Dave's Transformers Rant: Go-Bots (not Gobots!) OVERALL IMPRESSIONS: Pretty good, especially for the $3 it costs. The colors aren't G2-Tacky, the toys are fairly sturdy, and they don't suffer from "I can beat Devastator without my arms" stat-inflation. I found them at Target today, but not at Toys R Us. It is possible that TRU had them in the Matchbox aisle, though, I didn't think to check there until after I'd gotten mine at Target. All have the same transformation: pull legs down, pull arms out from the sides, fold front down to chest. Not very exciting, but at least stable. The idea originally proposed for having trading cards as part of the packaging (so you didn't have to cut up the backing in order to get the stats card) has been at least postponed. Although, the small size of these backboards makes a trading card insertion difficult. All are Autobots, all have at least 10 Speed. And the full name of the product is "Go-Bots Super-Speed Racers," so the old name is in there in a way. RATINGS AND STUFF: HIGH BEAM BLOWOUT GEARHEAD Stat Total 58 58 58 Reach Beyond Chest? Barely No Sorta (arm, not hand) Stands? Well Well Well Stability: Vehicle Great Great Fair Robot Good Good Good Main Color Chrome Green [1] Clear Grey [2] Flat Yellow Make/Model Unknown Hitech Porsche? Stock Car Gun [3] Gearhead's Correct High Beam's [4] Face Visor Visor Face FIRECRACKER DOUBLE CLUTCH MOTORMOUTH Stat Total 57.5 55 51 RBC? No Almost NOT EVEN CLOSE Stands? Okay Fair Poor Stability: V Good Unassailable Great R Good Good Good Main Color Clear Red [2] Red, White and Chrome Blue [1] Chrome Blue [1] Make/Model Lamborghini Formula-1 Racer Lowrider Pickup Gun [3] Correct Wrong Color [5] Wrong Color [5] [6] Face Face Visor Face [1] A nice subdued chrome, not the hellish chrome on the G2 Minibots [2] Clear meaning transparent/translucent [3] i.e.: Does the gun included with the toy match the art? If not, who's gun does the character have? [4] Gearhead cannot hold the gun shown in the art and in the group photo. I think they might have had to glue it to the toy for that picture. [5] Double Clutch and Motormouth have the correct guns, but swap gun colors. [6] Motormouth's rifle fits snugly in his pickup bed, making him the only one able to carry his weapon in vehicle mode. INDIVIDUAL TECH SPECS AND NOTES: HIGH BEAM Function: Tracker "Let's Get Busy!" Always means business, and his business is to destroy Decepticons. Other Autobots feel he's more brains than brawn, but he's never backed down from a challenge or a firefight. Never shirks responsibility - knows his duty and is eager to do it. Currently he is hot on the trail of the feisty, enemy Combaticons. STR 7 INT 7 SPD 10 END 6 RNK 6 COUR 9 FRP 6 SKL 7 Avg: 7.25 Looks very good in car mode, with his sleek chrome green paintjob and Rapido-like chrome-silver engine. Robot mode adds yellow and black to the color mix quite tastefully. Has the highest INT and RNK of any of the Go-Bots, making him defacto subgroup leader until the Carrier is released. He has a gun, but it's not described in the tech-specs. Anyone wanting to play him for the MUSH should probably just ask for laser_gun or machine_gun (the one he comes with looks like a big tommygun). Combaticons are feisty? Perhaps he's fashion-conscious enough to want them eliminated. }-> BLOWOUT Function: Pursuit & Capture "Want to race?" Extremely energetic Autobot. Never tires of trashing Decepticons while traveling the globe. When not engaged in battle, enjoys speeding through the streets of L.A. or racing down the roads of Monte Carlo. Quasar rifle draws energy from distant stars. Converts energy into laser emissions to cut through enemy armor, or shoot tires out with instant power bursts. STR 6 INT 6 SPD 10 END 9 RNK 5 COUR 7 FRP 9 SKL 6 Avg: 7.25 Someone's been reading old Marvel Two-In-Ones, I think. }-> However, for someone with firepower nearly in Megatron's class, it's a good explanation. Clear body is rather novel. Given that most Cons are jets, wonder whose tires he shoots out? }-> GEARHEAD Function: Warrior "If you race me, you will lose." Stock car on the outside - Autobot engineered fighter within. Joined professional racing circuit immediately after arriving on