Transformers: Alternators - Contrary To Plans

Contrary To Plans

The Alternators and Binaltech lines haven't always worked out as originally planned.

• The very first car mold developed for the Alternators-Binaltech line was the Porsche 986 Boxster, originally conceived as Autobot Jazz. Porsche rejected any involvement with "war machines," making it impossible to obtain the license for the figure's release. The original prototype still exists and has been shown as recently as BotCon 2007.
• Takara had also been actively seeking a license from Volkswagen in order to update the Autobot, Bumblebee (who was a Volkswagen Beetle). Volkswagen declined, claiming that, as with Porsche, they do not endorse "war toys." All Alternators sport some manner of weaponry (although Alternators Windcharger had its gun barrel removed because Honda of America disallowed it) and Hasbro insisted that Bumblebee carry a gun. Concept drawings of the Bumblebee toy and a Cliffjumper re-mold still exist, and were included in the dust jacket of The Transformers Binaltech & TF Collection Complete Guide book. The design also made a cameo as a fiction-only "future" Bumblebee in the BotCon 2005 comic, "Descent into Evil."
• Hasbro and Takara tried to get a license for a MINI Cooper from BMW, the owners of the MINI brand. BMW said that as long as the figure did not have a gun, they would approve it. Hasbro and Takara had already started creating the prototype before getting permission, prompting BMW to revoke the license.
• Dead End - based quite clearly on his sculpt - was originally intended to be Sunstreaker. Development sketches and colormaps for the figure included labelling for "Blackstreaker", indicating it was intended to be Sunstreaker in a black body For unexplained reasons the toy was renamed and released as Dead End. The change was explained away in the BT story. Later, the Dead End mold was repainted by Takara in their Binaltech Asterisk line as Sunstreaker and Hasbro followed suit during their second Alternators packaging reset (the more recent "fish bowl" box) in early 2006.

• Chevrolet originally rejected Hasbro's proposal to make a Corvette Transformer so Takara designed a new Dodge Viper body for Autobot Tracks. Chevrolet changed their minds and the Viper body was given a new head and released as Sideswipe (parsed as "Side Swipe" for legal reasons). As such, many of design cues from the Viper mold share common traits with the Generation 1 Tracks figure. Additionally, Alternators Tracks was intended to be yellow, but problems stemming from the transparency of the yellow plastic saw the toy switched to Tracks' iconic blue, delaying its release. In Japan, Binaltech Tracks was released in yellow and later blue versions (the blue one with added flame sticker for further homage), explained away story-wise as a color-changing ability.
• Swindle was originally intended to be Trailbreaker, as seen in Takara's development sketches, but the figure was repainted as Swindle and the change was explained in the BT storyline (it is worth noting that Generation 1 Swindle turned into a jeep type vehicle; Trailbreaker did not). As the lines have ended, unlike Sunstreaker, Trailbreaker will not be produced.
• Windcharger was originally intended to be the name given to the second Ford Mustang figure, with a head designed to evoke the classic Generation 1 character. However, when complications with the Honda S2000 Overdrive toy occurred (presumably either resulting from a rejection of the name Overdrive by Honda, or lack of trademark possession), the Windcharger name was applied to the Honda S2000 figure in the Alternators line, while the name Overdrive was retained for the Binaltech release. The second Mustang became Wheeljack.
• The original head sculpt for Windcharger was used by Hasbro for a Decepticon re-mold/re-paint of the Honda S2000 toy called "Decepticharge" (a composite of Decepticon and Windcharger), with a fictional racing deco. In Japan, Takara planned to release the toy as Wildrider, of the Generation 1 Stunticons, and although the headsculpt bore no resemblance to him, the color scheme and racing decals bore were similar to the unreleased Generation 2 repaint of Wildrider . Wildrider never saw release. Decepticharge, however, saw limited release in Japan by Takara as a prize connected to The Transformers Binaltech & TF Collection Complete Guide photo book.
• Plans were changed again, turning Wildrider into Black Widow, the Japanese name for Beast Wars Blackarachnia. Black Widow was delayed continuously, despite a finished Binaltech story chapter. Due to the cancellation/delay, Autobot Skids' ID was moved up from BT-17 to BT-16, and the Black Widow figure was ultimately cancelled. Takara eventually released the Decepticharge mold as Arcee.
• Not all Alternators have been made available in every single country. For example, it was announced by Hasbro that Prowl was not going to be released in the UK as children wouldn't recognize the car as a proper police car. It has also been announced that Meister was also not going to be released in that country either.
• In Takara's Kiss Player manga, there are depictions of a modified Honda S2000 that stalks Kiss Player Atari and transforms into a robot that has a very Generation 2-like Megatron head, albeit with a slobbering, phallic tongue. It was later revealed that the character was not Megatron, but a new character named Legion. Legion is destroyed in the story and there has been no indication of a toy based on it in either Binaltech or Kiss Players.

