Takara releases G1 Masterpiece figures so slowly these days, I barely even think about whether I should get a figure, and just buy it regardless. I guess when the figure is another fantastic Diaclone repaint, there's nothing to worry about!
This Spinout repaint of the fantastic Sunstreaker mold is beautifully done. Click the link below to check out my video review over on the Kool Kollectibles YouTube channel. Hope you can subscribe and stay tuned for the upcoming MP Arcee review!
The packaging is the usual MP style. There aren't too many accessories , but what is provided is decent enough. I'll never use the stickers, but they're a nice option for collectors that want that extra bit of detailing or Diaclone homage. The weapons are essentially the same as those that have come before with Sunstreaker or Cordon, so you know what you're getting there.
For the extra collector piece, I do wish they still provided the coins instead of these new pins. But I guess something is better than nothing! The card art is decent, but I still prefer the original static pose artwork of the figure itself. That was always just a simple yet classy way to highlight the figure and tech specs.
But the main thing everyone is interested in is of course the figure itself. It always seems that Takara puts in a little extra effort for their Diaclone repaints, and this Spinout is no exception. Cordon was a beautiful repaint, and Spinout maintains that high quality.
I actually thought the red was all just unpainted plastic, but it is actually a beautiful deep red paint that looks so good in hand. Previous figures with red plastic have a somewhat translucent quality that makes them look a little cheap. But this semi-matte finish is gorgeous.
I love that Takara have given the two Diaclone repaints their original Diaclone number designation, with Spinout being Car Robo CR-01 and Cordon being CR-03. Seeing this does raise the obvious question on where is CR-02, which is the original black Ironhide. I have no idea why Takara has not done an Ironhide repaint after all of these years since the MP-27 Ironhide release. I really do hope they announce one soon.
Seeing Spinout side by side to the original MP-12 Sideswipe, it really becomes obvious how much better the paint app is on Spinout. The roof of Sideswipe shows that translucent plastic effect, and the cleaner lines of Spinout really make it the definite red MP Countach for me.
The transformation to the classic Countach style without external engines is pretty simple, and that mode looks pretty awesome too. But I do prefer the external engine stile for both Cordon and Spinout. That chrome just looks amazing!
Spinout looks pretty amazing in bot mode too. It has the same G1 toy-inspired head sculpt like Cordon, but with yellow ears. An option for collectors who prefer a toy style would be to swap head sculpts with the original Sunstreaker figure, but I think that would look pretty weird, especially with the mis-matching blacks. I guess for me, I've never had an issue with the original Sunstreaker head sculpt, and think it conveys their cartoon aesthetic pretty well.
Luckily the transformation sequence for this Sunstreaker mold is easier the third time around. Spinout has nice firm joints that are not too loose or tight, and I had no issues with paint chipping either which is great.
I love these Diaclone homages in the MP series. There are some collectors that apparently hate these repaints, but I have no idea why. Considering that these were the original precursors to the Transformers that we all grew up watching, I think Takara honours them perfectly through this MP series. Here's hoping for a Hound repaint and of course that elusive black Ironhide!
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