Name: Fastlane
Series: Generation 1
Allegiance: Autobot
Function: Warrior
Alternate Mode: Cybertronian Dragster
DRAGSTER MODE
Height: 4cm Length: 12cm Width: 7cm
A red and khaki dragster, without any real cockpit - I suppose it doesn't need one being a vehicle of Cybertronian design. Fastlane's front section is khaki with twin red noses, the read section is red with a black spoiler at the back. Sticking out the sides towards the back are large black plastic rear tyres - the front has no visible wheels, there's one underneath in the centre of the vehicle.
The rear has two big fenders next to the tyres, which are the robot arms, and between these are two rubsigns. The rear one, which is just behind the spoiler's base, is different to the standard rubsigns and rubbing it reveals a picture of a car. On top of the spoiler is a silver and red sticker with a big Autobot insignia. There are stickers on the fenders with silver mechanical detail and stickers on the front "fenders" (I use the quotes since there aren't any wheels there) with red highlights. These stickers are identical to stickers on his brother Cloudraker.
The play value in this mode isn't spectacular, but it's enough to keep me happy. You can attach his handguns to holes on the sides of the front fenders, and they look pretty good there, being khaki, and make him look like an attack dragster. He also rolls along on his wheels quite well considering he has only three.
Overall this is a decent dragster mode. The colours work, the giant rear wheels, big spoiler and lowriding front give the impression this guy is quick, and the addition of the guns make him look like a mean attack dragster - I can just imagine him zooming into battle with guns blazing.
TRANSFORMATION TO ROBOT MODE
Remove the guns if attached, pull out the front to form his legs and flip up the feet. Pull pout the spoiler at it's base and rotate the spoiler itself 180°, rotate the base itself to reveal his face. Fold the rear fenders down to form his arms and flip out his hands. Push the head down onto his shoulders and rotate the spoiler back. Give him his handguns.
The hands can be very tricky to flip out, since they have hard to reach tabs on them. You might want to use a blunt knife or something similar.
ROBOT MODE
Height: 11cm Width: 7cm
Essentially this mode looks the same as Cloudraker's robot mode - they are clones, after all. I will point out the few differences. The torso is red, as are the arms and feet. His hands, thighs and lower legs are khaki. The torso's red is slightly duller than the red of the red parts, since it's actually red paint as opposed to red plastic. Fastlane has a red head and his eye visor is sky blue. He has a moulded nose and mouth, which are relatively difficult to see under artificial light since they're unpainted, but show up better in sunlight.
Fastlane's spoiler is visible over his shoulders, and from the back his spoiler and tyres are visible - Cloudraker does not have these pieces. The other difference is the rubsigns in the centre of the chest - Fastlane's reveals a car, as mentioned. The standard rubsign, his only allegiance sticker in this mode, is on his groin. If you rub his groin, he's happy about it...
The poseability is mainly limited to his shoulders - the arms rotate 360° and his arms can fold over his chest (due to the transformation joints). His head wiggles a little, and if you remove his spoiler, turns maybe 20° to each side.
This is an attractive robot mode with cool colours. He's very stocky, mainly due to big boxy shoulders. It's obvious that for these clones they started the design process with the robot mode, since this mode really looks like it was drawn, rather than being conceptualised from the vehicle mode's parts.
VARIATIONS
None that I'm aware of.
OVERALL
It probably goes without saying that Fastlane is more fun if you have his twin Cloudraker, but even without his brother, he's worthwhile. The colours are cool, the car mode is fun and the robot mode looks nice, so he's a toy I recommend - 7/10
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