TRANSFORMERS TOYS AND MERCHANDISE SECTION

Robot Mode:

Alternate Mode:

Box Art:

Knightdramon's review of: Tracks

Name: Tracks
Allegiance: Autobot
Function: Warrior

Ah, how many times have we gazed at our monitors, exhilarated that an old G1 character would be remade into a Binaltech (Want an answer to that? Before this sculpt, 5). The sixth warrior to be given the Binaltech treatment is none other than Tracks, one of the most famous year-two Autobots.

Whenever a fan hears the name Tracks, certain characteristics spring in mind. Blue Chevrolet car, flame sticker on the hood, wings, missile launchers, red face...

You can guess that a considerably large portion of the fandom moaned when they saw the colour of our beloved BT 06: Yellow. Due to various agreements over the license, Chevrolet wanted Tracks to bear their characteristic colour.

So, let's take a look at this much argued-about figure, shall we?

Vehicle Mode:

Tracks was, in many ways, a pioneer for the Binaltech line. First of all, the colour, which bore no resemblance to his G1 namesake. Second, he is the first character whose vehicle mode is an upgrade of his G1 vehicle mode. Namely, Tracks is a Chevrolet Corvette Z06. I'll begin reviewing the vehicle from front to rear. His entire front part is somewhat thin compared to other BTs and has less sculpted details than, say, Dead End. The hood is deep-set between the two high lines running across it, and, traditionally, can be opened. It opens from back to front, like in the real-life counterpart of this model. Beneath the hood is the engine [read: weapon] and its ugly sculpted details. Why ugly? Because they are moulded in colour...ever seen an engine that's yellow?
The windshield is quite large and even comes with a rearview mirror sculpted on it. The doors can open, giving us a chance to look at the interior. Two red seats decorate the cockpit, as well as a very detailed dashboard. The seats look as if they are adjustable, but they are not. What is disappointing about the 'Robots in Disguise' motto is that you can see Tracks' missiles right next to the seats. Oh well, nothing can be perfect...
The rear part of the vehicle comes in a rectangular shape, featuring oval lights on the back. The license plate hasn't got Tracks' name on it, just an Autobot logo.
Overall, a quite impressive vehicle mode that doesn't fail to live up to expectations.

Robot Mode:

I really don't want to get into a detailed description of his transformation sequence, so I'll do it briefly. The bonnet separates, and the legs are unfolded in the most painfully difficult sequence ever conceived of for a TF. Then, the rear part breaks in the middle and the arms are unfolded from there. The roof is adjustable, and has the missile launchers attached to it.

I have to admit to being awestruck as I gazed at the robot mode. If you exclude the colour, he looks identical to his G1 cartoon self. The designers even went as far as to include a false canopy to evoke his classic look. His shoulders are an appreciated effort, as they are incredibly wide and look similiar to his old wings. His rocket launchers are top notch, able to aim at many angles due to having two articulation points EACH. His head is an amalgamation of his 1985 toy and cartoon face. Just perfect.

In the articulation department, Tracks disappoints a little bit. Because of all the kibble that hangs from his legs [entire front section AND doors], the poses he can achieve are limited. It's not that his legs don't have enough articulation, it's that they can't use them. What's worse, his ankles cannot be positioned sideways at all.

Due to the nature of his transformation sequence, Tracks has no waist articulation. His arms have decent articulation thanks to the way the wings/rear of the vehicle are secured on the body, and his head can move on a 360 degrees axis and tilt to the sides.

Tracks is the second warrior of the group, and it seems he takes his role more seriously than Lambor. Tracks features 8 gun barrels! Aside from his missile launchers and his gun [which has two barrels instead of one], embedded on his arms are 'plasma shotguns'. Yup, double barreled boomsticks. One on each arm. If that doesn't make him look badass, I don't know what would.

His colour scheme is kept in robot mode as well. The doors hanging from the sides, the wings/shoulders, the canopy, and the missile launcher holders are all coloured in yellow. From his knees and below he features black paint, and for every other part, gray gunmetal paint is used. It makes him look more like a mech than a Transformer, in my opinion.

So, Tracks may disappoint fanboys and girls due to his yellow colour, which, frankly, isn't that bad. But looking on the bright side, he is heavily armed, decently articulated, and an extreme homage to G1 Tracks. You can't go wrong with a toy like this.

The Alternators version [featuring the same mould but without the display stand, the diecast construction, and the paperwork] is available in blue for a mere $20, and there's also a [darker] blue Binaltech version that comes with the flame sticker. Whichever version you buy, he'll definitely remind you of Tracks, one way or another.

Transformation: 9 - Those legs are too damn difficult to transform without scraping the paint. The rest is ok.
Durability: 9 - Excellent mould, doesn't suffer from any issues. I gave it a 9 because the paint can be scratched off.
Fun: 8 - It's Tracks, he's heavily armed, and the only things that can stop him are the doors on his legs.
Price: 5 - The yellow version has joined the ranks of $50 Binaltechs. There are always online stores that have him on sale, though, and if you can't find one, the blue version is cheaper.
Summary: 8 - Excellent. His robot mode is my favourite throughout the line. He is solidly built, has a few flaws, but, ultimately, he is the reincarnation of a very popular character. Recommended.