Phil's
Operation Combination & Micromaster Collection Neo-wheel
and
Universe Hotspot
Review
Neo-wheel probably looks familiar to you. That's because he's very similar to Freewheeler one of the Autobot Race Car patrol one of the original Micromaster teams. Both are yellow Lamborghinis. Both have the standard Micromaster car transformation: flip the back of the car back to become the legs, stand, fold the bonnet down and swing the arms up from the sides. Both have the standard Micromaster articulation: turning shoulders and bending but joined hips & knees. They even have the same red head, body and upper legs exposed by the transformation. So I'm wondering why they didn't make this an upgraded Roadhandler ?
The differences are minor - the bonnet folds down more like a skirt than a backpack. Between the rear axles is a 5mm peg hole that can be used to attach Neo-Wheel to a Minicon port. This is also used to mount Neo-Wheel on Sixturbo's shoulder as part of the combination sequence. Starting from vehicle mode, Neo Wheel's back half folds up 90 degrees, pivoting round his rear axle. Neo-Wheel then needs his 5mm socket folded out, then has a fist pegged underneath the front of the vehicle - Neo Wheel traditionally has the right fist. He's then pegged onto the shoulders using the 5mm port.
Typical Micromaster car really. If you bought the Race Car Patrol you know what to expect.
Neo-Wheel was available in 1992 in Japan in the Operation Combination TF-03: Sixturbo giftset.
Neo-Wheel was re-released in 2002 as toy number 4 in the Sixturbo Micromaster collection where he was packed with Sixturbo's right fist & gun. The toy is very similar to the original with just some minor paint changes.
Reverse Evolution Neo-Wheel is a classic "paint black & make it evil" repaint with all the colours of this toy rendered in black including the right fist & gun of Reverse Evolution Sixturbo. A silver Decepticon symbol replaces the Autobot symbol on the bonnet. For every box of 12 Sixturbo team members - two complete sets of Sixturbo - two toys in one set would be painted black. So on average there would be one Reverse Evolution Neo-Wheel in every three boxes.
So the yellow car in the set becomes Hotspot, the name used by the Protectorbot Fire Engine ? Right ..... Actually I can sort of see why they did this. At the time this Universe toy was issued the Armada/Energon/Cybertron trilogy heavily featured a character called Hotshot who was in several of his forms a yellow car. Since he's a yellow Lamborghini surely Sunstreaker would be a more appropriate name ? Possibly reuse Drag Strip (the yellow car) or Breakdown (the Lamborghini) from the Stunticons. But most appropriate of all is surely Freewheeler (see above !)
"Hotspot" was sold as a KB Toys exclusive in the USA and was available in Toys R Us in the UK.
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