General Information:
Release Date: March 2022
Price Point: $22.99 (depending on retailer)
Retailer: General Release (Amazon, BigBadToyStore, Entertainment Earth etc.)
Accessories: Blasters x 2
Official images and text below in italics are from Amazon:
- TRANSFORMERS G1-INSPIRED DESIGN: This Transformers: Legacy 5.5-inch Decepticon Dragstrip robot toy is inspired by the animated series, The Transformers, updated with a Generations-style design
- UNIVERSES COLLIDE: Universes continue to collide with Transformers: Legacy! This epic line of Transformers toys brings together fan-favorite characters from across the Transformers multiverse
- 2 EPIC MODES: Action figure converts from robot to racecar mode in 17 steps. Comes with 2 blaster accessories
- COMBINE TO FORM MENASOR: Collect other Transformers: Legacy combiner figures to form Menasor! (Each sold separately, subject to availability.) Decepticon Dragstrip toy combines as the Menasor figure’s right arm
- QR CODE: Scan the QR code on each package to reveal character tech specs from across the multiverse! Collect other Legacy figures to reveal their character tech specs (each sold separately, subject to availability)
Harness the power of Energon with the Transformers: Legacy Deluxe Prime Universe Arcee robot toy! To Dragstrip, winning is everything. He would rather be scrapped than lose.
Packaging:
The Transformers Legacy packaging represents a radical update to Transformers packaging for (what is presumably) a new "trilogy" of Generations toys. For the Core Class we have already seen this design with the releases of Studio Series Ravage and Shockwave. This packaging was designed with a new ethos in mind: minimizing the amount of plastic used to be more eco-friendly. That means the "window" that reveals the toy has no plastic over it. Instead there is just an empty space. The figures no longer sit in a plastic tray. Instead they are tied to a cardboard panel. I am all for eco-friendly packaging and reducing plastic use, but some fans have expressed concern that this could lead to figures being easily stolen or damaged in box. Frankly, I cannot say this is unfounded. During one shopping trip in early 2022 I did see Core Class Ravage gone from his packaging. He had simply been torn out. Now, it's probably easier to do that with a Core Class figure than a Deluxe or Voyager, but the concern is a valid one and I will be interested to see where this design choice goes in the future.
The box art itself is pretty spectacular. The more Earth-tone colors of Kingdom have been traded up for a very retro-scifi (circa the 90's) look. The background tones are mostly purple and black and the Legacy logo just screams "Pay Attention to Me!!!" with its sharp angles and beveled letters that look like something right out of 90's toy packaging (and yes, this is what the BWTF logo circa 2022 is a homage to). On the right is the now traditional vertical Transformers logo with the Generations logo above that. Both have a "worn metal" coloring on them that really looks great. Dragstrip is packaged in robot mode, with a good portion of the top half of the robot showing in an open window. No specific universe is called out, so the assumption is that this G1 Dragstrip. The front features him in race car mode while the angled side panel features him in robot mode. The back of the box features Dragstrip in both modes, calling out a 17 step transformation and being a "1 of 5" parts of Menasor. Generally, Legacy boxes feature a QR code to scan to see the character's tech specs but in this case it is printed on the instruction booklet. I have screen captured and composited the tech spec in the gallery below.
Drag Strip (or Dragstrip depending on the trademark of the moment) is one of the five original Stunticons, a team of land vehicles who could combine into the powerful Menasor. This is not the first time Dragstrip has appeared in the Classics/Generations era. Way back in the Universe line he appeared as a redeco of Classics Mirage. More recently he appeared in Combiner Wars in both G1 and G2 inspired colors. However, none of these figures were really based on his original G1 animated appearance. This figure seeks to take the classic G1 design and use it as the foundation for a figure with modern day figure engineering.
Accessories:
Dragstrip includes two blasters. Each has the same basic design, featuring a rectangular body with a targeting scope on top and a thin barrel in front. This design is based the character's G1 weapon. The blasters feature tabs and openings on the sides which allow them to connect to one another to form a dual weapon. The handle is a 5mm peg and the ends do fit Blast Effects.
The weapons are made up of black plastic with metallic purple paint on the main body of the weapon.
Robot Mode:
In the G1 cartoon, Dragstrip was a fairly plain looking robot with a few key features that made him distinct. All three of these features are present on this figure. They are:
- The head design features a round helmet section with visor eyes and extensions sticking out the sides of the head.
- The torso is made up of a combination of the driver's section from the vehicle mode along with the car engine.
- The shoulders each feature two wheels on the sides.
The rest of the robot mode is fairly generic looking featuring lots of rectangles and squares. However, if you look a bit closer, you'll see a lot of wonderful sculpted detail has been worked into this figure. Among my favorites are the pipes running along the lower legs in an "L" shaped pattern and a tube shape running down the middle of the back, resembling a spinal column.
