Hot Wheels

Hot Wheels RLC Overdrive- A High Price to Get Over on Bots?

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Its been a few weeks since the release of Mattel’s new membership add on for RLC members, Overdrive. This new addition has not gone without criticism and backlash. Many in the collector community are upset that they have to pay an additional membership fee rather than Mattel fixing the problem of bots with bot protection that many other retailers use. For those that aren’t aware, the Overdrive addition is a $99 yearly charge that gives you access to future RLC drops before others. With the add on, you will be given an update on future RLC releases up to 10 days in advance and be given the option to skip the drop should you choose. This is a great way to secure any upcoming RLC drop without having to worry about checking out come release day. For some of the older collectors who may struggle with small bot protection checkpoints like captchas, this seems like a decent idea. For the small percentage of people that took advantage of the RLC Overdrive addition, RLCs should be smooth sailing for the year. However, regular RLC members will now have an even harder time. With some RLC releases having production as low as 30000, having a service that eliminates a possible 10000 units before the drop does nothing for your chances of securing product come release day. This is especially impactful to those collectors outside of the US where Overdrive was not an option. Up to this point, Overdrive has worked for two releases, the Kawa-Bug-A Membership car and McLaren F1 RLC release. While both are readily available on the Mattel Creations site right now, regular RLC members, including one of our employees, had difficulty trying to check out the latest McLaren F1 RLC. While we aren’t sure what is causing the issue, if Mattel can’t reliably perform checkouts on less desirable items, the question becomes; What will happen on a highly anticipated release? With the rise in resellers and bot usage, Overdrive, although a pricey option, is a good option to secure all RLCs worry free. For those that did not take advantage of the program, good luck on future releases. Hopefully Mattel will not have any issues.

2024 Hot Wheels G Case Review

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The 2024 Hot Wheels G case is here and we have a review for you guys. This has been in our opinion the best case of 2024 so far!

The first car on our list is the regular treasure hunt for the case, the draggin’ wagon. The car features a metal base, yellow rims, and yellow paint. The Treasure Hunt logo is featured on the side of the wagon. Next up we have the Mincraft Minecart. This car has been made in celebration of Minecraft’s 15 year anniversary! It features pixelated Minecraft graphics and a metal insert inside presumably to hold a figure of some sort. Next up we have the potential super for the G case, the Audi 90 Quattro. This car features a widebody stance and white rims. The Blue paint looks great even on the regular version. Audi Sport logos are shown throughout. This car looks very put together and we can’t wait to see the Super in hand! Usually recolors aren’t good enough to crack the top 5 of our case reviews, but the next two cars are changing that for the G case. The Nissan Skyline in the olive green looks great and to some even better than its purple predecessor. The red accents on the rims and number plate help give this car a unique look. Finally, the Honda Civic Si comes in with a new white paintjob. It keeps the same carbon fiber hood and red interior treatment as before. The gold rims add the perfect amount of bling to this already nice car. Overall, this car looks simple, clean, and will definitely be high on plenty of people’s lists this summer.

The second part of the G case also has some heavy hitters. First up, the BMW M3 Wagon comes in with an awesome BMW inspired white and Blue livery. The white painted hood gives it a look similar to the Audi from earlier. White rims and numerous brandings give this car an awesome look and we are sure this is another car that’ll be hard to find for awhile. Next up we have the ’52 Chevy in a white and green livery. This truck has a nice clean look that is sure to appeal to those who enjoy collecting the classics. The gold pinstriping and white rims help add to the classic look of this truck. The Hot Wheels Parts & Repairs emblem also has an old time feel to it. The third car we will look at is the Hirohata Merc. This Merc comes in a nice two-tone green colorway and features white rims and chrome interior. The chrome interior and detailing on the outside of the vehicle helps this car stand out. One of the better details is the rear tires being tucked behind the fender which gives an interesting look to this car. Up next, another recolor for the Porsche 911 Carrera. This car has been done in a few colors already but the red does give it a nice pop. Porsche and Carrera branding can be seen throughout the car. If the headlights had some better detailing this car would be amazing, but there isn’t much else to complain about. Finally, yet another recolor, but this time for the ’55 Chevy Bel Air Gasser “The Collector”. This car has been redone in a nice Maroon paint job that looks great. It maintains its collection of brands on the side of the car as well as the exhaust poking out from the front fender. The gold detailing throughout including the Hot Wheels flame on the top give this car a more complete look.

