Takara released its’ 5th wave of Car Robots
(approximately 24-26 June 2000) which are IndyHeat & WreckerHook and called "Flip
Changers". I received a tip from Spencer Orbell, who has provided much insight
into the Transformers (new & old), that Takara sometimes release figures to coincide
with the appearances in the Car Robots anime prior to their posted release date (29 June
2000). Thanks again Spencer!
VEHICLE MODE: IndyHeat
(C-016) is a reproduced mold of Mirage/Prowl originally released as Machine Wars in
1996-97. IndyHeat is an Indy racer with a maroon, lavender, and white color
scheme. It also has blue-chromed rims, black plastic wheels, orange stenciled
lettering, and is approximately 4 ½" in length. The labeling & its
location is identified below:
Hood: "INDY 16 (autobot symbol) C016"
Tail-fin: "INDY FLIP CHANGER"
Left/Right-side: "FC: INDY"
The original Machine Wars figures were identified as having "rapid
transformations" maintaining the gimmick started in the Beast Wars line-up.
It’s a good thing Takara decided to stencil "FLIP CHANGER" in English since
translating Japanese isn’t very easy. I think it’s a good title for this
new line of figures.
ROBOT MODE: To transform Indy
into robot mode, place your index & middle fingers at the top of the car where the
spring joint is located (clearly visible). Next, put your thumb underneath the rear
spoiler (tail-fin lever) and lift. The nose of the car should "flip"
downward transforming into the torso of the robot. The robots head, legs, and arms
are now apparent. The "flipping" mechanism only partially transforms the
robot so you have to push the lever down a bit, which rotates the shoulders upward.
The last thing to do is separate the legs and adjust them as needed.
IndyHeat has a two-piece weapon; pistol with double-barrel
attachment. His two piece weapon can be stored on the inside of both legs.
In robot mode, you can see more of the metallic blue
on his thighs, feet, hands, and head. His helmet is also blue with a metallic purple
strip on the front. The "back-lit" gimmick is a neat feature that is added
giving the appearance of illuminated (amber) eyes when placed near a light source. To
transform Indy back into vehicle mode, reverse the steps! |
INDYHEAT (C-016) 
