and they all split effortlessly. It was just 1 tab right at the end of the bonnet that was very hard to pull apart got it in the end but it was very tough.

Also love your bot mode pics Goki had to try something similar with mine with how he holds the pistol.
http://i.imgur.com/3e2UQyPl.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/LL1Y9YDl.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/a6WEqw5l.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/Pm1JPRXl.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/m3wmXxYl.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/9BhURLil.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/gzvP5VKl.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/VWDl5AMl.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/UTlcRkyl.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/kRhwIlgl.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/kiqmKcil.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/2Di5rQIl.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/h9ztOlXl.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/RaaPewUl.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/M1kZ4Apl.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/TImLPxQl.jpg

[GoktimusPrime]

Yeah, separating the legs is tricky. I looked at the instructions which shows you where the connection points are, and I "jiggled" at those points. :o But yeah, it wasn't easy.

[loophole]

Got mine a couple of days ago. He looks very nice my one critique would be his head joint doesn't seem to lock into place and can fall back....

[1AZRAEL1]

Got mine a couple of days ago. He looks very nice my one critique would be his head joint doesn't seem to lock into place and can fall back....

I've found that (while probably not supposed to) you can push the head plate further so it pops onto the other side. Gives more articulation a bit to the head because he can now look down. Also stops it from falling back ;)

[loophole]

I've found that (while probably not supposed to) you can push the head plate further so it pops onto the other side. Gives more articulation a bit to the head because he can now look down. Also stops it from falling back ;)

I'll give it a try next time i transform him, thanks :)

[GoktimusPrime]

Comparison with Binaltech Tracks...

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y227/goktimusprime/Transformers/Masterpiece%20Tracks/mp_tracks13a_zpsncoufnk4.jpg

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y227/goktimusprime/Transformers/Masterpiece%20Tracks/mp_tracks13b_zpsdatqlzrq.jpg

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y227/goktimusprime/Transformers/Masterpiece%20Tracks/mp_tracks13c_zps2udfptel.jpg

[BigTransformerTrev]

Finally got to open him last night. My thoughts:

Robot Mode
Certainly the best mode by far. A really great representation of how he looked in the cartoon. Great colours, well proportioned and articulated - only thing is his backpack looks quite hollow.

Car Mode
Very nice, though I like the G1 version more with its longer hood. Looked like a proper muscle car.

Flying Car Mode
To my mind the weakest of the modes. The little tailfins are a great addition and yeah it looks like it did on the cartoon (which I suppose is the point of this toyline), but I liked that the original toy had the black backpack thing with the big cannons on it. Made it look like it was a flying battle mode and that is certainly how he's been represented in the comics, even semi-recently when the Autobots attacks Kimia. So even with the stand, I'll be using this mode the least - just looks like a car with some wings stuck on the bottom like G1 Wheeljack.

Raoul and Blaster
Raoul is nice enough, Blaster looks great! Can't wait to get Titan Wars Blaster so I've got the biggest and smallest representations of him :D

Overall
Decent car mode, great robot mode, average flying car mode. A good MP but it certainly didn't take my breath away. Besides the robot mode I still prefer my G1 Tracks over this.

[GoktimusPrime]

Hasbro version

Box. Note the English "Ages 15+" sticker added to the front. Otherwise the box is identical to the Japanese release.
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y227/goktimusprime/Transformers/Masterpiece%20Tracks/mp_tracks_hasbro1_zpskjq31uhw.jpg

Sample shots of the English language instructions
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y227/goktimusprime/Transformers/Masterpiece%20Tracks/mp_tracks_hasbro_zpsk6jisq1m.jpg

And no, I have no idea how much Toys R Us are going to charge for this toy.
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y227/goktimusprime/avatars/th_meme_interpreter_zps7runeeq9.jpg

[drifand]

Hasbro version



And no, I have no idea how much Toys R Us are going to charge for this toy.
http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y227/goktimusprime/avatars/th_meme_interpreter_zps7runeeq9.jpg

Hopefully under $130 for a realistic TRU price.

[millhouse]

Hopefully under $130 for a realistic TRU price.

