Alright, let’s get started on this one. Lots to say, and my guess is a lot of you have a lot to say about it as well.
First off, I am not much of a hypercar guy. The appreciation is there, but (the Huayra being an exception) these cars are just not that interesting to me. If someone out there who owns one wants to let me borrow one to drive a bit, maybe my interest will grow. Just call me.
So knowing that, the announcement that Hot Wheels was doing a Koenigsegg was not as exciting to me as it was to many of you. BUT, for the sake of the blog, let me jump into your shoes. I will go back to when I heard Hot Wheels was doing a Datsun 510 Wagon, and attach that excitement to the Agera.
Ok, now that I am feeling your excitement, does the Agera casting merit the excitement? Let’s start by looking at the real thing:
Low, slung to the ground, and sleek. It appears the rear wheel is slightly larger than the front. Now let’s look at the Hot Wheels:
Wait, let’s look at something again:
WHAT…THE HELL…HAPPENED????????
Look, this can slide if the Agera casting was made a few years ago, and Mattel used what was there to help promote Need For Speed…
BUT.
This is a NEW casting, created for the more adult/collector-focused Retro Entertainment line. How did this large rear wheel get approved by the same group that approved some of the amazing castings we have seen debut lately, including some of the great new models in the Retro line? Large rear wheels are definitely a Hot Wheels thing, and many times I don’t have a problem with them, but this makes no sense. The rest of the casting looks really good. Proportions appear to be spot-on, but it is all destroyed by the large rear wheel. Wait, the HUGE rear wheels. While the real car might have a slightly larger rear wheel, why couldn’t this just have the same sized wheels?
It would have looked a ton better. I don’t like to be a negative Nancy, but this model is really a disappointment. I have said it before, but when talking about Worst New Model, it is never that unlicensed casting that isn’t geared to the collector that I vote for. Rather, it is the model that generated some buzz and but didn’t live up to the expectations. This falls smack-dab into that category. You are looking at the heavy favorite for Worst Model of 2014.
Thankfully it happened on a model I was not that into anyway. If it was the Datsun 620 or Aston DB5, I might be a little more annoyed.
Your thoughts? We want to hear them..
Hot Wheels Koenigsegg Agera R (2014 Retro Entertainment):
You're absolutely right. I bet if it had no huge rear wheels, it would be a fan favorite.
-karradv
Wow, rear view mirrors! Is this coming to the mainline this hear?
I love this car. But this Hot Wheels really gets a serious wheels problem, just like what you've said. In fact, I think that the front wheels don't look good either. The wheels are just disaster. Even so, since Mattel is the first company to make a 1:64 Agera, I still give it a pass. Hopefully the mainline version will come soon.
As its number plate suggests, “SMH” indeed. Another thing I'm just not liking is that thick bottom black plate. It sticks out like a sore thumb and destroys the sleek body.
I don't understand the outrage here? This is how Hot Wheels has always made models. They aren't known for realism or even quality. My only complaint is charging the same price as an Auto World for a mainline car. If you are going to spend over 5 dollars for a car, then either get an M2 or Auto World, or go online and order Tomica, Majorette, Kyosho etc..
I'm sorry if I am being a jerk, but I'm sick of collectors complaining about Hot Wheels and Matchbox, while they continue to shell out money for them. NEVER accept less, vote with your dollar.
I really don't mind the wheels. It is a Hot Wheels thing, and I've just gotten used to it over the years. They do it to make the car look more aggressive. And while not every car needs to look more aggressive than it is to begin with, it doesn't destroy the model for me. one thing I'm not a huge fan of in this casting is the front end. While the details and shapes are mostly technically correct, it just comes across as a little squished to me. a little too thin and wide. Either way, I love the look of this casting, and I'm happy to finally have a hyper-car outside of the big three of Ferrari, Lamborghini, and Porsche, that I like. (Not much of a Pagani fan here. :/)
^ this
Awesome. Period.
Looks like a plastic body and metal base… could you please clarify? Thanks for the excellent photos, as always!