• The Alternators Dodge Ram SRT-10 figure is considered an updated Generation 1 Optimus Prime. Originally, the Dodge Ram was meant to be a character other than Prime (though precisely who is unknown), but due to the obscurity of pick-up trucks in Japan and out of concern that the huge and expensive mold would not sell, Takara insisted that the Ram be made into a truly iconic character: namely, Optimus Prime (known as Convoy in Japan). Being reportedly more expensive to make than other Alternators, Hasbro consented so that Takara would continue to front part of the development cost. Ironically, when Takara finally did solicit the figure for Binaltech as BT-17, the figure was relabeled Ginrai, the Prime look-a-like from Transformers: Masterforce, with a black redeco (BTA-4) intended for their Binaltech Asterisk redecos line, partnered with "Melissa". Soon after, both Ginrai and the repaint were put on indefinite hiatus. After the die-cast Binaltech and Binaltech Asterisk lines themselves were put on hold, the figure was re-solicited as part of Takara's new all-plastic Kiss Players line, restoring the Convoy name and partnered with the "Melissa" gashapon figure developed for the black Binaltech Asterisk redeco. The already developed die-cast plates were used later in the production of the limited-edition BT-17 Black Convoy, and then again in late 2008 for the originally-intended Binaltech Convoy (as BT-22).
• According to Hasbro at BotCon 2006, along with Ravage, the Jaguar XK, and Rumble, the Honda Civic Si, there was a third rumored Alternator, first referenced in store listings as a Cadillac XLR. Hasbro confirmed that the figure was intended to be Megatron, but has been canceled and the Alternators line itself postponed for the duration of the live action Transformers movie.
• The appearance of a second Ravage figure may have had its roots in the search for a more conventional alternate mode for the original Generation 1 Ravage. The Corvette remold Ravage was a departure for most fans being that it was a Corvette as well as it having a humanoid robot form in a storyline that takes place in the middle of G1 continuity (according to the BT story, Corvette Ravage was not an updated G1 Ravage, but his future, humanoid self from Beast Wars, powered by the dormant spark of G1 Ravage to sustain him); thus, fan demand might have been the spark that set about the creation of a more traditional panther mode, as well as sporting a Jaguar vehicle mode (as a nod to his Japanese name), both of which were integrated into the second figure.
• In a similar fashion to the San Diego Comic-Con exclusive Alternator, Nemesis Prime, a year before, Takara-Tomy released a Wonderfest exclusive Binaltech in late February 2007. The numbered figure, BT-17 Black Convoy, was packaged in a retrofit Alternators-style "fishbowl" box, saw the return of die-cast parts (developed but previously unused plates from the canceled BT Ginrai figure) and gave a degree of closure to the Binaltech storyline. After the quick sell-out at Wonderfest, the highly sought after Black Convoy was later briefly available on Takara-Tomy's affiliate site, e-Hobby, where it quickly sold out as well, overwhelming the e-Hobby servers in the process.
• Following on the heels of BT-17 Black Convoy, BT-18 Mirage (Rijie in Japan) "Electro-Disrupter" Version was announced at the end of March 2007 as an e-Hobby exclusive. As die-cast plates were presumably never developed for the Ford GT mold, the figure was made of clear plastic, to make the lack of die-cast more palatable. It is the only Binaltech figure to be all plastic.
• Hasbro announced at BotCon 2007 that Alternators will be discontinued. Instead, several new figures will be released in the Transformers: Universe sub-line in 2008 that will continue the theme of Transformers toys with realistic vehicle mode. However, the Universe toys will be distinguishable enough from the Binaltech figures to avoid having to pay licensing fees to the car manufacturers.
• In Spring 2008, given the end of Alternators and the lack of die cast plates for newer figures, Takara decided to repaint a selection of older figures with new color schemes, including a mold variation of the Honda S2000 never before released, designated as BT-21 Arcee, and a mainstream release of the die-cast version of the Dodge Ram mold. This means that there are Alternators that have never received Binaltech treatment (i.e. Ravage and Rumble).