I was going to post this in the "reboot ideas" thread, but I feel like it's an interesting enough topic to get it's own thread. This is something I've been thinking on for a while, and it's actually one of my biggest hopes for a reboot series, as crazy as it may sound.

I would like to see more 'normal' cars for alternate modes. Most fans pick a bunch of brand new sports cars and supercars for their Transformer "dream casts", but I would really like to see a cast of mostly commonplace street vehicles.

It would really hammer in the 'disguise' aspect. In the current movies (and even the cartoons) the Autobots kind of look like a fancy car show. In my version the Autobot convoy would be indistinguishable from a random group of vehicles that you might see on the highway. Also, this approach would let children think "hey, my family's car could be a Transformer". If the current Transformers vehicles are comparable to Batman (rich and cool), the TFs in this series would be more like Spiderman (relatable and average).

The attachments below are essentially my "dream cast". I made Bumblebee a family car since he's the kid appeal character, I feel like he should be fairly accessible. Jazz is a "cool car", because he wouldn't settle for something too average. The rest are pretty self-explanatory.

I'm not saying this is the "definitive cast" by any means. I'm not even sure I'd use these specific vehicles. It's just supposed to give the general vibe of what I'd like to see. Note that this isn't supposed to be another "post your ideal Transformers cast" thread. You can feel free to post suggestions, but it's really supposed to be discussing whether or not you'd enjoy this approach in a reboot series, of if it would even work.

Credit to @sevenlima for suggesting Bumblebee as a Volkswagen Golf!

 

While it would be interesting to see that, I feel like that just wouldn't fly in general Hollywood. While typing this, I can't think of a summer blockbuster that doesn't have sports/fancy cars in them.

 

In my opinion it would work since In today's world of the Internet and. Social media the autobot's should have to be disguised as basic vehicles not anything that says like hey I'm an Autobot I'm right here attack me or take pictures of me alert the cons Im Here

 

Bee started off as a “regular” car in G1, as a Beetle. Then he received the Bay treatment, and upgraded to a Camero. Between these two different cars, I actually prefer Bee as a Camaro.

Ironhide’s Pick-Up truck mode is leaps and bounds better than that butt ugly G1 vanette. (This coming from someone who holds G1 near and dear to her heart).

I think Ratchet’s Transformers Prime Hummer mold and coloring fits him the best. Being a red/white ambulance would be far too close to First Aid’s alt mode and colors, if they ever decided to add him to a movie cast.

Jazz needs to keep his iconic Porsche alt mode and coloring. He also needs a far better voice actor with a lot less bass to his voice.

Sideswipe also needs to keep his equally iconic red Lamborghini alt mode. If Sunstreaker is brought into the movi verse, he also must maintain the Lambo alt mode.

Fun story: The company I work for displays and sells various televisions. One of the scenes they show on a particular brand of television ( to show the depth of color), is of 2 Lamborghinis racing each other. One Lambo is cherry red, the other is sunshine yellow. I have lost count of how many times customers ( young and old) have said, “Hey, it’s Sunstreaker and Sideswipe!”

Hound: For the love of Primus, make him a Jeep.

Red Alert should also keep his Lambo alt mode.

 

I think it'd be fresh enough a change that audiences would forgive it if the movie entertains them enough.

 

I love the Bayverse alternate mode designs but it would be cool to have designs that blend in since they are robots in disguise. Imagine if they were basic models pulled off car, truck, semi lots across the country--not "flashy look at me" vehicles.

It seems the Decepticons blend in a lot easier.

 

Average cars would be the best because, y'know, the whole disguise thing. Ever since AoE but even with DOTM at times, it seems that literally the one thing that the producers behind the films think is that the robots themselves are NOT COOL. Everything around them has to try and make the robots cooler. And that's why we've lost the GM vehicles from the original film for the exotic bullshit that is basically everything else that's alive on screen for longer than thirty seconds.

But normal cars that blend in can be cool too. The trick is to make them UNIQUE enough to stand out for the purposes of a film but within expected range. Ironhide in the first film was not a stock Topkick, he had aftermarket parts, and Ratchet may have had flashing lights and sirens but he was an emergency response vehicle and thus looked the part. Like, take a Nissan Sentra or something and replace some of the body panels with replacement parts of a different color - there are cars like that all over the place, certainly not the norm but does anybody blink an eye at seeing a car whose passenger side door doesn't match the color of its hood? Or what about an old van that's got some rust in places, faded bumper stickers from the hippie movement, and a cracked window or two?

