General Information:
Release Date: August 1995
Retailer: z95sales (see background below)
Price: Convention version was included with $25 Pre-registration
Accessories: Gun
Background:
In 1995 fans attended the second Botcon convention. Transformers fan and convention organizer Raksha worked with Hasbro to create a new character for the event as an exclusive figure to be included with pre-registration. This figure was a redeco of the sculpt originally used for High Beam (and later Bumblebee) but used the wheels from the Double Clutch/Mirage sculpt. The Botcon organizers took the figures and applied low-res Decepticon stickers and painted on blue lines by hand!
Another 100 of these figures were distributed to Whiz Bang Toys and removed from their original baggies and placed in new bags with a cardboard header promoting Whiz Bang Toys.
Finally, about 100 samples were kept by Hasbro designer Jerry Palmer and these would eventually wind up in the hands of online seller z75sales. These "Jerry Palmer" versions of the figure were never removed from their factory baggies and did not have Decepticon symbols or any blue lines painted on them. This is the version that I have used for this review. My purchase included a letter that documented the history of this piece along with a signed letter from Palmer's wife, Connie verifies her husband's role at Hasbro and her sale of this lot to z75sales (as witnessed by a Notary Public).
Accessory:
Nightracer's weapon is a blaster with a tube shaped barrel, an angled piece on top and some really nice sculpted details on the sides. The weapon appears to be fed through an ammunition drum on the bottom of the weapon. The weapon features a small peg towards the back that allows you to attach it to either hand. The blaster is made of neon yellow plastic with no paint applications.
Vehicle Mode:
The Generation 2 Go-Bots were originally designed to be compatible with Hot Wheels and Matchbox race tracks. The designers seemed to have used the Speed Blaster as the foundation for this vehicle mode design. Like that vehicle this looks like a sleek sports car with its engine sticking out the back. The spoiler curves around the back, similar to the Speed Blaster and the front has similar lines, but Nightracer is a bit more flat and sleek. Among my favorite details are the circular rear lights which resemble those found on the Chevrolet Corvette C3.
Nightracer is a mash up of parts from two different Go-Bots: High Beam/Bumblebee and Double Clutch/Mirage. The body of the figure and weapon come from High Beam/Bumblebee while the wheels come from the Double Clutch/Mirage sculpt. While High Beam may be the "source body" for Nightracer, it would appear they used the Bumblebee run of the sculpt. The figure looks like an unpainted Go-Bot Bumblebee so it is mostly black plastic in this form. The engine section in the back and the windows are all painted silver. The sides of the wheels feature vacuum metallized silver. The Decepticon symbol you see in my photos is from Toyhax. Given this was right from the factory, there are no blue lines painted onto the figure. You can see how those blue lines looked on the TFWiki.
Transformation to Robot Mode:
- Pull the rear of the vehicle back.
- Pull the sides out.
- Fold the front of the car down.
- Place the gun in the robot fist.
Robot Mode:
Like other Generation 2 Go-Bots, Nightracer has a very standardized appearance with the front of the vehicle as the torso, the car doors as her arms and the rear of the vehicle forming the lower legs. The head sculpt is unique among the Go-Bots, featuring a "helmet" with an angled design and a crest in the middle. The lower legs feature engine-like detailing, similar to the other Go-Bots. The face features eyes, a nose and a mouthplate. Overall the sculpt looks great and distinctive even though it shares the same basic design as several other Go-Bots.
The colors in this mode really reinforce that this was likely a reuse of the Bumblebee plastic colors. The panel behind the torso (which forms the head and waist area) along with the thighs are neon yellow. This is the same color as the blaster. When I put this figure side by side with Go-Bots Bumblebee, the neon yellow looked the same. Silver paint appears again on the robot face. Once again, this figure came from Jerry Palmer's collection, so there are no blue lines painted onto the figure.
As with all Go-Bots, this figure has two points of articulation: the arms. By 2026 standards this is not great, but at the time this figure came out such limited articulation was not unheard of. Indeed, the Go-Bot sculpts would be given new decos and re-released for years after 1995 and they really helped emphasize the value of imagination when it came to playing with Transformers figures back in the day.
Final Thoughts:
Obtaining this Nightracer figure really helped to fill a hole in my collection that has existed for decades. Granted, this is not the Botcon version actually released at the con, but for me it's close enough. I am not going to tell anyone to run out there and spend over $200 USD on this figure, but I really love it as a toy and the history it represents. At this point in time, this figure is a relatively rare and expensive item that only hardcore fans will be chasing down.