Given the price of the UW-01 Superion at $400? I doubt realistic is on the cards...

[drifand]

Given the price of the UW-01 Superion at $400? I doubt realistic is on the cards...

Well starscream was $150, so holding a bigger box and a smaller one, I don't see how Tracks can go higher?

Most of us are buying it under $110, so you must really love paying more if you choose to buy from TRU. Only difference is an English translated booklet.

[M-bot]

His transformation is fairly complex compared to recent MP's did anyone have trouble splitting the legs? Mine felt like they were glued together, my friend and I had to put a lot of force to split them. I looked up youtube vids to see if we were doing it right and they all split effortlessly. It was just 1 tab right at the end of the bonnet that was very hard to pull apart got it in the end but it was very tough.

Yep, mine was the same. Absolutely terrified it was going to break. On mine, it was the friction tab right at the front of the bonnet/legs. Ridiculously tight. I'm going to shave mine down just a smidge.


Finally got to open him last night. My thoughts:

Robot Mode
Certainly the best mode by far. A really great representation of how he looked in the cartoon. Great colours, well proportioned and articulated - only thing is his backpack looks quite hollow.

Have to disagree with this. Robot mode has all that back kibble, hollowness and shoulders that don't peg in all that strongly, and the wings that tend to get in the way of the shoulder articulation. I think he'll look fine on display, but his robot mode is not as solid as, say, MP Sideswipe or Bumblebee.

On the other hand, the car mode is dead sexy. Almost as sweet as MP Bluestreak :)

[Magnus]

Had a chance to play with mine today. I agree that his upper half seems spindly compared to the more solid Sideswipe or Bluestreak, but so far mine is holding together well enough. I like the fact that the extra shoulder hinge from the transformation gives extra motion, allowing the two-handed pistol grip in Gok's photos.

Of course, the car is lovely :) I like the blue finish on the plastic.


His transformation is fairly complex compared to recent MP's did anyone have trouble splitting the legs? Mine felt like they were glued together, my friend and I had to put a lot of force to split them. I looked up youtube vids to see if we were doing it right and they all split effortlessly. It was just 1 tab right at the end of the bonnet that was very hard to pull apart got it in the end but it was very tough.


Yeah, separating the legs is tricky. I looked at the instructions which shows you where the connection points are, and I "jiggled" at those points. :o But yeah, it wasn't easy.


Yep, mine was the same. Absolutely terrified it was going to break. On mine, it was the friction tab right at the front of the bonnet/legs. Ridiculously tight. I'm going to shave mine down just a smidge.

One trick I find helpful is to not pull the bonnet apart, but to twist it apart. What I do is hold the toy bonnet-side up in both hands, one hand on each side of the front of the car, and then turn my wrists out. The upper thigh swivels will turn inwards and the bonnet halves will pop apart.

[drifand]

Opened mine today.

and here are my thoughts.

Its over engineered for a car transformer mp. Ultra Magnus isn't as complicated for its size.

Ratchet joints are placed at wrong areas where I feel the feet will wear off and is probably the weakness in this toy.

The car doesn't feel that great and the pin at the window spoils the look.

IMO the toy is not worth if you paid over $90 for it. I am not going into shipping charges where some stores have abused it and took advantage of it when is actually same size box.

On the plus notes, the robot form is okay, I think the face should have matched what was shown on the box as the box shows Tracks face pretty good as compared to the toy product.

Someone fill me in, is this a different designer from Bluestreak, Wheeljack and Lambor? because I feel that the person may be trying a bit too hard and didn't simplify things where it should.

Yes/No to purchase? I can't say no if you collected this line for cars this far.
But as a toy itself, I am a bit disappointed on how it is.

[Trent]

Opened mine today.

and here are my thoughts.

Its over engineered for a car transformer mp. Ultra Magnus isn't as complicated for its size.

Ratchet joints are placed at wrong areas where I feel the feet will wear off and is probably the weakness in this toy.

The car doesn't feel that great and the pin at the window spoils the look.

