Toy Review - JP MP-25 Masterpiece Tracks

[Ode to a Grasshopper]

If anyone's chasing these guys, apparently they're being marked down pretty heavily on the Japanese sites.
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.
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!