Transformers Masterpiece MP-12T Tigertrack

The Transformers Masterpiece line got rebooted (well, sort of) in 2011 with the release of MP-10 Convoy. Before then scale between releases had been fairly inconsistent. Which is nothing new in Transformers. But from MP-10 onward the designers have at least tried to keep the robot-modes as consistent as they can based on a cartoon notorious for animation errors.

MP-10 was followed up by a retool of the Seeker mold which was in turn followed by MP-12 Sideswipe. The first of a series of smaller, more affordable Masterpiece figures with licensed alt-modes and cartoon accurate robot-modes. 

I never bought the original Sideswipe. When I started collecting Masterpiece figures the G2 version had been announced and I chose to wait for it instead. But I did get the TakaraTomy mall exclusive MP-12T Tigertrack based on an e-Hobby exclusive redeco of the original Sideswipe toy. 

Vehicle mode:

Tigertrack's alt-mode is a yellow LaLamborghini Countach LP500S (thank you TF Wiki). Even if I couldn't tell you the exact model of the top of my head the car is instantly recognizable. A few panel lines give away that this is a Transformer and not a scale model but the car mode is very convincing none the less. Personally I like this car in yellow more than I do in red.

Tigertrack can do what you'd expect a toy car to do. He can roll. There's not a lot of clearence though so you'd better stick to flat surfaces.

Tigertrack also has a battle-mode. His rifle can plug into the side of his shoulder cannon which can in turn plug into a port on his roof. To keep the look of the vehicle mode as clean as possible this port has a little spring loaded flap that fills the gap when the weapons aren't plugged in. It's silly and I can't see many people using this mode but it doesn't interfere with the toy at all so no harm done.

Transformation:

One of the biggest strengths of the post-MP-10 Masterpiece figures are their transformations. They are involved but not complicated. You won't be needing to set aside an entire evening to transform these toys.

Tigertrack's transformation begins by folding down the front wheels and untabbing the front of the car then lifting up the roof. This pretty much frees up everything to allow you to convert car to robot. The upper body is very basic - hood folds around and tabs in to become chest, the sides of the car unfold into the robot-mode arms.

The most interesting and involved part of the transformation is the legs. After untabbing what will become the feet from the interior of the car the top and bottom halves of the car-modes rear flip around and meet again to form the lower leg. A couple of small panels fold out to fill the gap and the panels around the rear wheels rotate to finish the look. It's a great use of the alt-mode parts to create the robot-mode's limbs.

Robot mode:

Tigertrack has a very well proportioned robot-mode. The wide chest and bulky arms and legs give him a very heroic silhouette. White is added to his color scheme to add a bit of variety and keep things interesting.

Universal shoulders and hips combined with hinge elbows and knees give him a decent range of articulation. Wrist and waist swivels and a little bit of ankle tilt top this off nicely. He's not going to be as poseable as some action figures but what he does have he uses well.

Tigertrack is armed with a rifle and a shoulder cannon. TF Wiki tells me these are a 'Electron Pulse Gun' and a 'Laser Homing SAM Launcher' . Whatever they are called they look good.

The shoulder cannon has an articulated peg allowing Tigertrack to be posed like he's trying the shoot down airborne targets. His wide chest doesn't makes does stop him from holding his rifle two-handed. Regardless, Tigertrack's more than ready to shows some Decepticons who's boss.

He also comes with a pair of 'screw drivers'. They look more like chisels to me. These were molded to go with Sideswipe as the pile drivers he occasionally used in the G1 cartoon. To be honest I tested these when I first got the figure then put them back into the box where they sat until earlier today when I was taking photos for this review. Nice to get a few extra accessories but compared to later Masterpiece releases these are pretty dull.

Overall:

Great looking robot- and alt-modes and a fun transformation make this toy a great addition to your collection. To date there have been five versions of this toy - G1 Sideswipe, G2 Sideswipe, Red Alert, Tigertrack and Clamp Down. If you like what you see here I'd recommend looking at pictures of the others and picking up your favorite. But I may be a little biased. I own three of the five uses of this mold.