TV-Series
Description
Speedbreaker, designated Side Burn in Western releases, serves as the youngest member of the Autobot Brothers. His alternate mode is a blue Dodge Viper GTS adorned with flame decals. A defining obsession drives him: an intense romantic fixation on red sports cars, regardless of their sentience or transformation capabilities. This preoccupation frequently distracts him from duties, sparking conflicts with authority figures like his brother Prowl and the Autobot tactical computer T-AI.
Within the animated series narrative, Speedbreaker exhibits impulsive behavior during missions, often abandoning patrols upon spotting red vehicles. This flaw proves exploitable; Megatron disguises himself as a red sports car, luring Speedbreaker into a junkyard trap that captures both the young Autobot and Optimus Prime. While occasional acts of valor occur—such as aiding human ally Koji at ancient ruins or protecting energy generators—his immaturity remains a persistent trait.
A significant evolution unfolds when Ultra Magnus inadvertently channels Matrix energy in battle, granting Speedbreaker and his brothers access to "Supercharge Mode." This transformation shifts his appearance to a red and yellow-orange flame deco scheme reminiscent of Generation One Hot Rod, while enhancing his physical capabilities. Though initially struggling to control the amplified power, Speedbreaker eventually masters this form for tactical deployment.
The character appears in expanded media beyond the primary series:
- The Botcon 2004 voice actor play depicts him as a gladiatorial combatant forcibly recruited by Unicron, later stranded on an asteroid with other Transformers.
- Within Fun Publications' Shattered Glass continuity (an evil mirror universe), he displays patience, dismisses romantic interests as distractions, and engineers Wheeljack's punishment for creating uncontrollable Dinobots. He subsequently participates in attacks on human military installations and assists in constructing a Stellar Spanner.
- In another Timelines continuity, he impersonates an Autobot Elite Guard member to impress fembot Road Rage and witnesses Megatron's assault on Iacon using the Devustator weapon.
Multiple toy releases reflect his evolution:
- The original 2000/2001 Deluxe figure transforms into a blue Viper.
- A "Super" variant uses a red and flame deco scheme representing his powered-up state.
- A clear "Super Speedbreaker" figure was released as a Japanese convention exclusive.
- A smaller Spy Changer figure was bundled with Daytonus.
- A 2004 Universe redeco features gray and red coloring with a carbon-fiber hood pattern.
Technical specifications note his transformation into a Dodge Viper at approximately 1:36 scale, resulting in a robot mode height of 15.4 feet. His original Japanese name carries ironic connotations, as "speed breaker" is synonymous with "speed bump." An animation editing quirk led to his eye-flash transformation sequence being misinterpreted as a named attack ("Optical Laser Strike") in one episode. A technical discrepancy exists between his fictional eight-cylinder engine and the real-world Viper's V-10 configuration.
The character also features briefly in Dreamwave Productions' unpublished comic plans and 3H Enterprises' storyline before its cancellation.
Within the animated series narrative, Speedbreaker exhibits impulsive behavior during missions, often abandoning patrols upon spotting red vehicles. This flaw proves exploitable; Megatron disguises himself as a red sports car, luring Speedbreaker into a junkyard trap that captures both the young Autobot and Optimus Prime. While occasional acts of valor occur—such as aiding human ally Koji at ancient ruins or protecting energy generators—his immaturity remains a persistent trait.
A significant evolution unfolds when Ultra Magnus inadvertently channels Matrix energy in battle, granting Speedbreaker and his brothers access to "Supercharge Mode." This transformation shifts his appearance to a red and yellow-orange flame deco scheme reminiscent of Generation One Hot Rod, while enhancing his physical capabilities. Though initially struggling to control the amplified power, Speedbreaker eventually masters this form for tactical deployment.
The character appears in expanded media beyond the primary series:
- The Botcon 2004 voice actor play depicts him as a gladiatorial combatant forcibly recruited by Unicron, later stranded on an asteroid with other Transformers.
- Within Fun Publications' Shattered Glass continuity (an evil mirror universe), he displays patience, dismisses romantic interests as distractions, and engineers Wheeljack's punishment for creating uncontrollable Dinobots. He subsequently participates in attacks on human military installations and assists in constructing a Stellar Spanner.
- In another Timelines continuity, he impersonates an Autobot Elite Guard member to impress fembot Road Rage and witnesses Megatron's assault on Iacon using the Devustator weapon.
Multiple toy releases reflect his evolution:
- The original 2000/2001 Deluxe figure transforms into a blue Viper.
- A "Super" variant uses a red and flame deco scheme representing his powered-up state.
- A clear "Super Speedbreaker" figure was released as a Japanese convention exclusive.
- A smaller Spy Changer figure was bundled with Daytonus.
- A 2004 Universe redeco features gray and red coloring with a carbon-fiber hood pattern.
Technical specifications note his transformation into a Dodge Viper at approximately 1:36 scale, resulting in a robot mode height of 15.4 feet. His original Japanese name carries ironic connotations, as "speed breaker" is synonymous with "speed bump." An animation editing quirk led to his eye-flash transformation sequence being misinterpreted as a named attack ("Optical Laser Strike") in one episode. A technical discrepancy exists between his fictional eight-cylinder engine and the real-world Viper's V-10 configuration.
The character also features briefly in Dreamwave Productions' unpublished comic plans and 3H Enterprises' storyline before its cancellation.