Caved and got this toy for $15.

Actually quite impressed with this figure - it's a lot better than I thought it would be. It offers a lot for a Deluxe Class toy, particularly in the way that the backpack folds up and the fender folds in etc. There are neat tricks which allow Hot Rod to transform from a wide car to a sleek robot. My initial thoughts were, "Poor man's MP Hot Rod," and I mean that as a compliment to this toy. Cos I've reviewed both MP9 and MP28, and this toy feels like what MP Hot Rodimus would be if it were at a $25~30 Deluxe price point as opposed to MP38's 8000JPY ($95) RRP. So in terms of value for money, this toy gives you a lot of back for your buck.

It's no secret that I'm not a fan of how Titans Return is making Headmasters out of characters that weren't originally Headmasters in G1, and I'm still not a fan of this concept. One thing that I dislike about it is how it makes the robot heads look weird, especially with the Titan Master's arms and legs tucked on the back of the head. That's fine for characters that are originally Headmasters, because their G1 counterparts look the same, but I generally don't like it for other characters. Yet for Hot Rod it manages to work because G1 Hot Rod never had a proper back of the head anyway. It's the chrome engine block from the vehicle mode, and so having a grey back-blockhead actually doesn't look as jarring on Hot Rod as it does on other not-originally-Headmaster Titans Return figures. I still would've preferred him to be a true Targetmaster like Deluxe Class Cyclonus though.

The mufflers would look a whole lot better in chrome rather than dark grey, but the dark grey is much preferable to the dull "Hasblow" grey seen on other Hasbro toys, so I'm thankful that they at least went with a darker shade of grey. If TakaraTOMY does choose to apply chrome on the Legends version of this toy, I hope that the chrome isn't highly prone to chipping off as with MP38. Coincidentally the way that the guns can be wielded separately is reminiscent of the original 1986 Hot Rod (2 grey guns) and when clipped together it's more like 1987's Targetmaster Hot Rod, since G1 Firebolt transforms into a single double-barrelled gun.

I agree with what others have said about the horrifically plain colours on Firedrive. Zero effort put into the deco on this figure. Firedrive makes TR Stylor look good, and TR Stylor is - colour-wise - rubbish! The one incidental upside to Firedrive's One Shade of Grey is that from waist up he's more G1 cartoon-accurate in colour. My Hot Rod has some extra paint bleeding over on the left shin, but I should be able to remove it easily enough with rubbing alcohol and a cotton tip.

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