Review: #199
Name: Sideburn
Brand: Transformers
Allegiance: Autobot
Line: Robots in Disguise
Year of Release: 2001
Size Class: Deluxe (Wave 5)
Variations: repaint of the original RiD/Car Robots Sideburn; there is also a clear version; Universe Sideburn, Roulette and Shadow Striker
VEHICLE MODE:
Sideburn transforms into a red Dodge Viper with flames on the hood and doors, similar to Hot Rod.
Sideburn has a nice paint job, although the rear is a block of red since the license plate is unpainted.
As part of transformation (although to be honest, it's not really needed for that), the doors can open.
There is a mini Dodge Viper logo, I think initially Hasbro didn't license the toy but since it was too similar and they were forced to.
Personally, I think the proportions are off and Sideburn doesn't look as great in vehicle mode as Prowl or X-Brawn.
Sideburn is a Deluxe sized figure but he is a bit smaller than other Deluxe vehicles.
The whole car shell is painted in red and there are some slight inconsistencies. The paint used has a very slight glittery effect. The missile also doubles up as an exhaust pipe.
Sideburn has chromed hubcaps and also rubber wheels (with "TF Cybertron" stamped onto them). In addition, he has a silver and gold chromed exposed engine block. All of this gives Sideburn a premium feel.
Looking underneath, you'll be hard pressed to tell how he transforms.
Sideburn is fairly static in this mode as you would expect, he can roll.
A solid vehicle mode, if only the proportions were better, this could have been a stellar vehicle.
TRANSFORMATION:
Sideburn is infamous for the difficulty of his transformation. He is a shellformer in the truest sense. The vehicle is basically a shell and you need to elaborately unfold the robot within. What makes him most frustrating is the fact that pieces will get in the way of each other, mainly in the way his arm works. Also, Sideburn's upper torso transformation is asymmetrical. It is not too horrible once you've transformed him a few times but he is definitely one of the more annoying figures to convert.
ROBOT MODE:
Sideburn's robot mode is asymmetric but contains some nice distinctive elements such as the left shoulder shield (comprised of the car's roof) and the grill on his right shoulder.
As you'd expect, Sideburn has a bunch of panel kibble hanging off his back, as well as bits of the car on the outside of his thighs.
His head sculpt is one of the more unique and original ones you would see. I love the visor over his right eye.
He is still relatively tiny in robot mode, the skinniness gives the illusion of a smaller figure.
The pieces that hang of his back are annoying in the sense that it does not peg in anywhere. They stick out a lot on their balljoints, although you get some possibilities on how you would like to place it such as pushing it against his back or lower it against his legs.
Due to the transformation, he has a wheel underneath his right hand yet not on his left hand, it's these tiny vehicular elements that makes Sideburn so memorable.
Now, weapon time, his first piece is his iconic crossbow. The bow itself is formed by the back of the vehicle mode, it doubles up as a spring loaded missile launcher.
Sideburn can hold it in either hand. Due to the design of the elbows, they can be a bit loose meaning he cannot hold the crossbow at certain angles, such as straight forward since the elbow joint isn't strong enough to hold the weight.
His other weapon is a gold chromed weapon.
This one is unique in that it can either be a short knife...
Or a laser gun, although it looks better as a knife.
When not in use, the gun can plug into a spot in his back. Unfortunately, the same can't be said for the crossbow.
Thanks to the shared aesthetics, the Car Brothers looks fantastic together and very much a team.
So, articulation. Sideburn has a lot of joints and the range is equally impressive. The thing that holds him back is the balljoints used for his ankles, you need to strengthen them up with superglue otherwise Sideburn may fall over more often than you would like.
Thanks to transformation, Sideburn has additional joints that you wouldn't expect, which benefit the amount of poses he can achieve. The biggest help is the double jointed knees.
It's not all fun and games since the amount of kibble will get in the way, especially the vehicle hood on his right shoulder and the left shoulder shield.
His left forearm has a chromed Autobot insignia which is pretty cool.
His head has a blue lightpipe and that rounds up all the gimmicks.
A good robot mode with strategically placed vehicle kibble which enhances the silhouette without compromising articulation too much.
OVERALL:
Sideburn is probably the worse out of the Car Brothers but by no means a bad figure. He has a frustrating transformation but which will lessen with practice. The robot mode is nice and the vehicular elements are really nice. I think the original blue version has a better paint scheme.
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