Hubcap

This has to be one of the best Scout-class figures of the last few years.

Old-timer Hubcap's car-mode wouldn't look half bad in a mob-flick.

Apparently, the mobsters wouldn't have had a problem with it, seeing as Cybertronian warveteran Hubcap is depicted as one of the fastest of his time. And he still has a bag of tricks youngsters like Bumblebee and Sideswipe can't even imagine.

Befitting his simple yet cool character, his toy is the same: simple yet cool. There is nothing special about him, but that doesn't mean he's not good. Less seems to be more.

Tight, double swivels on his shoulders and balljointed head, hips and elbows give him a nice amount of poseability. His hands are sculpted in an open position, instead of the standard 5mm openings.

This leaves him unable to hold weapons, but even though I would have liked him able hold a gun or something, it's not something I miss in him.

The only drawback I can find on him is that his knees are a little high, but nothing serious.

His overall effective simplicity doesn't stop, as it found it's way to his transformation as well. His chestplate folds straight up, concealing his head below the hood. Making him do a really high straight-arm shrug completes his car-mode's front.

Then you align the car-parts on legs, and moving his legs into a squatting position makes everything snap into place and you're done.

As stated before his car-mode is based on an old-timer, namely the Willie's 77 1930's style roadster. And well done as well. I feel it really reflects his character: old, but hardy and effective.

The transformation-seams attract little to no attention, and the molded exhaustpipes are realistic and stylish.

He has next to no panellining, so there are a lot of even surfaces on him. Which in turn make him perfect for repainting, which made even me* consider giving him a hot-rod styled colorscheme. But then again, red ís the Autobot-color and I think it's flashy enough for him.

All in all: a great figure. His simplicity makes him stand out nicely in the ocean of the usually more intricate movie-based figures.

* A part from unscrewing a part here and there, I'm no customiser. And repainting I don't do either. Yet.