Review: #750
Name: Hot Rod
Brand: Transformers
Allegiance: Autobot
Line: Generations - Studio Series
Year of Release: 2022
Size Class: Deluxe (Wave 18)
Mold Status: new
VEHICLE MODE:
Hot Rod transforms into a Lamborghini Centenario, and the best thing is that he is not a retool of Lockdown.
He's got all the curves and details of the actual vehicle but is let down by one thing, the panel seams resulting from the transformation. So he does not look as sleek as he should be in this mode.
Hot Rod is an okay size, above is a comparison with TLK Bumblebee. Hot Rod feels a bit smaller due to how sleek / slim the vehicle mode is.
He sits quite low to the ground, but has enough ground clearance. The only gimmick here is rolling him on a flat surface.
The robot gun can peg into a slot at the back and this is the only storage option in vehicle mode.
There are some neat little features, like the painted orange highlights. The back is a tad bit messy, but that's also the case on the real thing.
Despite the seams being a major flaw, since it nails down the silhouette, it still looks awesome.
TRANSFORMATION:
Surprisingly, Hot Rod isn't too bad of a shellformer. The front splits to form the torso, but there is a panel, which also with the roof, forms the backpack for the robot. The sides form the arms, while the back unfolds to form the legs. It's actually a fairly interesting transformation because a lot of the robot is folded up tightly for vehicle mode.
ROBOT MODE:
Robot mode is leaps and bounds better than any previous figure, and he's somewhat screen accurate. There are some inaccuracies here and there but it is good enough.
He has the car roof, part of the hood, and the windows as his backpack. Since it is thin and light, it isn't a problem in robot mode.
The head sculpt is good, with plenty of sculpted detailing and also painted detailing.
Size wise, he's not quite as tall as the average Deluxe, and he's also slim to boot, so he may not feel like he's the bulkiest of toys.
As part of the Studio Series line, he comes with a cardboard stand, depicting a scene of London.
Articulation is good, with joints for his head, shoulders, elbows, wrists, waist, hips, knees and ankles.
He comes with a gun, as seen in the film.
He can hold the gun in either hand.
The gun can store by pegging it onto the side of his hips, like a holster.
One slightly annoying thing about the robot mode is that the small pieces behind his ankles are prone to popping off.
A nice robot mode and the best rendition of the character we've had yet.
OVERALL:
Hot Rod is a good figure, even if you're not a fan of the character. He has two good modes, and a fun transformation that isn't too bland, but isn't too complicated either. The orange highlights in both modes against the darker grey color scheme really helps make it pop. He's a tad bit on the smaller side, but thanks to everything else, he does feel like he's worth the price tag.
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