Toy review - TLK deluxe Hot Rod
Series – The Last Knight
Sub-line - Autobots Unite
Size/class - Deluxe
New/remould/redeco - Remould of Age of Extinction Lockdown
Wave - N/A
Released here – N/A (US Walmart exclusive)
RRP - USD23.90+
Approximate Size - 14.5cm
Allegiance - Autobot
Alt-mode – Lamborghini Centenario
Main Features/Gimmicks – Licensed car mode
Main Colours – Black, red, silver
Main Accessories – N/A
Vehicle mode
http://i.imgur.com/C3kweUM.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/QKhnhix.jpg
A Lamborghini Centenario coupe. The car is predominantly black, with red accents and smoky transparent windows. The roof is a matte black as opposed to the glossy black of the rest of the car; this is accurate to the real car, which has a roof that is less shiny than the rest of the car in photos.
The red is actually inaccurate; the Centenario used in filming has orange accents.
http://i.imgur.com/GC1BXae.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/DBFh0Qc.jpg
Although Hot Rod is a remould of Lockdown, there are no recognisable parts from Lockdown in vehicle mode; every panel is new. As it turns out, Hot Rod is slightly bigger than Lockdown, too.
Using Lockdown as a base is oddly appropriate, since the Lamborghini Centenario is based on the Aventador.
Transformation
Largely recognisable to people who own Lockdown. Although the two figures share common engineering, each figure has unique steps in its transformation, since Hot Rod has a lot of new parts.
Robot mode
http://i.imgur.com/Nj7Jl9H.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/XTrnLGQ.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/L9tYhgT.jpg
The robot mode adds a lot more silver and red to Hot Rod's colour scheme. When viewed from the sides or above, the torso has more gaps than Lockdown, giving the impression of a less solid torso, although it holds together well enough.
http://i.imgur.com/KjdKSjS.jpg
Again, Hot Rod is bigger than Lockdown. The two share lower legs and feet, and keen-eyed observers will note that several parts are shared, such as the panel the head rests on and the grey pieces the rear halves of the car swing out on, but you definitely won't mistake one for the other.
Hot Rod has the same articulation as Lockdown, but unlike Lockdown, the hips don't share a common pin, so each leg can be raised and lowered (on a ratchet) independently.
The eyes have light-piping, but I find it isn't that effective unless you shine a flashlight on the back of his head.
Sadly, Hot Rod doesn't come with any weapons, but fortunately, his hands have 5mm holes, so he can be armed with a lot of weapons from different figures. I wonder, though, if the lack of weapons allowed for a bigger 'plastic budget' for the figure that ultimately made him bigger, especially when you consider the colossal weapon Lockdown came with.
http://i.imgur.com/j9AYOaU.jpg
He looks good with AoE Hound's smallest pistols.
Verdict
Don't be put off by the fact that Hot Rod is based on Lockdown; the two are substantially different. I would liken the degree of remoulding between Hot Rod and Lockdown to the difference between Combiner Wars Rook and Swindle; they share a skeleton and some common parts in robot mode, but the aesthetics are vastly different, and on top of that, the transformations are subtly different.
Hot Rod is by no means a bad figure, but at upwards of $50 to have him posted to Australia, his current price makes him tough to recommend, unless he appears at local retail for a regular deluxe figure price.