You don't understand the outrage? Go and look at some of the other Retro Entertainment models HW has made recently. I'll make your job easier. Look at the black '87 Toyota Pick-up, or even the Dodge Challenger from Fast Five (which is very perfect and the large rear wheels actually suit it pretty well), or the three Italian Job Mini Coopers, the black Ferrari Daytona Spyder from Miami Vice and the red 308 GTS from Magnum P.I. So if Hot Wheels could nail those castings with very little imperfections, then some common sense and effort could have made this Agera R just as awesome as those models I mentioned there. If this is an adult collectible line which is aimed at collectors and not children and is more expensive than the mainline then I think we deserve proper treatment to our castings, not stick them with hideously large and unrealistic rear wheels and bad wheel design that would completely throw it off course. Its a new casting so they can't argue on the point that it wasn't possible to put small wheels on all four corners. They could have done it but they didn't . Such an amazing car failed by two wrong wheels.
– Black Wind
Very cool…… until you get to the wheels. All four wheels. The fronts are too small with too large tires and the rear ones are actually stolen from a Tractor. Why? Just why? Why can't Hot Wheels ask us collectors what we want and how we want it if they're doing a new line-up and casting aimed at us? I was so excited and interesting in this model but I'm not going to be getting this now. Would rather have something else much nicer for the same money.
– Black Wind.
I will be collecting this, but damn stuff are going on here.
Anyways, the Agera is now one of my favorite castings now, because I am one ordinary supercar fan, such as this thang right here, I'd bet I'd really want to see more of the NFS supercars.
Moving on, the Hot Wheels Koenigssegg Agera looks terrific, or a little ugly. The ugly parts of it is that that matching with the real… WTF!?
Okay, the ugly really matching with the real is just not realist design from Hot Wheels, it's just poo. There' only one thing ugly,
Second of all, the cool parts- yes those wheels fit, the number plate captures the police to rip its tail off, and then the full tempos fit in. That's it. Period.
They are still mainline cars. No matter how much they dress them up. They aren't going for accuracy or quality, they just want to cash in on nostalgia.
@Black_Wind, all of those that you listed were existing castings before the entertainment line. And all of them were modified from stock in one way or another. Larger wheels, shorter wheel bases, bolt on wheel arches, removable bodies… and there's the fact that the casting had to be approved by Koenigsegg before it was made, and if the original designers say it's okay, that's enough for me. While some will be unreasonably outraged over larger wheels that just serve to make it look meaner, there will be plenty of others who accept it for what it is. I'm definitely getting this one so I can have a new super car besides Lamborghini or Ferrari to leave my hot wheels Pagani in its dust on my shelf display.
Good point, Joe. Koenisegg approved it, so let's burn'em instead of Mattel/Hot Wheels.
I get your point, but I still don't agree. While Hot Wheels are for kids, they also make the adult lines too. So you have to expect for them to make some kind of effort when it comes to realism, especially if they're going to charge you about $4 more for it. I wish they would quit putting big wheels on sports cars. Yeah, some of them can rock it, but it's totally unnecessary.
On a side note, I like supercars, but I'm not that into most hypercars, because most of them are just ugly nowadays (although I do like the Pagani Huayra). I'll still cop this car just for the hell of it.
Actually, the only criticism that should be going here is how outdated real riders wheels are.
To be fair, though i like it the way it is, this one, all black, would fit better: http://img1.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20091102232743/hotwheels/images/4/4a/Wheel_Bling_AGENTAIR.jpg
None of you even get the point. These sucky comments keep on going. The large rear wheels on the Agera isn't a matter. Why worrying? It's not just this casting that has got his own large rear wheels, some other interesting lover cars have them too- can be the '12 Camaro ZL1, Fast-Bed Hauler, Brazilian Dodge Charger etc.
My only gripes are the aspect ratio of the tires and the wheels containing extra spokes. I accept the large rear/front wheel thing.. that's a HW's trademark, if you will; or the large wheel opening for that matter.
The thickness of the tires is absurd, especially the rears. Holy crap! I thought these hypercars had really low profile tires, not truck tires.
The vehicle shown in the photos appears to have 5 spoke wheels, well then maybe a blacked out PR5 should have been a better choice as far as realism is concerned. Maybe a blacked out 10SP would look cool too. But i'll accept the 6 spokes.
I may have to get this for something different in the portfolio.
