As smart as the trench digger is, I can’t see Inferno passing up a hot rod with massive flaming exhausts allowing him to charge at the enemy like a Mad Max road warrior all while cackling like the mad bot he is.
I feel like a small ATV would fit for Rattrap. Maybe like an old Yamaha Blaster 250. Also fits because the Blaster was a 2 stroke, and Rat Traps Transport modes and his beast machines robot mode often use 2 stroke engine noises
@@nabro1750 that’d also work if it was on the small side. I just personally think of Rattrap as being an off-road vehicle since rats get everywhere ya know
@@rubiconprime1429 very true, I only thought Rover would work as one since he’s half eagle and some eagles eat fish…also he probably already knows doggy paddle.😂
@@rubiconprime1429 I see Silverbolt as a Cessna 182 Skylane while Depth Charge would in fact be a PBY-5A Catalina for sure. In fact, I'd also see Rampage as a Type 63A or any type of amphibious tank.
I've always really liked the idea of Rattrap being a quad bike that transforms basically the same way as his original toy; the windshield folds down over his chest, and all four wheels just splay out onto his back, and his limbs and head are just folded away inside. But your logic definitely makes more sense; my quad bike idea is mostly just about how the transformation could basically just be adapted 1:1 from rat to bike. I've also always thought it was silly that Fuzors were limited to Beast Transformers; why not have weird hybrid vehicle modes? So like, Silverbolt as a car/plane Fuzor could be pretty rad.
For Silverbolt, I'd probably do some sort of harrier where the wings/turbines fold over to the sides, but that's just me. For Rattrap, I'd probably go with a motorcycle and sidecar that partforms into his shell, but again, that's just me.
I like the idea of the Predicons having a military vehicle background, and the Maximals having a civilian vehicle inspiration.... something you hit on here (even the former maximal protoforms are civilian and former Predicon is military) aside from Rhinox. For him, I can see something like a Cadillac Escalade; huge, plush, and often the basis for armored vehicles. For Rattrap, I see a something like a Polaris UTV... small, nimble, and utility oriented rather than flashy. For Primal, I see something like a Ford F350, the kind of pickup used to haul horses or trailer homes; not quite a semi-truck, but a similar vibe in a more consumer setting. For Silverbolt, I see a large wheeled bush plane kind of like the DRACO. Finally for Rampage, he needs to be a T28 Superheavy Tank.... it even looks like a crab!
I think the whole "Waspinator as a jet" thing comes from how he's basically the Predacon's Starscream, even down to being possessed by Starscream's ghost.
@@Benjamin0119 Waspinator never struck me that dumb at all aside from easy to fool with fake voices. I don't judge him for his speech impediment and he seems trusted enough to do delicate tech work like opening statis pods. Thing is in combat he's really only good against other fliers, as seen by minor victories against Primal and Silverbolt.
I will say, you nailed infernos alt mode, that fits him so much, and now i wanna see a badass robot form, (espically wielding a gaint chainsaw gun, and infernos face on it) yesss !! Right on the money !
I like to think that Optimus Primal was a flying vehicle of some sort back on Cybertron. There were several hints towards it as well; he could fly in robot mode in both BW and BM, he had a flight mode as a Transmetal, and he had a jet mode as Optimal Optimus (harboring Optimus Prime's spark probably granted him the ground vehicle mode). Not to mention that his initial toy was a bat. In my head, I imagine Primal had the option to adopt a flying beast mode due to having been a flyer, but he went for a gorilla for its strength instead, retaining his flight capabilities in robot mode.
Dinobot could work well as a gun truck or LAV of some form, honestly. Similarly aggressive vehicle to Megatron, but lighter, faster and less armored, which fits Dinobot really well.
I feel like the MH-6 Little bird would fit for Waspinator better since it’s smaller, not as heavily armed, and has a large canopy that is reminiscent of the round eyes of an insect
and it's renowned for it's insane reliability... kind of similar to how he was able to withstand being blown apart countless times throughout the show.
Personally when I think helicopters as an animal, I think of a wolf, which is why my first thought for silverbolt was a helicopter with two big gatling guns.
Honestly triple changing beastwars characters who have vehicle modes, robot modes and mechanical beast modes (like the dinobots or something) would be really neat.
