The German Toy Fair Party continues with the Hot Wheels BMW 3.0 CSL Race Car…

Hot Wheels 2017 on eBay

MBX vs. HW.  I try not to do it too much of that here on the blog.  The directions are just too different.  But there are times.  This would be a good head-to-head battle.  Toy Fair vs. Toy Fair:

But how do you pick?  Of course one might have a preference when it comes to the actual vehicle.  The 6×6 is crazy over-the-top, and a splendid Matchbox to be sure.  And if we have to compare, the Matchbox wins, only because it shows how far the brand has come of late.  If the Toy Fair Model is supposed to be an indicator of the direction of the brand, then the 6×6 is miles and miles beyond the Dump Dozer Toy Fair of only a few years ago.  So yeah, winner winner chicken dinner.

But that is taking nothing away from the Bimmer.  Hot Wheels knows how to show off too, and they have been doing it very well with the Toy Fairs the last few years.  And the BMW is a cool little twist on Hot Wheels Speed.  The brand of Camaro, Corvette, and Mustang has been having some fun with other speedsters of late, and nothing is more indicative of that than last year’s Porsche 934 – the Best Toy Fair Model Ever (capitalized because that has to be its official title) – and this year’s BMW CSL.

The CSL – spoiler alert – was my favorite basic New Model this year.  There was such a push towards realism on this one, from stance to detail, that it is impossible not to like.  It is a perfect collector-aimed Hot Wheels model, and I hope its future is in premium lines.  The white and black versions played off the iconic BMW racing livery, and the Toy Fair went further with a Hot Wheels twist in beautiful blue spectraflame.  And yeah, those are some old school Real Riders, but they work great here, and it is evident in person.  The way the tires sit on these wheels just looks vintage racing correct.

So will this outdo the gold Porsche 934 from last year?  Of course not, but nothing will.  But it is a worthy Toy Fair Car to say the least.  This is my fourth Hot Wheels Toy Fair model, joining the Porsche 934, Kool Kombi, and COPO Corvette.  There are others I would love to have, namely the ’55 Chevy Panel, but acquiring any Toy Fair takes some dedication and more than a little dough.  So in time.  But putting the four that I have together, the BMW fits perfectly.

Just a reminder, the Toy Fair models, whether from Matchbox or Hot Wheels, are not available at retail.  They are made to be given out at Mattel’s Toy Fair, an internal event hosted by Mattel for invited reps from major retailers.  The only way for collectors to get one is on the secondary market, if those who attended decide to sell theirs.  eBay is the most likely place.

But BE CAREFUL.  Sadly a large number of Toy Fair models were stolen from the factory this year. Over two-thirds of the Toy Fair BMW’s for sale on eBay are sold as unrivited “Prototypes”.  There is nothing prototype about them.  The pieces were stolen, various wheels put on, and put on eBay.  It is very sad to see more stolen models than actual, although it does speak to the popularity of the model that attendees appear to be keeping theirs.

But whether or not you want to pursue the model, I think we can at least use this as a great indicator that things are good for collectors moving forward.  For both Mattel diecast brands…