(NOTE: Because this is a repaint, this is not a full-blown review. This mainly covers any changes made to the mold and the color scheme, and merely compares it to Combiner Wars Dragstrip. For a review on the mold itself, read the review of Combiner Wars Dragstrip here.)

    There aren't that many well-known F1 race cars from Transformers, so a redeco of Drag Stip pretty much inevitably means Mirage. And, Hasbro has reproduced that Mirage "feel" quite faithfully on this redeco, with an excellent paint scheme consisting mostly of both blue and white in both modes that contrast against each other wonderfully, with not too much of any "one color" on any one part of the toy. The white paint is the exact same shade as the white plastic, so no issues there. The blue plastic is a little lighter than usual for Mirage toys, though in my view this is a positive turn, since his blue is usually duller. He "pops" more this way, and he fits with his "Optimus Maximus" brethren better who also have generally lighter color schemes. Beyond simply some white stripes on blue and visa versa, there's also some nice "62 CIRCUIT RACING" decals on the sides of the race car mode, and a black "62" on the front nose along with an Autobot symbol. Unfortunately, because of all the ridges back there and how it breaks up during transformation, Mirage doesn't have any decals on his spoiler, but it is at least painted silver-- along with the face, most of the hand/foot/gun weapon, and the wheel hubs, to help bring out a bit more color variety. What isn't painted silver on his accessories are the core "hand" part of his hand/foot/gun weapon and his sword/gun-- it's a somewhat blah shade of light gray, though it's a few shades darker than usual and only used a little, so it's not that bad. (That said, as opposed to Drag Strip's sword, Mirage's bio calls out that weapon as a gun-- which he CAN hold like one, but there's basically no detailing on the weapon that makes it look like a gun. It's a sword, held the wrong way.) To top off Mirage's color scheme, there's just a bit of red-- just on the middle of his shoulders-- that helps add just a little extra and obviously contrasts well against the blue and white scheme.
    Mirage does have one mold change, and that's a new headsculpt, which looks very much like an "updated", more proportional version of his G1 headsculpt. The side vents, as well as the face, are detailed nicely with silver, though his lips are accentuated just a bit too much to the point where it looks like he's sad. Awww, poor Mirage. Otherwise, the headsculpt's quite nice.
    Combiner Wars Mirage is an excellent purchase, being a superior redeco of what was already one of the best Combiner Wars deluxes. I'd wholeheartedly recommend him even if you aren't planning on combining him, particularly if you don't have a version of the Classics Mirage mold.

Pre-mission psych-screening report by Rung, Autobot Psy-Ops Specialist:
One of the original Autobots that arrived on Earth, Mirage has been on the front lines of the Great War for millions of years. His electro-disruption camouflage ability has enabled him to survive firefights other bots wouldn't dare to enter. Mirage has always been loyal to the Autobot cause, but he questions the nature of war itself-- often publicly challenging Autobot authority in wondering if there couldn't be a better way to settle the never-ending conflict with the Decepticons. His stealth capability allows him to achieve almost complete invisibility, but the severe Energon drain gives him a six-minute maximum. Carries an armor-piercing rocket-dart launcher.
CONCLUSION: Cleared for mission.

HISTORY (extracted from compulsory biographical download):
Mirage has always been an outsider among the Autobot forces. Before the war, Mirage enjoyed vast riches on Cybertron, a fact that his teammates seem to hold against him. Given his wealthy background, ability to cloak his presence, and propensity for questioning the overall purpose of war, it's no surprise he's considered a bit of a lone wolf. Forms either an arm or a leg of Optimus Maximus, the combined form of Optimus Prime.

Review by Beastbot

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