Top 5 Best Volkswagen Beetle Bumblebee Transformers Toys
With the Volkswagen company being rather coy with their license on Transformers toys, it took a while to have enough toys to make such a list. With the floodgates opening (and then seemingly closing) for the 2018 Bumblebee movie, we now have more Volswagen Beetle Bees than ever before so let's look at the best of the bunch.
5. Transformers G1 1984 Bumblebee (Bumble)
A real classic if there ever was one and probably the second most iconic G1 toy (the first being Broadside, obviously). The transformation is quaint but fun and the car mode is perfect for what it is. I especially like that there is barely no hint that it transforms, with a really nice chassis underneath and that good old diecast. The sticker for the penny racer motor is a nice touch too. This being the toy that started it all for Bumblebee, I am glad it was reissued so that everyone can enjoy this fun toy.
4. Transformers: Bumblebee Energon Igniters Speed Series Bumblebee
Most legion/legends sized movie Bumblebee figures are not great. They either have fake chests for a simplified design to help the proportions or use the front of the car as the chest and end up looking bad. But this one works. We have a nice little Beetle for a car mode and a good looking bot mode with a real chest. And this toy even look more accurate than the more complex versions of this character model since he doesn't have the car doors as wings in bot mode.
3. Transformers Movie Masterpiece 7 Bumblebee
This is a very solid figure, with tight joints, and a tight fitting transformation that holds together well. After the massive disappointment that the Studio Series VW Bee proved to be, the solidness of this guy is a breath of fresh air. Transformation wise, this Bee does a great job at rotating and moving parts around to get them to properly compact and fit together in car mode. One thing I really like is how the the shoulders roll down, then swivel to the back so they can line up along the back of his legs. Over all, I really love this figure. While it doesn't have a ton of die cast, it is there, and give this smaller figure some nice heft. He does a good job of giving Bumblebee that "young bot" feel that this character has traditionally had. - Ironhidensh
2. Transformers WFC-09 Bumblebee Netflix Edition
Here is a toy that we all wanted for so long, a classics Bumblebee toy that turned into a VW Beetle. And the fact that it is a good toy is just icing on the cake. It feels a lot like a more affordable masterpiece toy (it even has the removeable backpack like MP 21) and scales perfectly with the ton of G1 characters we got in the two recent toy trilogies. The mold itself is top notch with a nice level of complexity, but still being intuitive. And it's really fun how this feels a lot like the G1 era where Bumblebee and Cliffjumper have different car modes and bot modes and yet share the same transformation. It's too bad this was hard to get for many because this really feels like the only Bumblbebee toy you'd need on your classics shelf.
1. Transformers MP-21 Masterpiece Bumblebee
My dear Masterpiece Bumblebee, after seven years, you're still the one. While the Bumblebee movie may have given us more VW themed toys than ever before, we can't forget that for a long time, the G1 toy was all we had for a Bumblebee turning into a Beetle. So when this Masterpiece came out, it was truly a time to celebrate. Not only did we finally get an actual Bumblebee that turned into a Volkswagen Beetle but it turned into an accurate Beetle rather than a super deformed version like in G1. And yet the amazing designers still found a way to give us the same look in bot mode as if it did turn into that same alt mode, with the recreation of the full car roof on his torso.
I really love that Transformation. The legs, for instance, do give homage to the G1 transformation but with added complexity to integrate kibble better and give him a nicer shape. And Takara provides all the articulation you would need. I love this toy and the fact that the more recent MP Bumblebee doesn't come close to this toy tells me that going for that extra toon accuracy and making a design more complex than it should be isn't always a recipe for success. This toy found a beautiful equilibrium of all these aspects of a Transformers toy.