IMO the toy is not worth if you paid over $90 for it. I am not going into shipping charges where some stores have abused it and took advantage of it when is actually same size box.

On the plus notes, the robot form is okay, I think the face should have matched what was shown on the box as the box shows Tracks face pretty good as compared to the toy product.

Someone fill me in, is this a different designer from Bluestreak, Wheeljack and Lambor? because I feel that the person may be trying a bit too hard and didn't simplify things where it should.

Yes/No to purchase? I can't say no if you collected this line for cars this far.
But as a toy itself, I am a bit disappointed on how it is.

You know the box art is just a photo of the toy right? Unless they changed the mould somewhere along the line the faces are the same.

And yes, Bluestreak, Sideswipe and Wheeljack were designed by Shogo Hasui. It is believed that Hironori Kobayashi, the designer that did MP-9, did Tracks

[GoktimusPrime]

You know the box art is just a photo of the toy right? Unless they changed the mould somewhere along the line the faces are the same.
Confirmed as correct :)

[drifand]

You know the box art is just a photo of the toy right? Unless they changed the mould somewhere along the line the faces are the same.

And yes, Bluestreak, Sideswipe and Wheeljack were designed by Shogo Hasui. It is believed that Hironori Kobayashi, the designer that did MP-9, did Tracks

Mp-9 no wonder is not great. < in honesty I think he should not be doing mps, but that's my opinion after having bad taste for mp-9 and Tracks felt awful in some ways, probably the only current car mp that I have to look at the instruction booklet. I see he may be involved in ironhide as well, so I guess is a lot of turning and flipping here and there.

Yeah I know is box art, the face on the instructions booklet my bad just looks better IMO .
Not a deal breaker but somehow the expression doesn't look great for me.

[Lint]

Just got mine, gotta put this out there. Best MP to date.

They've nailed EVERYTHING
The gimmicks do not ruin the design. The accessories are aplenty and also plenty relevant. Tracks looks outright gorgeous in both modes and they've added enough quirks in the transformation to avoid "Star Saber" syndrome. :D





Not a deal breaker but somehow the expression doesn't look great for me.

Okay I agree, they nailed everything but this. :p

[drifand]

On the other hand, I just received my mp-12 sideswipe from jetfire in the sky and I think the paint job is way better than Tracks.

I like to see Road Rage now and see that beautiful hand gun.

[Ode to a Grasshopper]

No review thread for Road Rage yet, huh? I might just put my thoughts in here until one crops up.

Besides Star Saber, this is my first non-Shogo Hasui MP experience. MP-wise I've got MP10 Optimus V.2, Soundwave and his cassettes, Exhaust (which I haven't gotten around to opening yet), Prowl, Bumblebee, Star Saber, and Lambor. If I had to set what I'd consider a 'baseline' for MP standards, It'd probably be Prowl. Bumblebee and Soundwave are the best IMO, Optimus V.2 and Lambor are solid but not quite as good as 'wave and 'bee, Star Saber is good for what he is, but Prowl seems to be the most 'default' MP for me. He's well-designed, solid, and more than adequate, but not really amazing like Bumble. He does what he's supposed to do - be a high-quality update to G1 Prowl - and not much more.

Road Rage...does not live up to that standard.
She's fiddly, over-complicated, and not really all that dynamic. To be fair, she looks nice in either mode, and the headsculpt is great, but ultimately her flaws as a toy outweigh her positives, at least for her price-point. The remolding is well-done, but ultimately the base Tracks mold itself is just too limited to make for a truly memorable piece. If she'd had thigh- or knee-swivels, if her weapon (which looks nice and solid and powerful) had clipped in to her wrist a little more securely and her head locked in somewhere, if her transformation was a little less fiddly and the wings and shoulders didn't clash with each other then she'd be great, but as it is...
She's just...OK.
It's less that she's a bad figure, and more that she's got a lot of minor flaws that all add up to make her less than good and just...OK.
And for a Masterpiece, that's kind of not OK.

I voted "Only if..." If you can get her for ~$30-$40, it's not a bad deal. If you're a huge Corvette Stingray fan, then sure, why not? Otherwise, I'd suggest passing on her.

