Remember a couple Thursdays back when I said I only kept one version of each of the Autobot Car Brothers? Well, it was a dirty lie. While going through my RID drawer I found the Rally version of X-Brawn and I remembered that I kept this guy solely because of my undying love for Sega Rally 2 on the Dreamcast. I also remembered that I have a social engagement at The Pub tonight, and so with brevity being the order of the day, I decided a quick look at this repaint of last Thursday’s figure would be a good way to go.

Once again, X-Brawn’s alt mode is fairly realistic looking SUV. This version keeps all the cool trimmings, like chrome running boards and ramming bar and a hood that opens to reveal the gold vac metal engine inside. You also still get vac metal gold wheels and the rubber tires with “Transformers” on the sides. It’s still an awesome little touch! The original version featured a rather pedestrian silver and green paintjob, whereas this version has gone all Rally on our asses.

The new rally deco is pretty amazing, although it’s still a bit subdued for a Rally style car. He’s painted with a nice thick coat of glossy white with red, green, and blue accents. Rally decals include “Cybertron Wild” on the hood and “Wild 24” on the doors. You also get an Autobot emblem on the roof along with an additional “24” and “Cybertron” on the top of the windshield. I don’t know why, but I kind of dig when Transformers have “Cybertron” printed on their alt mode somewhere. It kind of defeats the purpose of being a robot in disguise, but I still think it’s cool when we see it from time to time. I’m not entirely sure of the significance of the “24” or even if it has one.

Transforming X-Brawn into robot mode is really simple. You basically just pull him apart and make a few adjustments. Of course, we’ve already seen what this guy has going on in robot mode and all the rally stickers and pizazz in the world can’t hide the fact that X-Brawn is wearing the entire front third of his auto mode on his left arm. If anything, the new deco draws more attention to his deformed arm. It’s a shame because the rest of the robot mode is so clean looking. I guess in a way it’s good to confine all the kibble to one small part of the robot and if he smacks you with that arm, it’ll literally be the same experience as getting hit by an SUV. Apart from the front of the car, most of the rally deco is still visible on X-Brawn’s back.

X-Brawn’s right arm is still minus a hand. He’s got a socket where you can plug his running boards into to be used as weapons. They’re axes or swords or bludgeons or guns, or whatever you want them to be, I guess. I still really dig the sculpting on the chest and the coloring on the figure is a pleasing pearlescent green mixed with white plastic and some gold and grey. He’s got ball joints all around, so he’s a lot of fun to play with and pose, even with his crippling deformity. Even now I can’t stop fiddling with him, he’s just a fun little figure!

Rally Brawn features the same cool head sculpt as regular flavor Brawn. It’s a great looking noggin, although mine has a little stray paint on him. I’m a big fan of mouth plates on my Transformers. One would think since Optimus Prime has one, it would be considered “in style” and all the other Autobots would want one too. I wonder if they can get cosmetic surgery and have a face plate added. Nick Roche must have covered that in the comics at some point.

If you weren’t sold on this figure the first time around, I doubt this re-deco will make you reconsider. I have a soft spot in my heart for this guy and the Rally deco just makes me love him all the more. Ultimately, this figure can thank Sega for not being sold off with the other multiples of the Car Brothers during one of my Great Purges. It’s funny how sometimes a completely unrelated thing will make me hang on to a toy that I would have otherwise let go. Damn, I kind of wish I wasn’t heading out to The Pub, because I have a hankering to boot up the Dreamcast and play some Sega Rally 2.

Next Thursday, I’ll wrap up my look at the Autobot Car Brothers with Prowl.