It's what I've been saying about how the alt. mode isn't something the robots just become, it's very much an extension of themselves as a character.

 

I like most of these car choices. I would have Ironhide as a larger pickup though. That little truck is just too small. Something like this would be better and it's still something you would see any day on the road.



And Optimus needs some blue in truck mode to differentiate his look from Transformers Prime. One of these would be my pick.



Edit: And Jazz could be something like this. One fancy car in the group is okay. I see fancy cars on the road all the time. The problem comes up when all of them are fancy cars. I never see 4 or 5 fancy cars all driving together lol

 

i wanted this to be optimus prime when i first saw it

 

Definitely agree that the use of all those flashy supercars seems at odds with the deep cover aspect of a 'robot in disguise'. At least BB is a VW this time, and I'd love to see them take this approach plus you could still throw in one or two high-end cars in for say Sunstreaker and Sideswipe but they'd be the exception for me.

 

Yeah, that would be one drawback. I do feel like it could work, since the car companies would still be getting product placement. It would just be aimed more at the average person than car enthusiasts. Plus, there would be a couple cool cars mixed in.

I really like those trucks for Optimus.

And yeah, that's what I'm getting at. One or two fancy cars would be fine for characters like Jazz or Blurr, as long as it fits their personality.

 

In the 80s was a Beetle a commonplace car? I didn't grow up back then, but I rarely see them around nowadays. A classic Beetle would stand out to me about as much as a sports car, lol.

Either way I love how they made him a Beetle in the new movie, more than anything I'm just curious what things were like back then.

 

Beetles were popular in the 70s and 80s, yes.

 

The only problem with average cars is they make for terrible toys.

 

I prefer Bee as a VW or a compact car, but one thing I have to give the Camaro mode is that it is fairy common and affordable (at least in comparison to something like a Lamborghini). I actually know a family that has a yellow Camaro similar to Bumblebee, so it's not extremely exotic. Kind of a nice mix between cool and relatively commonplace.

It's not as commonplace, but one vehicle mode I'd like to see for Bumblebee is a Smart Car. I'm legitimately surprised that no incarnation of the character has used that. It seems like it was practically made for Bee.

I can agree with that. Some characters like Optimus and Ratchet would probably be fine, but I could see some of the more bland vehicles not selling as well.

One of the more normal-looking vehicles in the movieverse are the Chevy Trax drones from AOE. I thought the robot mode looked cool, but I'm not sure I'd buy a toy of them.

 

I don't think every Autobot should be an average car because part of the fun of the various seasons is how some Autobot doesn't exactly get the concept of blending in or the Autobot that doesn't understand they only blend in under a very specific situation like during a Formula 1 race.

But when everyone is the highest end newest model a manufacturer is out to sell then the Autobot that goes too flashy doesn't really stand out anymore because everyone went too darn flashy.

So more of the sort of cars you'd see on your drive around town or a city would be a nice break and give it more of that feel that any car in the parking lot could be a Transformers. It also seems like it would be keeping more to the spirit of Transformers being a mix of vehicles. If we are really really lucky maybe average cars could go with a change that every Autobot doesn't have to be world's greatest warrior.

 

Chevy Aveo Swerve is a great little figure...you just need to find a gun he can hold.

 

If a live action VW Beetle isn’t an average car then I dunno what is.

I cannot wait until I get a figure or MPM of it.

Bring on TF’s with average alt modes

 

If I could add to what you said:

We owe this whole hobby to G1: a mix of flashy cars (Jazz, Wheeljack) and average cars (Ironhide, Bumblebee)

I could be wrong... but I think the flashy cars were outnumbered by the average cars.

 

I dig that truck with the blue trailer, that would be a cool look for Optimus.

I wouldn't mind a more discreet cast of Autobots, but my preference is going for vehicles that fit the characters the most, trying for the most "memorable" look. Ratchet's easy, any white amublance with orange/red stripes works. As is Ironhide, pretty much any red truck/van. Hound's another simple guy, I enjoyed the Alternator Jeep Wrangler design.

For characters like Jazz,Wheeljack, Sideswipe, I'd make them the closest modern equivalent to the originals (which ends up looking pretty great IMO)