[drifand]

No review thread for Road Rage yet, huh? I might just put my thoughts in here until one crops up.

Besides Star Saber, this is my first non-Shogo Hasui MP experience. MP-wise I've got MP10 Optimus V.2, Soundwave and his cassettes, Exhaust (which I haven't gotten around to opening yet), Prowl, Bumblebee, Star Saber, and Lambor. If I had to set what I'd consider a 'baseline' for MP standards, It'd probably be Prowl. Bumblebee and Soundwave are the best IMO, Optimus V.2 and Lambor are solid but not quite as good as 'wave and 'bee, Star Saber is good for what he is, but Prowl seems to be the most 'default' MP for me. He's well-designed, solid, and more than adequate, but not really amazing like Bumble. He does what he's supposed to do - be a high-quality update to G1 Prowl - and not much more.

Road Rage...does not live up to that standard.
She's fiddly, over-complicated, and not really all that dynamic. To be fair, she looks nice in either mode, and the headsculpt is great, but ultimately her flaws as a toy outweigh her positives, at least for her price-point. The remolding is well-done, but ultimately the base Tracks mold itself is just too limited to make for a truly memorable piece. If she'd had thigh- or knee-swivels, if her weapon (which looks nice and solid and powerful) had clipped in to her wrist a little more securely and her head locked in somewhere, if her transformation was a little less fiddly and the wings and shoulders didn't clash with each other then she'd be great, but as it is...
She's just...OK.
It's less that she's a bad figure, and more that she's got a lot of minor flaws that all add up to make her less than good and just...OK.
And for a Masterpiece, that's kind of not OK.

I voted "Only if..." If you can get her for ~$30-$40, it's not a bad deal. If you're a huge Corvette Stingray fan, then sure, why not? Otherwise, I'd suggest passing on her.

Someone that I will keep in mind as you pointed out exactly how I felt about Tracks. meaning I won't be too happy with Road Rage either.

What bugs me is the over engineering at the wrong places, and the paint on both Tracks and Road rage is plastic mould colour than more of a painted feeling. You look at Bee is still painted, while you like Prowl, I love Streak. Heck even Smokescreen is painted, you can see the gloss, is there, it isn't a dull finish.

One downside was the elbows is only bent 90 degrees while other car mps can do a better pose.

[prjkt]

well Tracks is now my third MP figure, picked him up from the post office this afternoon.

First things first, I really like the paint job/colours - that metallic blue just pops, and is the whole reason I paid almost as much for the United Tracks version over Hasbro's a couple of years ago. I'm a sucker for shiny paint, which is why I got G2 Bee over the original release.

Car mode is sweet, not as solid as Sideswipe/Lambor, but still impressive imo. Long and thin in comparison, just under a cm longer, but 2-3 cm narrower.

This carries across into robot mode, tall and lithe, looks like he'd be taller than Lambor, but head height is about the same, just his backpack is higher. My main complaint is his feet seem look to far separated from his legs in comparison to both Lambor and Bumblebee.

Articulation is a little limited - his wings limit arm movements a little, elbows and knees are a little less than 90° so he's definitely no Bee in that regards. However he does have a slight bend at the waist which'll help him look down to Raoul a little easier or lean back for "flight" display

Overall, tbh, I'm still quite impressed with this figure - I guess I don't have the same level of expectation as some of the others here as I'm used to Generations level figures

[FruitBuyer]

I purchased Tracks on a whim and after playing around with him, I think I like him more than Sideswipe though still below Wheeljack and Prowl.

Granted Tracks does have a fiddly transformation, it's not much worse than Sideswipe (whose head thing always scrags my goat). Both have my favourite alt-modes of all car bots however Tracks wins out because of the poses he can do with the flight stand. I love being able to do all the flying type poses with him.

The backpack doesn't bother me that much, I actually think it's pretty well done given Tracks character design.

[Ode to a Grasshopper]

If anyone's chasing these guys, apparently they're being marked down pretty heavily on the Japanese sites (http://www.seibertron.com/transformers/news/steal-of-a-deal-on-masterpiece-tracks-and-roadrage/34720/).
Shame about the value of the dollar, but still...

