Action Man is in many ways the more exciting cousin of G.I. Joe. In Europe, Action Man has been issued dozens of vehicles, helicopters, submarines, jets, boats, rafts, etc. The Action Man theme is usually adventure or espionage. The Action Man City Racer seems to be a tribute to the Go-Kart that was issued for Action Man back in the 1960s (see the above photo)
Packaging: The colorful window box shows the City Racer clearly. The back of the box shows the Go-Kart in action, and informs the buyer of the various features.
Headsculpt: This is the "Alex Mann" head, which is easy enough to switch with any other G.I. Joe, 21st Century, or Lanard neckpost. Like Max Steel, the Action Man headsculpt is the same on every single action figure. There are other headsculpts available, and one of the Nascar driver action figures would look good in the Driver's seat of this nice little rig.
Articulation: SLU-Action Man body type. Thick muscles and big hands. I like this body style, but it certainly is not are poseable as a Dragon-style action figure.
Gear: Clothes are all molded on except for the black sneakers and racing pants. The helmet has a working visor, and the molded on gloves and the molded on protective vest looks very good. The paint on the figure and on the vehicle is very sharp. The only slight negative is the machine gun. This particular model shows up in most Action Man sets and it is not very detailed or realistic. Action Man, like G.I. Joe, seems to have a philosophy of re-using a few left over items from the Hall of Fame days.
Vehicle: The City Racer is really a Go-Kart with what looks like a V-8 engine! It should be able to fly off the road! The CR looks sharp, and the red and black paint-ops are perfect. The tires have some crisp Japanese writing on them, and they would be very expensive (in the real world). The City Racer is an authentic competition Go-Kart Racer. The CR also has a space where the rifle fits, and two snap-in spots for the extra missiles. When you press a button the port pops open and shoots the missile.
Price: At Wal-Mart it was $24.96. Considering that it is a vehicle and a figure, the price is not bad. On the other hand, the 21st Century Schwimmwagen is on sale at KBToys.com for $19.99 and that is a much larger and nicer vehicle. The Go-Kart City Racer is a very unique item though, and the odds are slim that any other manufacturer would issue another one. If you like Go-Karts, the City Racer is a must-have!
Grade: B+
