Lightspeed (G2)

The name or term "Lightspeed" refers to more than one character or idea. For a list of other meanings, see Lightspeed (disambiguation).

Lightspeed was to have been an Autobot(?) from the Generation 2 portion of the Generation 1 continuity family.

(Preliminary art pictured)

Lightspeed never had the chance to put the pedal to the metal.

Toys

Generation 2

(Unpainted prototype pictured)

• Lightspeed (1995?)
  • Accessories: 2-part rifle

Designed for Generation 2 but not seeing release before the line's demise, Lightspeed transforms into a Penske PC-18 Indycar. The figure is a "flipchanger", meaning most of the transformation sequence is an autotransformation, springing into robot mode by lifting a catch. The rifle splits into two pieces, which store inside the robot legs while in vehicle mode.

Samples of all four prototypes, lacking paint and decals, have surfaced on the secondary market over the years, and TakaraTomy even displayed a set at Transformers Expo in 2014.

Generation 2 mold: Lightspeed
Hasbro: Generation 2 Lightspeed (canceled) Machine Wars Mirage Prowl Robots in Disguise (2001) Skid-Z Takara: Car Robots C-016 Indy Heat Super Indy Heat Robotmasters RM-03 Rijie See also: Hasbro: Dark of the Moon Bumblebee's weapon (2-pack)

Your bargaining posture is highly dubious. Proceed on your way to oblivion. This item has been canceled, with no current plans for release.

Notes

• For decades after the 1997 Machine Wars toyline, the in-development Generation 2 identities of the flipchangers remained unknown, with fans tending to guess based on physical similarity that the racecar would have been named Mirage in G2. It was not until May 2024, when a private auction on Facebook noted that surviving Hasbro documents labeled the racecar as "Lightspeed", that the mystery was finally resolved.
• It is vaguely possible flipchanger Lightspeed and Greasepit would have been the mysterious Generation 2 listings designated "Solarbots", with Skystriker and Thundercracker as "Solar Jets". However, the flipchangers were seemingly canceled too early on in development to receive labeled packaging, and thus it is unclear if any documentation exists to confirm or deny what the "Solar" toys actually were.