I like all of these concepts! When Primal came up, my gut-feeling was that he’d be a jeep, because I figured a Jeep’s reputation as an off-road vehicle that can endure difficult terrain reminded me of an ape’s maneuverability. Also, this is hill I’ll always die on: we need a Sea Plane Transformers. Water Walk from Gobots is great, but I want a modern take on that vehicle mode.
There is a Mini-Con from Cybertron that turns into a Martin P6M Seamaster (a flying boat, jet bomber from the 1950's intending to be the Navy's version of the B-52). I am certain that is not what ya want tho lol
Making Rhinox an armored transport makes perfect sense. Like, he could be donned to look like he's transporting equipment for a science lab, him being a science offiver and all.
I like the idea of Primal being a Jet of some kind. Mostly because he could fly in every body he got. So it feels fitting he would be a jet.Dunno what kind obviously.
Primal's vehicle mode could be flying too. He's one of only 3 flyers in season 1 base teams. He's arguably the best and most agile flyer. For the spiderbots a stealth ATV type would be fitting because of their sneaky wall crawling.
When you started talking about a vehicle mode for Scorpinok (sometimes Megatron called him that in the show) I suddenly started getting goosebumps about Bayformers Bonecrusher.
There have been a few con exclusive figures of beast wars characters with vehicle modes, off the top of my head rattrap was a motorcycle, Dinobot was an excavator, waspinator was a jet, tigertron and Cheetor were both cars.
Making Waspinator a Helicopter also makes sense because his BW repaint Buzzsaw was later repainted and remolded from Energon Cyclonus, so the precedent is already there. For Turantulas, yes the 6 wheeled F1 car makes sense, but I personally think it would make more sense if he was a 6 wheeled offroad buggy, vehicles that are still small, but have the shocks exposed, thus it appears like a spider's legs.
absolutely loved the video. i love the idea, of giving Beast era characters, vehicle modes. the video makes me want to make art of the beast wars cast, as vehicles, myself. i really hope this gets a part 2
Waspinator would totally be a Seeker jet, owing to the fact whenever Starscream's ghost possessed someone, it was always Waspinator. As for Inferno, I disagree with the trenchdigger. He'd more than likely pick an old WWII vehicle. Namely, the Lagonda company's infamous flamethrower truck. It was a British army Heavy Cockatrice armored truck with a flamethrower mounted in the turret. I think that fits more than a trenchdigger.
I had a dream once about Inferno's vehicle mode. Remember the Waspinator from that Botcon set? I had a dream where he came in a 2-pack with pre-Beast Inferno, who was a red version of RID Tow Line. A tow-truck sort of works for Inferno since he was big and ants go out and bring stuff back.
I couldn't come up with anything in my own head but I think you nailed Quickstrike, and Inferno would be proud. I picture Cheetor as more of a rocket car than a sports car, the kind that run for land-speed records in the dry lake beds in the Western US. Also check out Liam Ferguson's Amatoya concept, I see Tigatron's very soul in it.
I think the tracks versus wheels trade-off is ultimately about the terrain where you expect to operate. Tracks are better for rough terrain, where wheels can suffer or even outright fail to cross (when particularly rough). Wheels are better for roads (hard flat surfaces), both because wheels can be faster there but also because tracks can damage roads. (Wheels are also lower maintenance, but that presumably wouldn't matter to a Transformer.) If they were operating primarily in a city, even if they didn't care about the damage risk, a Decepticon or Predacon might prefer wheels for maneuverability. But if they expect to be knocking down buildings and running over their enemies, then they might prefer treads anyway. Of course the ultimate solution is to give the tank a hover/flight mode. It would even fit the character, as Transmetal Megatron gained VTOL engines, and he later obtained a flying dragon alt mode.
For Quickstrike, I personally would've gone with those insane WW2 hybrid-like vehicles, like those bikes with a bloody cannon mounted on the sidecar or that one with tank treads on the rear half I'd keep more or less the theme for Silverbolt, making him into one of those 70s (?) futuristic cars that looked like or used plane parts in their construction
You're all forgetting one crucial element on this concept: the Maximals and Predacons would all be Micromasters since they were created to be smaller and more energon-efficient than their Autobot and Decepticon decendants.
Nice choice for Inferno, but hear me out, the first thing that came to mind is...Gasoline Truck. It has multiple wheels, it would have been one of the bigger ones, which the toy was, you have a ready fuel supply for his flame weapons and the back could open up so he had his blender butt
Sometimes, I was thinking of a gatling gun-equipped truck for Dinobot if we consider him being tough, fast, and combat-capable, so adding trigger-happy is a good option as well, since Dinobot uses firearms once in a blue moon besides his eye beams.
