COUNTDOWN: Masterpiece Reboost revealed – counting down the remaining MP Diaclone toys

Not so long ago, we were treated to our very first look at the surprise prototype reveal of the new Masterpiece Skids, a character that I don’t think anyone quite imagined was next in line for such a high-end makeover! Well, now we can also see how the toy will look in all its full-colour glory and I have to say, I am here for it. Behold!

Pretty swish, eh? We’ve already done an article covering off pretty much everything you could possibly need to know about MP Skids, but today our attention is turning firmly toward the handsome red specimen to the side of him. I’ve seen a number of people already speculating that this is an attempt at an Optimus Prime homage of some sort (I can see where the thought comes from!), but it’s actually a very clear nod to one of the alternate uses of the original Skids toy in the Diaclone Car Robots line – the red version of the Honda City R design shown here.

Photo credit: TF Square One

Yes, this wonderful-looking repaint is a bit of a surprise given that we’ve only just seen the original version of the new MP toy revealed, but I’m not complaining either! Oh, and apparently they’ve given him a name now, too – the slightly dubious moniker, Reboost – which is a first for this design, given that none of the Diaclone Car Robots toys had names themselves.

Of course, most of them have since gone on to find new life in Transformers in one form or another, but there are still a number that have yet to be realised in Masterpiece form. So today, in honour of Reboost, we’re counting down the 10 Car Robots designs left to do.

 

#10: Deep Cover

When you consider how many repaints of MP-12 Lambor there have already been, it’s hugely surprising to think that there’s still no Masterpiece Deep Cover on the horizon. It was a running joke amongst a lot of collectors for a long time but now there’s even a Generations Selects release, so it feels all the more baffling! The black version originally saw life as  a repaint of New Countach LP500S under Diaclone, although was eventually brought to Transformers as as e-HOBBY exclusive Collector’s Edition release in 2003, which is where he was finally given the name of Deep Cover (alongside his mould-mate, Tigertrack). Every other Diaclone version of this design has already been realised in MP form, including the likes of MP-14C Clampdown, so Deep Cover remains a notable absence. Will it ever happen? Time will tell!

 

#9: Black Ironhide

If Deep Cover remains a curious non-appearance in Masterpiece form, then this one is downright bizarre! After all, with just the classic red Ironhide and Ratchet being the only uses of that MP design thus far, you’d think TakaraTomy would jump at the chance to give the mould another go. The black Diaclone design of G1 Ironhide has been used in Transformers before too, finally being released as “Protect Black Ironhide” under TakaraTomy’s Encore line in 2008 (and also being the basis for a take on Shattered Glass Ironhide in a Fun Publications comic the year following). Really though, I’d love to see this toy given its own identity proper, name and all, and the Masterpiece line seems like the perfect place for that to happen.

 

#8: Crosscut

Crosscut is of course another take on the retooled version of the toy that would go on to become known as Skids in Transformers (well actually, the blue Honda City Turbo was the retool in Diaclone, but whatever!), and thus would share a mould with the character now known as Reboost in the Masterpiece line. Whilst the core design is the same, the City R version features a newly-moulded bonnet and most notably an entirely different headsculpt, so it’s great to see this new take paying attention to such details.

Having already made his way into Transformers as an e-HOBBY exclusive Collector’s Edition release in 2002, you might have thought that this would give Crosscut a leg-up to become the first Masterpiece retool of the new Skids design, but it seems it was not to be! Still, I’d imagine that if Reboost proves popular, then a silver repaint shouldn’t be too far behind, right?

 

#7 & 6: Red & black Honda City Turbo

But wait, there’s more! Yes, the Honda City Turbo version of the Diaclone toy wasn’t just released in Skids’ signature blue, with two more colour schemes on the go back in the day. There was a red repaint here as well, although my guess would be that two separate repaints of the same core design in the same overall colour might be a bit too much for the Masterpiece line, so I’m not expecting that to happen any time soon! However, the black take on the toy does have some Transformers form already, having been used for a Timelines repaint of Generations Skids in 2015. This release was even given a new name, Burn Out, which I think would be marvellous for an eventual Masterpiece repaint too!

 

#5 & 4: Yellow & Blue 4WD Hi-luxe

Now we move on to the Diaclone toys that don’t even have Masterpiece moulds, so we’re in real pipe dream territory here! Should a hypothetical Masterpiece Trailbreaker ever happen though, it would be wonderful to imagine that the two Diaclone repaint versions would follow soon after, particularly as both the blue and yellow takes are due a bit of love. Neither have ever been released in toy form under the Transformers banner (although the blue one was the inspiration for a Shattered Glass version of Trailbreaker, again in a FunPub comic), so they’re ripe for new names and identities!

 

#3 & 2: Blue & red 4WD Wrecker Type

And hey, if a Masterpiece Trailbreaker were to come to pass, then hopefully there’d be a Hoist retool on the horizon after, right? Sure, it would require extensive reworking in order to make both characters fit their animation look (assuming that would be TakaraTomy’s interest at the time) but it would also open the door to these two beauties being given the high-end treatment, too! ‘Blue Hoist’ is entirely untouched in Transformers terms, but at least the red version was the inspiration for a 2015 Timelines repaint of Generations Thrilling 30 Hoist, named Lift-Ticket. Now I personally wouldn’t mind if they came up with something a little better for a Masterpiece version, but hey, if the toy happens then I’ll take what I can get!

 

#1: Red F-1 Ligier JS11

And then we come to the Grand Poobah of Diaclone homages. Whilst even casual Transformers fans are likely to be familiar with the F1 stylings of the blue Mirage from the first year of the Transformers line, his red re-release under Diaclone is altogether a less well-known prospect. In fact, as this version of F-1 Ligier JS11 was only ever packaged as part of the ultra desirable 1985 Powered Convoy DX set (alongside the pre-Transformers colouration of Ultra Magnus, which itself has become known as Delta Magnus in the Masterpiece line), it’s about as rare as hens’ teeth. No surprise, the original toy can fetch absolutely staggering prices on today’s market, so it would be a true thrill to see a newly-moulded Masterpiece version of this classic colour scheme made real. There has been a third party attempt in Ocular Max’s Liger release (shown above) but still, an official toy would be most welcome indeed (not least because it would also mean a Masterpiece Mirage, of course!). Here’s hoping.

 

So that’s our list. Now, who wants to come up with names for all this lot, eh?

TTFN