Dave's Go-Go-Gobots Rant

     Speed-Bot Dragster

     After Wednesday's huge haul at the new Target in town, I realized I'd
forgotten to check the kiddietoy aisle.  So I went back today (Thursday) to
check that, as well as to doublecheck some other parts of the store and check
who was pictured on the Star Saber box (it was Prime).  And, of coure, I
found Hauler-Bot (to be reviewed later on) and Speed-Bot Dragster.  Both
Dragsters were in hideously banged up boxes, which seems to be the norm for
this poor guy (other sighters reported similar banging up).  Be careful in
buying one of these, it's possible for the box damage to result in damage to
the drag chute.

CAPSULE

     Speed-Bot Dragster: Big.  Sleek.  Red.  Nifty chute gimmick.  Otherwise
less articulated than a Basic Go-Bot, and with no light or sound gimmicks
(which some would see as a plus, of course).  Maybe not for older fans.
Mildly recommended.  $19.99 at Target.


RANT

GO-BOT: SPEED-BOT
Alt mode: Dragster
Function: Go Very Fast

The Fastest of the GO-BOTS, SPEED-BOT can take on a growing number of vehicle
forms including a super-quick, road-hugging dragster.  His speed leaves
everyone else in the dust, but sometimes can get in the way - SPEED-BOT often
takes action before thinking the problem through.

     Yes, it's not just name re-use, the Go-Bots characters can (according to
the video that comes free with a reissue of the original Speed-Bot) morph
into multiple vehicle modes.  So now Speed-Bot has three vehicle modes, with
a fourth one coming soon (another sportscar, with minifig).

     Vehicle Mode: This is a dragster with huge rear wheels, small front
wheels, and tiny little wheels on a wheelie bar (meant to keep it from just
flipping over backwards when accelerating) out the back.  From front of the
car to the back of the wheelie bar, it's 16" (40cm) long!  Oversized exhaust
pipes flank the engine ahead of the driver's seat (and you can fit Speed-Bot
II's minifig driver into that seat if you fold the arms forward).  While it's
"superdeformed", there's no real robot mode kibble, with the arms being
cleverly disguised as the pipes.  The drive wheels are 2.75" (7cm) in
diameter.  Everything holds together reasonably well, the robot arms snap to
the sides and hold the front halves together.
     The main body is red with black and yellow stripes.  The wheelie bar is
black, the wheels are brownish gray, as is part of the engine block.  The
rest of the engine is painted silver, and there's metallic blue paint on the
exhaust pipes, atop the engine block and flanking the driver.  The chute in
back is on a red strut and made of yellow cloth.  The new hexagonal "G"
Go-Bot symbol is on the front airdam...makes me think the Go-Bots are working
for the Gizmonic Institute.
     Warning to parents reluctant to get the Star Saber for their kids:
kid-sized hands can grip the front end of the dragster easily, turning the
drive wheels into the peens of a big ol' hammer.  And you can pretty much
guarantee that kids will figure this out on their own.
     The gimmick is the drag chute attached to the wheelie bar.  Pushing back
on the driver's seat releases the tab that holds it in place, and the whole
thing springs up and unfolds into a yellow cloth chute without the strings.
The chute is 7" (18cm) in diameter and looks more like an umbrella or
satellite dish than a parachute.

     Transformation: Pull the arms away and separate the front into legs.
This will autotransform the face, as it flips up into the driver's seat.  The
halves of the front airdam open up like petals into feet, with a gear to make
sure they open evenly.  If you pop open the chute at this point, he has a
lovely parasol.  Folding the wheelie bar down in such a way as to keep the
chute closed is tricky (and the instructions don't actually show this being
accomplished, they have the chute hanging out the back).

     Robot Mode: 10" (25cm) tall and hunchbacked, with beefy arms and spindly
kneeless legs.  Very stable thanks to large feet, but doesn't do a whole
lot.  The arms ratchet at the shoulders and can fold inward to cross his
chest, but that's about it.  If you pop the chute out while the wheelie bar
is folded up, it deploys into a sort of halo.  Burning Rubber Gundam!
     The face is the same basic design as the other Speed-Bots, but with a
sort of Jay Leno "Iron Jay" muscleman shape.

     Overall: It's big and durable and has a few neat bits, but the average
consumer of these reviews is probably not going to find this to be worth
$20.  Especially with such a flood of other Transformers out now.

     Dave Van Domelen, thinks two reviews is enough for today, Hauler-Bot can
wait for tomorrow.