Soundwaves Oblivion: Transformer Toy Archive: Lambor 04 (Transformers Collection, 2003)

Profile (Translated from the Trading Card)
04 Cybertron Warrior Lambor
Function: Warrior (Combat Operations)
Transformation: Supercar
Ability: Physically strong. Can fly using his rocket injection backpack. His flares light up a 30km square area as if it were midday.
Character: Is quite often reckless in order to accomplish his missions.
STR…6; INT...7; SPD...7; END...7; RNK...5; CRG...10; FPR...3; SKL...6; TTL...51

This reissue Lambor is the seventh release in the Transformers Collection series released in 2003 and at this point is the last time Lambor has been reissued in Japan. Hasbro released this figure in their own Commemorative Series in 2004 which was eventually released in North America in 2005 in KB Toy Stores. Interestingly the figure was named "Side Swipe" rather than "Sideswipe" like the Alternators figure which was also released in 2004.

A few of the Commemorative Series figures were re-released in Asia in 2012, Sideswipe was among them and his name still spelt as "Side Swipe" even though Hasbro had retained the original name at this point. The 2012 release has a black warning sign on the front of the box instead of the red of the original.

Transformers Collection Lambor is near identical to the original figure, Lambor had been reissued twice previously in Japan, the first being in 2001 as a World Character Convention exclusive and the second being a "New Year" e-Hobby exclusive in 2002. The main difference with the Transformers Collection version is that the eyes have now been painted blue.

Although Lambor has a Lamborghini Countach alternate mode, it is not a licensed figure like the updated Masterpiece versions. Therefore the Tech Spec has been slightly altered to accommodate this; the original referenced the transformation was a Countach; the reissues have this amended to "super car".

Lambor / Sideswipe was first released in the Diaclone Car Robots series in August 1983 as "New Countach LP500S" in both red, yellow or black colour variations, the black being the rarer variation and not to be confused with the black New Countach LP500S that came with the Powered Convoy DX Set.

Under the Trasformer line in Italy, Lambor was released as "Super Countach LP 500S" again both in yellow or red. Lambor did not appear in any of the other earlier "Pre-Transformer" toy lines.

Similar to Convoy / Optimus Prime, Takara refined their box art for Lambor, while it looks similar to Hasbro's Sideswipe art, the differences stand out one you notice them. Just like the Diaclone Battle Convoy, the Diaclone New Countach LP500S did not have any box art drawn, the robot mode shown was just a photograph of the toy but its interesting to see that Hasbro and Takara decided on using different albeit similar artwork.

Hasbro version on the left; Takara version on the right which I submitted to botchthecrab.com

When Milton Bradley were distributing Transformer toys in Europe under their new parent company Hasbro their version of Sideswipe released in 1985 was actually Sunstreaker in a Sideswipe box.