“Good grief, I can’t help it!”
Transforms into a Subaru Impreza WRX Police Car. He frequently collaborates with Ai during patrol assignments. Despite his neurotic personality, it is precisely because of this trait that he consistently excels in detecting signs of potential incidents.
Ai Kurumi
“That car there, stop!”
A rookie policewoman who has finally realised her dream of becoming a police officer, she has held a strong sense of justice since her childhood. She sees herself as a big sister to Alert; on the contrary however, she is oblivious to the fact that she is being taken care of. She seems to have a connection with the Transformers even before she met Alert...
Profile
Birthday: June 11 (Gemini)
Birthday: June 11 (Gemini)
Blood Type: A
Hobbies: Drawing portraits
Favourite Sport: Softball
Favourite Colour: White
Favourite Food: Hamburgers, Soft Serve Ice Cream
What she doesn’t like: Parking in the garage, Waking up early
Other Resources:
- Transformers Binaltech Toy List
- Transformers Alternators Toy List
- Transformers Binaltech Asterisk Translated Bios
- Transformers Binaltech Asterisk Story Translation
- Full BTA-01 Alert Gallery (including booklet scans)
- Full BT-03 Streak Gallery
Jump to on this page:
In 2005 the Binaltech line was slowing down but between September and
November of 2005 there were three releases which were slightly different
from the mainline series and was very much a precursor to the Kiss Players
series.
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| Courtesy of fan2fan,jp |
The first release was BTA-01 Alert (aka Red Alert) which was a repaint of
BT-03 Streak with the additional light bar and lights to make this into a
police car. This release is actually based on the real world Japanese
police car used at the time.
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| Courtesy of Dmitriy (Flickr) |
Alert had his origins in the Diaclone series as a Lamborghini police car
and was changed to a Fire Chief car in the Transformers series. The
Diaclone police car version has since been rectonned as a new character
called Clampdown.
Alert is packaged in robot mode and looks great suiting the Subaru body
although it would have been interesting to see a repaint of Lambor / Dead
End as Alert however we are also seeing a release of Sunstreaker in this
line.
Transformation is identical to the other Subaru's in the Binaltech series
and this does feature diecast metal. However with my copy transformation
was very difficult, mainly due to the mould degradation and parts not
lining up plus a bar in the chest has been misaligned causing an issue
however once everything is pinned in it holds together a bit better but
not great. This may just be my copy and I'd kept this sealed since 2005,
only opening it this year.
Police car mode does look great though despite the issues with my copy.
The text on the side of the vehicle and the rear wing reads "Saitama
Prefecture Police" which is part of the Greater Tokyo area.
The other selling point of the Binaltech Asterisk figures are that they
come with smaller PVC figures which are not articulated but can be
reconfigured into a seating position so they can sit inside the car mode.
The figure that comes with Alert is female police officer Ai Kurumi
who is based on T-AI from the 2000 Car Robots series (aka Robots in
Disguise 2001). Ai has a clipboard featuring Convoy / Optimus Prime in
truck mode with the text reading "List of Frequently Illegally Parked Vehicles: 01 Convoy".
Translations
STORY: Alert X Ai
A red flash cuts through the darkness.
A piercing siren breaks the silence.
The rotating lights and sirens of police cars were unmistakable,
disrupting the residents' peaceful night's sleep. Loud and powerful
statements came from the loud speakers. “That car there, stop!” Despite
the authoritative delivery, the voice was somewhat childlike and cute?
A policewoman named Ai Kurumi, embodying the innocence of a young girl,
tightly grips the steering wheel while keeping a vigilant eye on the
getaway car. She is a rookie police officer recently assigned to the
department.
“This guy’s luck has run out today. I didn’t think we’d find him…”
“It’s good to be enthusiastic, young lady, but you’re a little rough on
the wheel.”
“Do you still promise to let me drive Alert?”
“Well, I can’t stop you. But please don’t scratch up my paintwork!”
A deep voice that sounded like a male’s voice came from the car’s
speakers, but this wasn’t the person over the police radio.
The police car was called Alert and he was talking to Ai.
Amazingly Alert had a mind of his own.
However, Ai is the sole person in the police station aware of this; upon
joining the department, she discerned his true nature through her sharp
insight.
Until the day he encountered Ai, Alert had been disguised as a “regular
police car”, clandestinely controlling the driving without the driver
even being aware.
Because of his neurotic personality he doesn’t easily trust humans.
For some inexplicable reason, Alert sensed a shared wavelength with Ai
and chose to focus solely on being the "car," entrusting her with the
driving responsibilities.
As Alert reminisced about these events, Ai, with her somewhat daring yet
skillful driving technique, ultimately brought the getaway car to a
complete halt and swiftly exited the vehicle.
“Now stop resisting and surrender peacefully!”
However, just when it seemed like the criminal had surrendered to Ai's
command, the sharp sound of a gunshot pierced the air. The criminal had
fired a shot at Ai.
Ai was directly in the line of fire. But then…
“TRANSFORM!”
Upon his exclamation, Alert's two-toned body gleamed in the moonlight,
emitting a distinctive mechanical sound as it transformed and touched
the asphalt with its two feet.
The figure could only be described as a “robot”.
Swiftly employing his massive body as a shield for Ai, he effortlessly
deflected the bullets.
Within this brief moment, only a few milliseconds had elapsed.
Without having time to think, the criminal could only curse his luck
upon seeing Alert and Ai closing in on him.
Instructions Page 3
Introducing the premiere of "Binaltech Asterisk," a new series
presenting offerings from the acclaimed Binaltech line. Renowned for
its 1/24-scale, lifelike car models seamlessly transforming into
intricate robots, these sets come complete with captivating figurines
and fresh narratives. The combination of vehicles and corresponding
figures extends their continuity as both car models and character
representations.
A faithful recreation of the Impreza, an authentic police car utilised
by the Saitama Prefectural Police's traffic riot squad. The inclusion
of the Saitama Prefectural Police lettering on the car's body enhances
the Binaltech, providing it with a heightened sense of realism.
The figure can be placed in the driver's seat by swapping parts.
Front:
The transparent red light components add an extra layer of allure,
enhancing the overall appeal as a police car.
Steering:
The front wheels incorporate a steering mechanism that synchronises
the movement between the left and right sides.
Head:
A robot head equipped with ball joints, enabling fluid movement and
the creation of diverse expressions.
Secret Weapon:
The engine parts can be transformed into a weapon.
Wing:
A newly designed rear wing.
Engine:
The engine bay has been faithfully replicated beneath the bonnet.
Side of the box
The figure can be placed in the driver's seat by swapping parts.
Introducing the premiere of "Binaltech Asterisk," a new series
presenting offerings from the acclaimed Binaltech line. Renowned for
its 1/24-scale, lifelike car models seamlessly transforming into
intricate robots, these sets come complete with captivating figurines
and fresh narratives. The combination of vehicles and corresponding
figures extends their continuity as both car models and character
representations.
Vehicle Mode:
A faithful recreation of the Impreza, an authentic police car utilised
by the Saitama Prefectural Police's traffic riot squad. The inclusion
of the Saitama Prefectural Police lettering on the car's body enhances
the Binaltech, providing it with a heightened sense of realism.
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