Perhaps the biggest deviation from the G1 animation model are the halves of the vehicle's front end flanking the head. On the G1 animation model these were hidden away in robot mode. I really wish they could have swung back or something to move out of the way. That is my only criticism of this sculpt. Otherwise I think it looks great!
Dragstrip is mostly yellow and black plastic in this mode. There is some mustard gold on the torso and the head features purple, red and silver paint. The "engine" panel is painted silver. His arms and legs have some addictional colors, most notably red stripes. However, you have to pose him in specific ways or look at him from the sides to see them. When only facing front, most of the color is on the torso and head with little on the arms and legs. The thing is, that is pretty accurate to the G1 animation design where the character was basically a lot of yellow color and little else. That said, I am disappointed that the designers did not give him a Decepticon symbol on his left shoulder as he had in the cartoon.
There are twenty two points of articulation in this mode. This includes four in each arm and six in each leg. He can hold his weapons in his hands or you can use one of the eight other 5mm ports on his back and lower legs. I'm not sure why he has so many ports but I'm guessing it's a combination of his ability to merge with the Stunticons to form Menasor and to carry over the play pattern with Weaponizers and Fossilizers from previous toy lines. The joints are all relatively tight, so no concerns from me about quality control.
Transformation to Vehicle Mode:
- Detach all accessories and set them aside for now.
- Straighten out the arms and legs.
- On each arm, rotate the forearm armor forward.
- Swing the back wheel on each shoulder down.
- Swing the feet back.
- Swing the chest and head piece forward.
- Rotate the halves of the vehicle mode's front end out.
- Swing each arm up, connecting those sections together in the middle.
- Rotate the chest/head section around, swing the head back then extend the chest piece and extend it, then push it down. Lock the tabs on the chest piece into the corresponding slots on the forearm armor pieces.
- Swing the panels on the back of the lower legs out, then swing the lower legs up over the thighs, then close the panels.
- Connect the two lower legs together.
- The "hooks" on the lower leg pieces should slot into the openings on either side of the chest armor panel.
- The blasters can attach to the ports on either side of the engine section towards the back.
Vehicle Mode:
The original G1 Dragstrip transformed into a Tyrrell P34 F1 Race Car. This version of the character is based on that design. Of course, just enough has been changed to avoid licensing issues, but there is enough detail to make the connection. Perhaps the most interesting detail are the six wheels instead of the usual four. Both sides of have two smaller wheels in front and one larger one towards the back. The vehicle also has a curved front end and a low spoiler in the back. The middle has a driver's area with an oval opening (and yes, the head is hollow on purpose since it's where the "seat" would be). If you've seen any episode of G1 that features Drag Strip, this vehicle will be instantly recognizable!
There are some really nice small details in this mode. The front end features triangular details that are direct callbacks to G1 Drag Strip. The engine in the back is very detailed showing off cylinder head details and tubes extending into the back. I will say I am not fond of the wheels since they are the "clip on" variety which always look cheap to me. With so much effort put into the rest of the figure I wish these were the traditional pinned in wheels with silver paint on the sides.
The blasters can attach to the 5mm ports on either side of the engine. While this does not quite have the bombast of the giant cannons that attached to G1 Drag Strip in vehicle mode. I know it would have been cost prohibitive nowadays but man, it would have been fun to see giant cannons mounted onto the back of this race car for the pure sillines of it.
The colors in this mode are much more eye catching than the robot mode. The god color is on the front and middle. Red stripes are found in the front and back and there is a large Decepticon symbol right in front. The engine in back is silver, contrasting beautifully against the yellow color.
Combiner Form:
Unlike the "Scramble City" style of Combiner Wars Dragstrip, this new version is intended to look like the cartoon version of Menasor which was, for lack of a better description, a giant robot with cars slapped onto its arms and legs. Dragstrip will form part of Menasor's right arm, so the vehicle mode form basically splits in half on the arm piece. You can do this now if you use a tool like a flat head screwdriver and press the rectangular opening on the back. This will "split" the two halves of the vehicle into the "arm armor" for Menasor. I'll cover this in more detail once Motormaster is released.
Final Thoughts:
Dragstrip is fantastic. He looks very much like the G1 cartoon character jumped off the screen and onto my desk. I also appreciate the straightforward transformation. Highly recommended!
Pros:
- Great sculpt that looks a lot like the G1 cartoon model.
- Good articulation.
- Intuitive and straightforward transformation.
Cons:
- While "animation accurate", I do wish some of the details on the robot mode sculpt were somehow accentuated by deco. They can get a bit lost in all the yellow.
- I would have preferred if the parts flanking the head could have been moved out of the way.
