This one, if anything, is a major curiosity. A sports car with a Lotus soul, made in Mexico, and they seem to be serious. They got Top Gear to come and take a ride, and struck a deal with Hot Wheels to help get the word out. Who approached who is not something we know, but both parties were game to creating a Hot Wheels version, and the mini version is out with Batch H.
 |
| Daniel Mastretta & Hot Wheels designer Ryu Asada |
We will let the car guys form an opinion on the real thing, and we will let our Lamley readers form an opinion on the mini version.
We will say this: The real car is very nice looking, and the Hot Wheels version captures it perfectly, except for…wait for it…
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!
The fat lip syndrome that plagued the Lotus Evora GT4 from last year has taken another victim in the Mastretta. Drat.
We know, we know, the raised front is done to make the model a true Hot Wheels track car. A lowered front can cause problems on the orange track, and I am sure that both Mattel and Mastretta wanted this to be a true Hot Wheels plaything. So from that perspective we are fine with it. But from a collector point-of-view, its a bummer. We are not delusional, these are toys, and should be played with, so we really can’t argue it. But it still is too bad this is the only solution. It really changes the aesthetics.
But, other than this, it is really well done. Just skip the first three images below and focus on the last five. That is a fantastic-looling model. For now, we will go race this on the track with the Evora, and then we will be fine with it.
Thoughts?
(You can get this and rest of Batch H on ebay…)
Hot Wheels Mastretta MXR (2014 New Models):
it's a beautiful car and also we feel great that hot wheels has a Mexican made car we are very proud!!!
A Mexican Lotus! Get that! Wow. Apart from the front (obviously), the rest of the casting is very well done! I really didn't expect HW to do this one. Ferraris, Lambos, Porsches, BMWs… we get them every year. Pagani Huayra? That was bound to happen. Sesto Elemento? Yes yes yes! Lotus Evora GT4? Didn't really expect that, but it was cool. Mastretta? Dafuq!!!! This was a total bomb. And they pulled it off nicely! Good job.
– Black Wind.
I really am not familiar with the real car, but I must say I like this one.
It is a unique car, and will be a great addition to my collection.
I love the look of this car! But has anyone else noticed a passing resemblance to the HW original design Quick n Sick?
One of those ugly boutique cars that will hopefully die in the next few years. Outdated design, overpriced, and old technology. PASS.
“They HATE us in Mexico! They just HATE us in Mexico!”
Well, that's not even the challenge with confidence Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, and James May. Those cars fast as this one. But me? I like that sports car, which is the Mastretta MXT\MXR.
An Aston Martin Vanquish, a Lexus LF-A, 2013 Viper? Then I guess the Mastretta is probably the amount along with Hammond's Viper. Because he lost that stupid race.
But speaking of, the Mastretta is wonderful, astonishing casting, including the full detailing, front and rear tempos, blah blah and blah.
This thang is almost as good as the Fiat 500. But I just have to say for the end, WOW WOW WOW WOW WOW WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOW!!!
Yeah, me too. The recolor on the Quick N' Sik in blue appears mostly the same type of blue refered to the Mastretta in this case.
I wonder how they decide to change the front so it fits the tracks. We have plenty os modern models that doesn't have this deformed lip so, I'm thinking of something else as an excuse…
The spoiler should've been plastic…
Can you imagine one model of VUHL 05 like Hot Wheels?.. I think that could be spectacular
Pretty nice. I'll tell you one thing though, at least it doesn't look like it has that stiff upper lip like that Lotus Evora. I can deal with the Mastretta, it is still a cute little model.
However, I am a firm believer that Hot Wheels should leave some cars alone though, regardless of it being a toy. Hey, when I was a kid I didn't have a track. Couldn't afford one. So, there's always the floor.
i don't understand why some cars, like this one, have that weird thing happening to the front while the others (Ferrari, Porsche, etc) are fine. Really weird.
Working in the car magazine business, and also due to the fact that my father worked alongside Mastretta for about 13 years, I've met Daniel Mastretta several times and have taken rides in the car. I can tell you that it IS a serious car and that it will eat a Lotus Exige at a track, semislicks and all, because of turbo power. If the Mastretta wore semislicks it would humiliate the Lotus bad. And that was the normal version, the car made into a Hot Wheels is a much more hardcore version complete with wing, front splitter and such.
Having said all that… ugh, such a bad casting. A pity, really.
“If the front is horrible, if it's a terrible, pity, bad casting”… Oh come on!
In my opinion, I love the MXR. I don't care if they changed the front or changed other things. If they modified the front is for the vehicle can work on tracks (I love castings where you can play with them instead of being on a desk collecting dust).
The MXR looks pretty good for me.