Finally got around to listening to the end of the episode and I got to say...Didn't realize how crap my voice was when I recorded that

 

Ummm...little late on this as I was busy last week and getting caught up now on latest episodes but to correct Omegus in Japan Hot Shot = Hot Rod, so it wasn't the Hot Rod that Protoman gets off on.

As you mentioned it was Hot Shot originally in mind for Bumblebee initially, and down the line he was replaced with Bumblebee. Hot Rod mentioned in the interview was actually Hot Shot (Trust me, Protoman followed up on this one  ). So not really a third degree per say, just confused in translation.

 

To be even more precise, "Hotrod', no space. For those that ain't in he know, that's Hot Shot's in Micron (aka Armada Japan). I got the whole skinny from the man himself Derrick Wyatt.