I'd have Primal as a Unimog of some sort. They're a brand of European on/off-road vehicles that blur the line between being a truck and a tractor. They have camper variants which are popular for scientific expeditions in jungles and deserts, which I feel fits Primal since his mission was originally one of scientific exploration before Megatron got involved.
I could see Rhinox being a Combat Engineering Vehicle. They’re not typically armed besides the weapons soldiers in them carry. They’re used for construction and transportation of combat engineers. They’re interesting vehicles. Give them a search. They’re essentially tanks with a bulldozer blade and an excavator arm on the front. I just think it would be a good deviation away from the typical UPC most Voyager figures that are non-combat military vehicles get. It would also make more sense.
I think that Megatron should transform into a monster truck/mud truck. You want being nimble and manuverable? There's nothing else with the same presence. Plus, BW Megatron mainly relies on brute strength while in beast mode, though he can fire his cannon at will- so why not mount the cannon in the body of the truck in his vehicle mode? Heck, just go full circle and have his vehicle mode be a Monster Jam version of his beast mode- a t-rex themed monster truck. And also, I'd say that Primal should be a rally truck. Built for offroading, yet strong enough to be a bully on the roads. Plus, that stature would fit well with the rest of the Maximals stature-wise. As for Dinobot, I'd go with something more like a dune buggy, to fit more between Primal and Megatron. Otherwise, I agree with your choice for Dinobot. ...I was wondering why you didn't choose a cement mixer for Inferno. Ants are more builders than destroyers, and the cement mixer drum would make the shape of Inferno's rocket pack instantly recognizable in robot mode. Not to mention being able to pull a Mixmaster angle and have Inferno be a mobile chemical lab- which could also reference other types of ants. I will say that I agree on the spiders having vehicle modes with lots of downforce, though. Blackarachnia especially could transform into something like an Ariel Atom, which is smaller than the six-wheeled racer (and only has four wheels, but limiting yourself to that theme with the arachnids is grounds for potential creative bankruptcy in my opinion). Finally, I think Silverbolt (and the other Fuzors) should just be triple-changers if they had vehicle alt modes. Sure, the really cool vehicles you could bring to the forefront are very enticing, but I think that making them triple-changers would make the Fuzors stand out even more from the rest of the cast. Edit: Cheetor should be a sports car, yes... But Tigatron should be a muscle car or even a rally car. Yeah, they're both big cats, but there's a lot of differences between cheetahs and tigers. One's built for speed, the other's built for strength and power.
Waspinator turning into a jet has real-world precedence from the Beast Era. His Transmetal toy turned into a bug-ified equivalent to an F-22. The Botcon figure wasn't JUST because the head already looked a little like him, but to pay homage to his actual jet mode. Same with the other fictional depictions.
I also thought of Beast Wars car modes when I saw some of the Transtech concept designs. My idea is that Primal would be more like a pickup truck. Smaller than a semi, but still in the same realm. Rhinox would be just like you said, an armored car, not a tank. Cheetor would be a supercar (pretty obvious). Rattrap I thought would be a Hotrod, similar to his transmetal form. Blackarachnia would be a motorcycle with 8 exhausts. Silverbolt would be a hybrid muscle car/jet rather than a triple changer, so it's like his Fuzor origin bled into a vehicle form for him. Dinobot I would make into the tricycle with 2 front wheels and 1 back wheel, so like a front heavy raptor. As for the Decepticons; Megatron I imagined to be a gunship. This stems from his transmetal mode where he can fly as a T-Rex. Waspinator would be a helicopter (pretty obvious). Rampage would be a Tank (pretty obvious). Tarantulas would be a motorcycle just like Blackarachnia, as he was the one who awakened here protoform and even made her a spider, so it makes sense to me that they would have the same alt mode, but maybe she take on a more modern design, and Tarantulas turns into more of a Harley. I couldn't really think of ones for Quickshot or Inferno, but your ideas are pretty good. But with Quickshot, I would keep the Fuzor theme like with Silverbolt.
Using the Tyrrell P34 for Tarantulas? As an F1 fan, I support that. It was a semi-experimental race car that did actually compete in Formula 1 in 1976 and 77.