Overall, the G case is great and there were a few cars left that we could’ve talked about. When you include cars that roll over from the previous case including the Porsche keychain, you get a case that is outstanding. From an investment prospective, there are plenty of cars to choose from. The Super variant of the Audi will be sought after, but the mainline will do well also. The recolors of the Honda Civic and Skyline will also be good trade bait at very least. The BMW Wagon and Minecart are also cars that should do well! Keep your eyes peeled for this case when it comes out because most of these cars will surely fly off pegs!

Hot Wheels Elite 64 Pandem Datsun 280ZX

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The upcoming Hot Wheels Elite 64 release of the Pandem Datsun 280ZX will be on Friday, March 22 at 1PM. While the car looks great it is based on a real full scale car that was shown at SEMA in November of 2023. The car is Pandem/Rocket Bunny CEO Kei Miura’s personal build. The real version of this vehicle features an abundance of modifications that we hope will be visible on the Hot Wheels vehicle releasing soon. The real car was custom built for drifting and has taken on the nickname Formula Z. It features an 2JZ engine swap, a popular choice for many JDM vehicles these days. Pandem/Rocket Bunny also chose to move all the cooling for the vehicle to the trunk area behind the driver. Air is fed into the system from two duct that have been cut into the rear window panels on the car. A firewall has also been added between the cockpit and rear to prevent anything from potentially spilling onto the driver. The car is fitted with custom wheels and Toyo tires. Cutouts in the hood have also been added for additional function to the vehicles turbo system. Additionally, the rear spoiler of the car is bolted on and adds to the aesthetic of the car. The Formula Z sits extremely low to the ground with no noticeable wheel gap. Pictures of the car can be seen on Motortrends site here:https://www.motortrend.com/features/sema-hot-wheels-nissan-280zx-rocket-bunny-pandem/ Overall, this car was customized to the maximum and is definitely something we would see out of every JDM lovers dream. But how does the diecast model stack up to the real life example?

While we haven’t received the car to look at in hand, Mattel provides numerous photos on their site for us to be able to look through. Starting off with the livery, the model does a good job of mimicking its counterpart only missing a few sponsors. There is no Sunoco fuel logos on the model that are present on the hood and quarter panel of the real version. Toyo tire branding makes it way from the tires to the rear quarter panel. NGK spark plug decals have also been left out from the model vehicle. All Nissan, Hot Wheels, and Pandem/Rocket Bunny logos are present on the car.

The model car also maintains the covers on the headlights however the model is done with more of a smoked glass look. The yellow tow hook present on the real vehicle is also missing from the front of the model. The model does feature cutouts in the hood, but nothing visible can be seen coming out of them. No pictures are provided of the hood opening so until it is in hand we won’t know if the beautiful 2JZ engine can be seen on the model car. Also missing is the cutouts for the cooling system on the back window panels. The smoked glass is too hard to see through so we cannot tell if the cooling elements were added to the  rear of the vehicle. The model vehicle does feature negative camber wheels which is not something we typically see but works well with this car. Although the Elite 64 model may not have every minor aspect of its counterpart, overall it does a great job of portraying what this car is all about. Drift and JDM fans are sure to love this car and should pay close attention to the release.

2024 Hot Wheels F Case Review

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The 2024 Hot Wheels F case is here and we have a review for you! This case is not as good as some of the others we have seen this year, but there are still a few gems to be found here.

The first car we will be taking a look at is the new Porsche 911 Carerra. This time the car is done in the same style of a coupe clip with an attachment on the rear so you can put it on a key ring. It’s awesome to see Mattel using real cars as a basis for these and we hope to see more! The Porsche includes Porsche branding on the side and a Porsche emblem on the front. Overall a basic but great casting that will be very hard to find. Next up is the regular Treasure Hunt for the case, the Ford Mustang Mach-E 1400. This car features a ton of Ford branding throughout. The Treasure Hunt logo can be seen on the rear quarter panel. The car also features mismatched rims which look ok but not great. Our next car is the potential Super for the case, the ’71 El Camino. The regular version of the car features a purple paint job and 5 spoke wheels. The super comes in a much nicer spectraflame purple paint with real riders on better 5 spoke rims. Currently, the Super is going for around $80 but we could see prices dip considerably as more become available. The final car we will look at for the first half of F case is a recolor of the Ford GT40. The car features a fark blue paint with black hood. A white racing strip also makes it ways down the top side of the vehicle. Ford, Hot Wheels, Autolite, and Goodyear graphics grace the side of the car as well. Overall a clean new livery for the GT40.