Cool… except the huge gigantic rear wheels
^ YOU are not getting the point. I'm not complaining about the large rear wheels in general. If you read my previous comment carefully you'll notice that I mentioned the Challenger RT having the large rear wheels but the way the casting is done, the wheels actually suit it very well. Even the new NFS Custom Mustang (showcased the now) has the large rear wheels but it looks perfectly fine because of the nature of the car. But on a Koenigsegg hypercar which is supposed to be lower, meaner and sleek, giving the truck sized rear wheels is a really bad idea and completely spoils the looks. Other things are spot-on, only the rear wheels is where Hot Wheels went wrong. If this was the mainline, I would understand. But its not the mainline, its an adult line aimed at collectors and thats not how you debut a new model.
– Black Wind
I still like it. Koenigseggs are some of my favorite cars, and i am glad to add this to my collection. I'd love to see different versions of it too in the future.
I agree 100%. I've never been a fan of the larger rear wheels on any casting
Cars just don't look like this in real life. I do however, appreciate that the casting has sideview mirrors.
But it IS a mainline car. With the exception of the 100% line, any 3-inch car Hot Wheels makes, whether it is exclusive to a sub-line or nor, it is a mainline car. They are designed and constructed the same way. The Porsche GT2 debuted as a Boulevard, but is now in the mainline. Unless Mattel specifically makes a sub-line of true-scale cars, sold with accurate printed detail they are never going to be premium cars. If you want premium then you buy from companies that specialize in it, like the aforementioned Auto World or Kyosho. I would even argue Tomicas, while still toy cars, are far more collectable because they offer real cars in numbered boxes with a diverse range and higher quality construction. They also don't editorialize their castings like Mattel does.
This car does not need a muscle car stance or rake, so why does it have one?
Yes. But when you're debuting a new model in a special series for which you are expecting people to PAY MORE THAN THE MAINLINE, then your work should be of that level as well. Not only the detail but the basic casting itself! You say the GT2 debuted in the Boulevard and now is in the mainline. Yes, but that was a perfect casting to begin with (doesn't matter if special exclusive line or mainline). Hence why people loved it and are ready to pay more because it actually looks like they put some effort in it, not like the clown of a car/tractor mix-breed like this Koenigsegg. Are you getting my point mate?
– Black Wind
From what I gather ( according to another online article and according to a representative who works for Mattel) that the Koenisegg Ageras are to be available this summer and also according to the Mattel representative I spoke to that they are also to available in Canada (my country) where I hope that she provided me correct information. As some or many of you must know but this car is Swedish and I don't have a Hot Wheels model of Swedish car and if I'm able to purchase it I could make my Hot Wheels collection more of an international assortment than ever. In fact I currently have models of make believe,American,Australian (Ford Falcon stock car),Brazilian (Brazilian Volkswagens),British,French,German,Italian,Japanese,Mexican (Mastretta) & South Korean vehicles so therefore it be swell if I could purchase a model of a Swedish car (Koenisegg Agera) to add to my collection.
I have a solution for many of you: Buy two, sacrificing the small fronts on one to make a more aesthetically appealing model.
–TheAfghanTwilight
Finally and today I got the chance to purchase some Koenisegg Ageras at my local Wal Mart (here in Canada) but other Hot Wheels I've discovered that I'm hoping to purchase are a yellow colored HW Pursuit fire chief's car,blue colored Twinduction car,light blue colored Dodge Charger Drift cop car and perhaps the Street Speeder ( a make believe but American like retro designed car) and finally if Hot Wheels still manufactures the 2012 Mini Countrymen I now hope to purchase it but the trouble is I can't find any in my hometown.
I just purchased the Koenigsegg and have to agree that it's a dissappointment for the retro line which is much more expensive.
1) Huge rear wheels
2) Shoddy paint work
3) relatively small size and not in proportion (too small in size n scale)
The Vector and Mclaren of the earlier line had much better quality and better proportion.
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TLR Carbon wheels
the scalpers like, mehh its still $60-$70 cars now
I like this car but it's not available in India so can you deliver it to India.Please reply me to aatoot98@gmail.com
Here in Brazil it is more expensive than any Maseratti or Bugatti in Hot Wheels cast.