Someone is actually making a Waspinator that turns into an Apache helicopter, a third party, saw it a few months ago as pictures of the prototype, no idea if they are going ahead with it or not, looks great though!
Not gonna lie; I think I like the digger you chose for Inferno would work for Rampage. Just imagine his insane laughter ringing out as he brings down that saw down on a Maximal! 💀
I think with Cheetor and Tigatron, if we were to use current modern molds: Cheetor would be Siege Bluestreak and Tigertron would be the Earthrise version. It keeps your idea of them being similar, but Tigertron being bigger and beefier looking while cheetor is smaller and sleeker while still having the same transformation.
Cheetor as a sports car would be obvious, though I could easily see him as a motorcycle (with Tigertron as a Harley), or as a "Baja Bug" since he's like a next-gen Bumblebee. As for Waspinator, helicopter makes sense. Maybe something like a Bell 47?
I have that Sideswipe bull figure and it's really good. I understand the lack of artist credit, but those companies take something that people want and make it real.
When I think about BW characters having vehicle modes, I go the Cybertronian alien route. Not unlike the Golden Disk theft video. What was their function on Cybertron? Primal leads a crew of planetary surveyors. Taking away the protoform part to scan local lifeforms, I think they’d be alien vehicles on Cybertron. Optimus Primal: A smaller truck version to the Orion Pax we get in War Within or Autocracy. With a small trailer that is flush to his main body. Used to haul the equipment for surveying land. Cheetor: An off-road vehicle that is built for speed on roads but switches to adapt for terrain. A spring load mechanic you’d see on a toy. Rattrap: the vehicle option here is actually perfect ngl. Make it look more alien. Rhinox: a bulldozer that doubles as a research/medical station. Like how Ratchet was in Siege or how Perceptor has been reimagined lately. Dinobot: I like that excavator form but since he was a criminal back on Cybertron. I imagine he was a normal modern Constructicon but was on Cryo-tech’s take. Tigatron: A transport vehicle to collect samples. Airrazor: A jet than can hover. With enough room for air lifting things. Blackarachnia: I think would have a mode like Perceptor’s Microscope. Turning into a tripod (or hexapod?) with her body scanning the ground and taking pictures. Edit: Silverbolt would be a triple changer and absolutely look like Springer. Off-road car and helicopter.
I would use the South African Marauder for Rhinox. That thing is massive and indestructible. Before you even revealed it, I was thinking of the Can-Am for RatTrap.
I see more Optimus Primal as a humvee due to the assortment of weapons Primal has in the original show, which the humvee can have multiple configuration of weapons if not outright a civilian vehicle. It's rugged and tough while also being versatile to any terrain and nimble.
I agree with Waspinator being a helicoptor not a jet, but I do understand why they did it for the botcon toy, beyond the head. For one thing, the Transmetal figure did turn into a jet vaguely resembling the F-15 For another, the episode where he was possessed by Starscream (Which is presumably inspired by or what inspired the Transmetal figure, don't know which was devised first)
I didn't expect Rattrap with that vehicle, but I agree it suits him. Waspinator was indeed obvious and you explained your choice perfectly. Now for some bots you didn't touch upon: Cheetor would be a Ford Focus RS and Tigatron a Rally Porsche in my opinion. Airraizor could have a Harrier jet as her alternate form while Terrorsaur would be an F14 or something of that sort. Dinobot II screams Humvee to fit alongside your choice for Megatron. Rampage is kinda obvious: big ol' tank. Transmetal II Megatron would be an armed Osprey. Silverbolt is indeed tricky, but my mind just made him a repaint of Tracks much like Tarantulas would look great as a repaint of Dragstrip.
Not really sure about Optimus Primal or Tarantulas but the rest, especially Megatron, Dinobot, Waspinator, and Quickstrike were awesome! Great choices. My choice for Silverbolt is a Harrier Jump Jet. It can hover or fly like a normal jet. Not necessarily giving two terrains to operate in but he could still operate close to his comrades on the ground or take on other fliers. Also, as I recall, the Harrier is a British aircraft and Silverbolt tended to act like he was somewhat of a knight.
While it's not a real world vehicle(that I know of) that does exist I think Inferno would work well as your stereotypical driller tank with has one of those gigantic drills at the front of it. It fits well with the idea that his original Beast mode is good at digging, and the drill can work the same way his ant mode's abdomen does for his robot mode, where it can split open into four panels revealing a thruster inside for flight.
