One of the more interesting things about the 80's toys, Transformers included, was that toy designers were reaching forward to the future. Arguably, Hot Rod, Blurr and Kup were originally intended to be futuristic 2005 vehicles rather than pure Cybertronian modes. Battleforce 2000 in GIJoe was a look at where toy designers thought our military might be in the 2000's.

Right now, we're seeing toy designs on what Transformers would look like on Cybertron. That's really not the same thing.

Should there be a new wave of futuristic inspiration for alt EARTH modes? To me, it would be interesting to see where modern Transformers would go if the setting is 2045.

 

I think this way of thinking should go beyond just transformers. Toys I agree with but there isn't a lot of sci-fi cartoons set in the future anymore. Having grown up in the early 90, the futuristic designs is what made a lot of media hit that fantastical range.

For the toys to work, you need the media to back it up. The reason for the cybertronian/alien designs is because the current media is pre-war which is millions of years in the past.

 

Maybe if they tried to come up with vehicles for Earth in 100 years? That would be interesting. But I think people when thinking about the future now have learned that technology and Earth isn't going to jump so far ahead in only 20 years for our current cars to change so drastically as to go from today's newest Fords to say Blurr's hovercar mode.

 

When Back to the Future came out, they really did think that in 2015 we would have flying cars and all the other things in the movie.

2015 is 30 years from 1985 like 1985 is to 1955.

Sadly, 2015 is barely different from 1985. The way things are going 2045 is probably going to look more like 1845.

 

True. What we got instead was similar styles but more curved aesthetically. But we're on the cusp of most cars going electric or a form of hybrid. That's going to change the shape of many cars where you don't need as large an engine.

 

While not wrong, the sizes of the cars won't change much due to the size of the batteries. Battery technology hasn't really changed in the last 30 years.

 

Okay, so we assume that battery tech gets better out of need over the next 30 years while engine size obviously shrinks. What do the Transformers look like at that point?

 

Ugh. I hate to say this.

It'll either be rehashes of wfc:s style of pre-war or those god awful google cars.

The problem is that car culture is on a bit of a decline. You don't see many young kids with cars on their walls anymore. Because of that, cars in the future will be function over form.

 

I think that's mainly a coastal, big city ideal, though. Once you're out of the city, cars and trucks are a big deal.

 

I guess and hope you're right. It's just if you look at the current lineups of most manufacturers, you don't see many "road trip" cars or "sex on wheels". I mean sure i can think of a few but it's not like the 80s-90s where every manufacturer had a "halo" car or "poster" car. I mean hell, I just heard Ford is pulling out of the mid-size sedan market (fusion/Mondeo/contour).

Which this whole process brings me to this. Transformers in the Future are gonna be what they've always been. Ferraris, Lamborghinis, Porsches, etc. Basically exotic cars and military vehicles.

 

Optimus:

Bumblebee:


Ironhide:


Barricade:


Wheelie:

 

My real question here is this. Is the school bus that "prime" is towing named roller?

 

80s post apocalyptic futurism at its finest.

 

I admit that I would like to see some toys made in that aesthetic. Autobot Spike would be a natural fit for that line...

 

its because nobody can afford the fancy cars anymore.

and transformers will always be lambos, porches and whatnot because if you dare make Sideswipe anything but a lambo, the Geewunners shit their Depends.

 

2040 Optimus Prime?


Ramjet/Thrust/Dirge?

 

Idk. I happen to like rid2015 sideswipe.

 

Are there really walmart trucks like that driving around?

A 3P company already utilized those jet designs for Jetfire relatively recently

 

That's more like it. Love utopian futuristic designs like the ones we got in the eighties.
Some of the altmodes in siege are okay, but most aren't very ambitious in trying to look "Cybertronian".
And I'm not saying I want them to be. But I love the utopian futuristic designs we got in the eighties.

 

he's still a lambo-ish car though. its his robot mode that got heavily redesigned.