[drifand]

If anyone's chasing these guys, apparently they're being marked down pretty heavily on the Japanese sites (http://www.seibertron.com/transformers/news/steal-of-a-deal-on-masterpiece-tracks-and-roadrage/34720/).
Shame about the value of the dollar, but still...

Yup way marked down, 3950. Jpy for road rage

[philby]

i got him a week or so ago but haven't even transformed him or anything yet! i like looking at the car and the little blaster hehe

[Kranix]

Interesting that so many seem to dislike Tracks, I really like him.

He looks brilliant in all modes (love the colour!) and although he isn't as solid as far as weight goes as some other MPs it didn't bother me.

I found the transformation really easy, not fiddly at all. I usually stick with the instructions with MPs but no need with Tracks.

However, separation of the legs first up was scary hard, I thought I would break him. Also one of his legs is a bit loose.

Still, all up he was well worth the $82 AU shipped I paid for him, he adds a lot to my collection.

[drifand]

I saw this

http://news.tfw2005.com/transformers-masterpiece/

And it appears they tried the other mask for tracks and I think I like it

Transformed tracks yesterday and I think is still a bit messy in putting it "together" in car mode.

I think I will leave it in bot mode for good.

[FruitBuyer]

Finally have Road Rage in hand and I must say that despite the flaws, most of which are simply due to the Tracks mold, I really like her, probably even more than Tracks.

Her weapon is a bit loose but I like the design and it's a welcome change from every other weapon which are essentially handguns or rifles. I like her red paint more than Sideswipes, even though it doesn't have the same glossyness that Tracks has.

All in all, I must say I'm quite happy with the Tracks/Road Rage figures. Maybe because I'm a bit more laid back but the flaws don't bother me as much. Of the voyager car-bots that I have I rank them like this:

1. Wheeljack
2. Road Rage
3. Tracks
4. Prowl
5. Sideswipy (I simply cannot get over the head thing)

[kurdt_the_goat]

Opened my Tracks & Road Rage recently too. Tracks is a big'n for me - always wanted the G1 toy when i was a kid, because i loved the car design - still don't have it though since i've never managed to grab a reissue.

Funny though, when i got back into Transformers around 2007, one of the first i picked up was the yellow Binaltech Tracks. Having forgotten the character and not associating it with my childhood want, i just chose yellow cause it looked nicer to me at the time. It's great to have a proper blue Tracks now :)

As a toy it's not without faults, a few that seem like they really shouldn't be there on a MP toy. The bonnet is temperamental when it could have easily been made to lock solidly. It reminds me of Alternity Starscream, another Kobayashi design - he seems to favour the slightest connections at odd times. His neck piece can tilt backwards with a knock - and is even worse on Road Rage where they seem to have remoulded it to not stay put in either direction! The windscreen seems to have more gaps around the front and sides than it should as well. The wings are (unavoidably i guess) in the way of poseability. The backpack is barely transformed, reminiscent of a generations figure but it does evoke Tracks' design well.

All that said, everything looks great. This is a slim-ass car and would have been tough to pull off Tracks' robot mode accurately i think. I really like both headsculpts and autobot symbols on the chest. The door transformation is a very clever way of filling in his back and you get that nice tapered chest/waist like in the cartoon as a result. I like the smaller shoulder rockets too, just seems more balanced. He really has a good robot silhouette!

The blue is a nice metallic fleck style, a bit different to the other MP's, but nice nonetheless. Reminds me again of another Kobayashi figure, RID Sideburn - that's probably a little bit intentional i think! It suits Tracks personality well, but i might have preferred the more wet looking gloss finish, similar to the G1 toy. Road Rage is mostly unpainted as has been noted... but for me it's a struggle to notice the difference anywhere, it's a good match and looks good regardless, even next to the fully painted Ironhide.

Not the best engineered MP imo, but still one of the best looking ones!

[drifand]

For the record I don't think this is a licensed blue is just taken from bluestreak left overs and that's it. I left it in bot mode as is his best appearance