I think Rhinox should be based of off a winter veichle because if he got a transmetal body he would have been a snow mobile. I think that tank mode Megatron works. Optimus Primal should be a small jet. Rattrap should be an RC. Waspinator makes sence with the helicopter, so does Tarantulas. I feel like Dinobot should be either what you suggested or a motorcycle. The rest makes sence.
Rhinox: Yeah, I can see him being an MRAP. Maybe a Buffalo MRAP (same vehicle as Movie Bonecrusher) because it has an articulating arm that moves mines around. Quite neat. Megs: A wheeled tank destroyer (or Mobile Gun System, take your pick) works. The Centaruo II (what is seen being used) would be perfect as it has a 120mm gun that can pack a punch. OP: For Primal, I was thinking more along the lines of a E-5 Command Center (a type of mobile command center used by law enforcement). He is the leader after all and it makes sense that a command center on wheels would be perfect. Rattrap: Yeah, I agree with the Can-Am thing. Waspinator: An AH-1Z Viper or an Agusta A129 Mangusta would be a better pick instead of an Apache. Or something with a chain gun to act as a "stinger" of sorts. Tarantulus: A Tyrell P34 (seen in vid and is what G1 Drag Strip turns into) works almost too-well for him. Dinobot: For Dinobot, I would go for an armored Humvee with a TOW launcher as it still provides enough offensive capabilities to fight with. Scorponok: Wheeled artillery works well as it does look like a scorpion's tail. Quickstrike: Okay, this one threw me off, but the walking excavator works well. I didn't even know they existed lol. Inferno: Anything with digging equipment or even a flamethrower works too as he is a fire ant
Some of the beast wars characters did get vehicle forms in the form of toys Ex: Dinobots was a shovel arm excavator Rat trap was a recolor of Ransack from TF Cybertron
For Megatron I would have used an excavator. That big heavy shovel on an arm feels very much like a t-rex head looming over you, You can even have tank treads to harken back to other Megs being tanks, and they even have those little feet they plant down to anchor them, which when lifted up for moving look like a t-rex's stumpy arms. For Cheetor I would have made him one of those long, skinny drag racers, as their shape and purpose mimic that of a cheetah. They are skinnier and scrawnier than other cars (like cheetahs being much skinnier than other wild cats) and they are made to burst forward at fast speeds in a straight line. Likewise, cheetahs are incredibly poor at turning, the more they change their direction, the less likely they are to make a kill. For Rhinox I would have tried to find something to mimic either a rhino's pension for ramming into something, trampling something, or digging their horn under to flip something over. To that end I would probably make him either a bulldozer, a steam roller, or a fork lift. As for Optimus, I would have made him a tow truck. Not only would he be a truck dragging something behind him like other Primes have, but the hook being able to grab and lift things would mimic an apes ability to grab and lift with their opposable thumbs. PLus if the hook became his weapon in robot mode he could use it to swing around on things like Tarzan.
I think making Megs a tank is a missed opportunity and why I can't buy the cybertronian form created for the Theft of Golden Disk. Remember he's a thief. Outside of wilderness of the Beast Wars he'd want something that blends in or looks rich so cops give him special treatment. Quickstrike and Inferno's are great though. I've seen it proposed a helicopter for Dinobot to work based on the spinning tail.
I had no problem with a tank because he'd wanna mimic the original Megatron but I think you have a really good point. You're making me think a VAN might be appropriate for Megatron, something I'd never consider before for any Megs. Cuz it's something that's reasonably big and bulky for his body but it's still something very civilian and a classic getaway vehicle. So I think it'd fit BW Megaton as a schemer and a thief.
I think the Apache is much too heavy a chopper for waspinator, but one of those smaller light frame ones would be perfect. Would have even more of a bug eye resemblance in the windscreen, too. And I think dinobot would be some kind of technical (has a mounted machine gun on the back) regardless of what particular vehicle he is. I can see that feeding into his dynamic with Rattrap
For the spiders I'd also wanna bring up the Avtoros Shaman, it's an eight wheeled ATV. I like the mud truck for Primal but I think a Jeep truck would find just as well; gives that wild off road thing while still being a distinctive truck. I also think a triple changer is also a necessary compromise for Silverbolt. I think a recon vehicle for Dinobot is good I'd just rather it have a mounted weapon. If I had to pick one in particular I'd say maybe the LGS Fennek.