The second half of the case is lacking on new vehicles but does feature some decent recolors. First up is the Audi RS-E Tron-GT. Originally done in white, the new olive colorway is refreshing. The car also features full headlight and taillight detailing. Both front and rear license plates also read “AMPED UP”. This car is packed with small details that help it punch above its weight class. Next up is the ’94 Audi Avant RS2. This car comes in a red colorway with 5 spoke rims. Like the Audi before, this car also features full front and rear lightning details which we think should be standard on all castings. This car is simple and great for any Audi or wagon lovers! The next car we have is a recolor of the Mighty k. This time the car comes in an off yellow paint scheme with pink and white graphics. The car still features the signature skateboard in the bed. Rear lightning details help make this car just a bit better. Next up, the recolor of the Nissan Patrol Custom. The car now comes in a green and yellow colorway and features white snow detailing and blue windows. The car is done well and the cutouts on the hood are a great detail. The last car on our highlight list is a recolor of the “Texas Toot” Mazda Autozam. The new blue/grey colorway gives it a nice look. The truck retains all of its previous details including front light detailing. The first time around this truck was popular and we expect the same this time.

Overall the F Case is not the greatest case but there are a few things to be found. From an investment standpoint the Super Treasure Hunt is a great find as usual. The Porsche keychain will also be a great hold if you can find any. Cars such as the GT40 and Shelby Daytona from the E Case will also do well.

2024 Hot Wheels C Case Review

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The 2024 Hot Wheels C case is in and we are going to do a quick review on the cars you should be looking for when this case hits your local stores.

The first car that caught our eyes is the seafoam green Mazda MX-5 Miata. The unique color of this car helps it stand out. The added Hot Wheels and Mazda graphics are a nice touch. The wing and open top are also features that make this Miata different from the ones we have seen before. This car looks great although we would’ve liked to see a bit more tail light and headlight detailing, but for a mainline we can’t complain too much.

The second car on our list is the regular treasure hunt for this case, the Tooligan. The car comes in a pink and teal colorway that gives off Barbie vibes but it features some useful additions. The spoiler is a functioning wrench, and the base also features a slot for an Allen key, which is a nice touch. It could be nice to have one of these in your car on the off chance you have to tighten a n antenna or some other small job. The car is finished with purple wheels and a treasure hunt flame near the rear quarter panel.

Next up for our C case review is the potential super treasure hunt, the BMW 507. The car has a nice silhouette but is lacking in other details. A BMW logo can be seen on the side fender and an 822 decal makes it way onto the door and hood. Although we didn’t pull a super out of our case, a customer brought in a loose version of the Super which looks incredible. The rubber tires make a world of difference. Partner that with a gold paint job and this is a really good Super for the beginning of the year.

The next model we will be taking a look at is the 1978 Dodge Lil’ Red Express. This truck comes in a beautiful red paint with gold detailing. The best part of the truck is the small message on the door panel. It reads “Will you be my valentine”. This is an awesome idea and could be an interesting way to ask that special someone later this year. The gold rims and smoke stacks also help this truck with its awesome look.

The last car we will be looking at for the first half of the C case is the ’55 Chevy Bel Air Gasser. Always a popular casting, this variant comes in a bronze orange paint with Hot Wheels, NHRA, Vetuskey, and Goodyear branding. Affectionately named The Collector, this car is sure to be high on plenty of collectors lists. The interior of the car is chrome which is not something we love but it is easy to overlook. The Engine is also chromed out and side exhausts can be seen exiting from the fenders. This car is very well put together and one of the best mainlines we have seen this year.

The second half of the case has some interesting fantasy castings and some other popular models. The Knight Dragon was made to commemorate the year of the dragon for the Chinese New Year. The red and gold colorway give off immediate CNY vibes. The car also features a 2024 Dragon symbol on top of the rear quarter panels. The Batman and Robin Batmobile comes in a black and chrome colorway and features a chrome bat on the front grill. This car is very clean looking and another good addition for Batmobile collectors. The Wheelie Chair is a casting we have seen before and this new version features a red white and blue paint scheme. The card features Aaron “Wheelz” Fotheringham’s signature. He was the first person to ever complete a single and a double backflip in a wheel chair. Next up we have the DMC DeLorean from Back to the Future. This time the car is in Hover Mode which we have seen before but the car looks good once again in 2024. Finally, we have the yellow ’07 Chevy Tahoe featuring Hot Wheels rescue (RSQ) graphics. This is a car that often gets asked about but we are not sure people will be jumping for it in this emergency yellow colorway.

Overall the C case is pretty good as far as new castings are concerned but the thing that will help it the most is the cars rolling over from B case. In each case, we have received 2 Gold Civics and 2 Purple R30s as featured in our B case review. From an investment perspective these two cars will be good to pick up and possibly hold onto for awhile. The BMW super will be your best investment if found in the wild. Other cars to hold onto are the Bel Air Gasser and Valentines truck. Happy hunting and a Happy New Year collectors!