Transformers Classics Mirage

Hasbro returned to its roots and re-created some of the original toy lineup with the Classics series. Mirage is a great addition to this and it bypasses it's ancestor in many ways. This is a review of the figure but it will not detail the transformation process.

Mirage is a futuristic Indy car with an enclosed cockpit. I've never seen any race cars like this in reality. I'll start the review in the front.

Indy Car Mode:

The front airfoil/wing, which later becomes his weapon, is very close to the ground. Care must be taken to make sure the airfoil is pressed up into the car and the front end is also pressed up, otherwise the airfoil will hang down lower than the front wheels, not letting them turn. The front wheels are nicely done and give the look of the suspension and axle holding it out. These pieces are tapered on the bottom to make them strong enough to actually support the wheels.

Behind the wheels on the body are vents, presumably to get air in to either the rear wheels or the engine. On the top of the car is the cockpit. It has translucent blue "glass" and Mirage's robot head can be seen through it. Also, behind Mirage's head, molded into the rear of the cockpit, look like seats. What's odd is that it looks like a separate seat on each side. I may just be grasping for things that aren't there.

The top of the cockpit has a hood-scoop, again for the engine. The engine is completely enclosed in the rear of the car and that's where things start to really differentiate from a normal Indy car. With regular cars, the rear end tapers off and becomes more aerodynamic, allowing the rear wing to provide down-force and keep the car glued to the track. With this car, the rear end swoops up into the rear wing, making the whole rear of the car very heavy and not very aerodynamic. There are more vents on the top and sides of the rear of the engine compartment.

The back of the car has the adjustable rear wing, which may or may not be purposefully adjustable, and quad tail pipes. It also shows the knees of the robot mode. There's nothing else to tell about the rear.

The whole car is covert in decals that are actually applied paint, not stickers like the original figure. They say, "Lithonian Drivetrain" on the front wing, the number 26 on the top of the front body section and the sides of the car, "Plasma Injection Energy" next to the cockpit, "F.P. Racing" on either side of the fuselage, and on the tail wing, "Witwicky Sparkplugs," which is a throwback to a G1 human character. Overall, this is a nice, if un-believable, Indy car mode, worthy of sitting next to Bumblebee in this line.

Robot Mode:

The robot mode is one of the most poseable of all of the transformers I own, and though it resembles the original series Mirage if he lost a lot of weight, he is a solid toy with a lot of thought behind it.

I'll begin with the top. The tallest point of Mirage are his wheels. The whole suspension system is set up behind his head and protrudes from his back. The cockpit then becomes his spine and the hood-scoop is where his butt would be. The front vents of the car are now his armpits and the sides and bottom of the car are his arms. His chest is made from the middle of the fuselage and includes a painted on cockpit section to resemble his G1 counterpart. His waist is very small and has the ability to turn, giving him a lot of posablity. His legs flipped out from his engine section and the tail pipes become the knees. His tail wing becomes the feet and he stands very securely. His front wing pops out of the nose and becomes his weapon. It can be stored in the hood scoop section, or he can hold it.

This figure has quickly become one of my favorites, but it's become tougher and tougher to pick a favorite from the Classics line, as all of them are great!

Till all are one...