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| Find the Honda S2000 on eBay |
The other day, I was tagged on Instagram by a friend to show my favorite 6 Hot Wheels models. In a hasty rush, I compiled 6 images of photos on my wall display and posted it up. Here are the 6 I chose:
Honestly, to pick a Top 6 is nearly impossible. I could spend hours, days, or weeks trying to figure it out, and once I settled on 6, another 6 would instantly replace them. Right now, that is a good group. But it will be different soon.
The other thing that is easy to notice? They are all on Real Riders. That isn’t why I like them, but a model on Real Riders tends to be a premium model, which means more detail, and more enhanced looks. So it is natural that I would gravitate to them.
But I still can’t help but feel that I have betrayed who I am as a collector. I love the premium stuff, but I also love basic models for their simplicity and execution. Sometimes the basics leave a lot to be desired, other times their simple tampos make them far better than their premium counterparts.
So, to make up for my betrayal to the mainlines, I am putting the Real Rider and other premium models aside, and reserving a few posts to honor the basics. The mainline and gift pack models that get plastic wheels, basic colors, and a couple of tampo passes. There are some real gems, and it is time to give them some love.
I am not talking about the castings, as there are usually numerous versions of each, including premium. I am talking about a specific release, from a specific year, with a specific color and deco. In the case of the first model we are showcasing, the S2000, it is actually the second of three colors that year.
So let’s get to it.
The Honda S2000 is a Hot Wheels mainstay. We see it almost every year. It has been a Super Treasure Hunt, been in a premium line (Cool Classics), it has been a gift pack exclusive, it has sported several racing-related logos, and I am sure there are plenty of future versions on the way.
It is one of the first Hot Wheels designs by Ryu Asada, who himself has become a Hot Wheels mainstay. Ryu has always been a Honda nerd, and while he was still designing for Matchbox, he put this racing kit S2K together for the blue brand, and it has been popular ever since. Little did we know, when Ryu created this model, that he would eventually move permanently across the hall and create some of the more recent Hot Wheels icons like the Honda Civic EF, Porsche 934, and Acura NSX. His latest, the Custom Acura Integra, is being gobbled up off the shelves.
Some of you might know that it is logical that Ryu designed the S2000. He has one himself, in yellow. What you might not know is that designer Rob Matthes used to have one himself. Rob initially started on the S2K design, Ryu took it over.
There has not been a Hot Wheels S2K I haven’t liked. But out of all of them, the second color of the First Edition in 2011 remains my favorite. The debut version of the S2000 came in three colors – signature yellow, grey, and red. Each of the three was clean – no side tampos, just front and rear detailing, along with “R. ASADA” on the windshield. Each was a simple stunner.
But to me the grey stood out. First off, grey on a small diecast vehicle highlights the detail of the casting better than any color. The detail is what sticks out. That is the case here, highlighted most by its low, sleek design. That can be said obviously about the other two colors, but it stands out on the grey.
So it starts with that. It ends with the gold PR5 wheels. These are PERFECT wheels for the model. It takes it from a clean, beautiful model, and and makes it that much more memorable, and that much more sporty. It is hard to wax on about a grey model with gold wheels, but trust me, this one is a beauty.
Here is the funny thing. The S2000 debuting in yellow is an obvious choice. It is a signature color for the car, and it is also the color of Ryu’s 1:1. The second color, in grey? That is Rob’s. His was grey, with bronze rims. Hence the gold foil on the PR5’s. Ryu, I love your car, but Rob won this one.
There might be a recurring theme in this series with this style – gold wheels under a simple, clean color. I can already think of a couple coming up that share this look. But this is one of the best. And it is one of my favorite mainlines in my collection…
(Find the Honda S2000 on eBay…)
I wish they would release cars with more simple schemes like that S2000 instead of having to put tampos on everything. Some tampos are so big you barely see the paint.
I absolutely agree with you! A plain colored Lancia Stratos would be nice, and a lot of other models too.
They've released it in plain colors in the past