Earth. The only time he drives faster than on the track is when he's racing into battle to engage enemy Decepticons. Titanium-plated hood protects power source. Always anxious for battle...and for a checkered flag. STR 8 INT 6 SPD 10 END 9 RNK 5 COUR 7 FRP 6 SKL 7 Avg: 7.25 Another without mention of his weapon. Looks like an autocannon in the art, but as mentioned above, he can't use that gun. }-> His background implies that the Go-Bots as a group were made on Cybertron or elsewhere and brough to Earth later on, as opposed to being made on Earth. Has red styling on the yellow bodyframe color, with a "Stockbird" hood insignia and the number 1 on his sides and top. Clear red and grey bits for torso and legs. Although his hands don't reach beyond his chest, the "shields" his doors form do, and look like they'd make nasty hand-to-hand weapons (axe power). A bit unstable on his feet, he rocks side to side a bit. Also, his front end may sag, he has no tab or other means of keeping it clicked into place. FIRECRACKER Function: Rapid Assault "Decepticons belong in junkyards!" Born in a wind tunnel - no detectable drag resistance. Constantly feels need for speed through octane ignition turbines linked to internal coolant levels. If levels exceed accepted norms, accelerator control is lost and his temper flares like a raging bull. If enormous vented discs failed to provide braking power, he'd burn like a meteor! STR 7 INT 4 SPD 10.5+ END 8 RNK 5 COUR 9 FRP 8 SKL 6 Avg: 7.1875 Speed bar just goes to the edge on this guy. No mention of what his gun is (beginning to sense a pattern?). His quote's bound to get him on the sh*tlist of Certain People on the newsgroup. }-> His color scheme looks quite good, with clear red accented by white head and legs and yellow shins. Hot Rod's kid brother is what he looks like. Or Sideswipe's. DOUBLE CLUTCH Function: Defense Specialist "Catch me if you can!" Whether on an abandoned dirt track in the desert or tearing up the tar at Indy, this Autobot defines the word speed. He's also incredibly versatile. Rear spoiler acts as laser deflection shield - converts to energy absorption panel when fuel is depleted. Nose is not only aerodynamic, but radiates electron disrupters to disengage Decepticon tracking sensors. STR 8 INT 5 SPD 10 END 8 RNK 5 COUR 7 FRP 6 SKL 6 Avg: 6.875 Hard to define speed when you're not the fastest on the team. }-> Marked as number 3, he's the best choice for actually using on a track. His vehicle form is incredibly stable, the method of keeping his nose on is extremely good. However, his slim build makes it so that in robot mode his center of mass is only barely over his feet. He tips forward rather easily. MOTORMOUTH Function: Backup Support "Let's tear up the streets...and the Decepticons!" Likes to boast about his own appearance. Engine and ego are equally enormous. Dislikes transporting materials in back - they might scratch his paint. Brain circuitry minimal. Intelligence sensors usually as empty as truck bed. Super-fast speed helps him elude enemy Decepticons, but he can be caught off guard when checking out his reflection as he passes store windows. STR 6 INT 3 SPD 10 END 7 RNK 5 COUR 8 FRP 6 SKL 6 Avg: 6.375 I get the feeling this was based off a real person known to the designer. }-> Notable for being the only one of the group to have any kind of identifying symbols or words on his vehicle form, with "Transformers (TM)" written across the top of his windshield. Tremendously thick chest makes him almost fall over on a level surface. Don't even try making him hold his gun out while standing. I might open him up and put something in his cab to pull his center of mass back a bit. Carries a rifle of unknown ability. Torso is made of clear red plastic, so his whole head lights up if you hold it up to the light. Dave Van Domelen, gives the group as a whole three and a half stars.... Minor addendum: I was incorrect to say Motormouth was the only one with identifying marks on him. Gearhead's hood reads "Stockbird" in larger letters, but then has "by Transformers" in really tiny letters beneath that. Dave Van Domelen, "My eyes ain't what they used ta be." "No?" "No, they used ta be me ears!" - Goon Show