A collection must: 2010 Hot Wheels Premiere Mazda Furai…

Here on the Lamley Blog we try and take the car-lover’s approach to diecast collecting. More than chases, more than the accumulation of one model, it is about having replicas of cool cars. Even better, it is about having replicas of legendary cars.

Even if the replica is of a single car that was created, shown off, then burnt to a crisp on the Top Gear track, only to vanish and become car lore.

And that is what happened to the Mazda Furai. Only one Furai was made, and a few years ago it was completely destroyed on the Top Gear test track. And that was that. The Furai was done. The Top Gear guys explain the whole deal pretty clearly.

It is a bummer of a story, and looking at pics of the Furai, it is sad the car never got a chance to follow in the footsteps of the 787B and bring racing glory to Mazda. But the car made its mark, enough to compel Hot Wheels to make a replica back in 2010.

The Hot Wheels version debuted in gunmetal gray, just like the real thing, along with the Furai’s racing livery. It was later recolored in red, and we have seen a few additional versions since. But since there was only one Furai, every Hot Wheels deco on subsequent versions after the debut is made up. None can beat the first.

And Hot Wheels nailed the casting. It is tremendously detailed. It sits low. No large rear wheels. That spoiler. There isn’t a bad angle on this one.

So when you put all that together, the first Hot Wheels Furai becomes a must-have. And even without the strange history, it is a must-have for the sole purpose of sitting next to all the other fantastic supercars Hot Wheels has done in the last few years. Bugatti and Pagani and Ferrari and Lamborghini and McLaren and on and on. The Furai fits.

Hopefully you have one, or are making a slot for one. It is worth it…