Phil's
Spychanger Sideswipe & Silverstreak
Review
Sideswipe is one of the four unreleased G2 Gobot molds that were resurrected for Robots In Disguise. There are two other unreleased molds, pictures of which are on my Spychangers page. These six new Spychangers have one significant advance over their predecessors: Their guns can be stowed away in vehicle mode. This sets a precedent that would last through till Transformers Animated broke ranks in 2008.
G2 "Sideswipe" was photographed at a Japanese toy show in 2006 on a Gobot Highbeam card. The car is a mix of white and orange - no photos exist of the robot mode molded in the colours. I have seen the name Rumble attached to this toy on at least one website.
Sideswipe's form here in no way resembles his G1 mode - that's a red Lamborghini Countach. Here he's more an American sportscar with the engine pointing through the bonnet - similar to the larger Sideburn's vehicle mode. The car body is molded in black but heavily painted green. The front & back of the underside are orange while the middle (robot body & head) is blue.
TF: Most of the Gobots/Spychangers - all the ones originally designed for G2 - have the G1 Sideswipe Transformation. Pull the back of the car back, fold down the bonnet under the front of the car. Pull the arms out to the sides. Detach the gun from between the legs and place in his hand.
While we have the front of the car on the robot chest (which is very Sideswipe) we also have the engine here. The head has a pair of goggles down over the eyes looking very much like an illustration of the Owlman from Watchmen.
Good addition to the Spychanger ranks but it isn't Sideswipe
Silverstreak has the car body in grey with a white stripe down the front - resembling the G1 car Bluestreak whose name is now lost to a trademark problem. We find both other colours of plastic replaced by white on this repaint. It's not a bad go and definitely more Bluestreak than Sideswipe !
Email Philip
Phil's TF Review Page