It has been Hot Wheels Sneak City lately, especially with the launch of the @hotwheelsdreamteam IG feed and the HW Nationals Sneak Presentation last weekend.
There were also in-person sneaks brought by Mattel to rile up the locals. Some basics, like the Nissan GT-R, some RLC, like the Datsun 510 and Texas Drive ‘Em, but what caught my attention were the Car Culture models. Jimmy Liu of Hot Wheels Marketing posted this pic he took last night:
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First off, great shot. Jimmy’s IG is full of cool shots. Second, those Car Culture models. Wow. These are from the Race Day mix, due this summer, and they look stellar. Two debuts too, the Porsche 962 and the new Aero Real Rider. The Aero fills a huge void, made clear by the other CC models previewed at Nationals.
Jimmy took a few more pics of the upcoming Car Culture models and was nice enough to share a few.
Wow. We have seen the new Mercedes in several preview posts, but this is the first view of the others in the upcoming Modern Classics mix. The Aero wheel looks amazing in two different looks – chrome lipped on the BMW and Merc, and black on the 964. Add the return of the Renault 5 Turbo and this batch might be the best since Japan Historics.
Bigger picture though, Car Culture may already be the best collector line Hot Wheels has done, and as long as it keeps selling, it will only get better. Some have said it has been a little too heavy on imports, but for me it is making up lost time. More importantly, the longer this line continues, I am SURE the more variety we see. I can think of all kinds of other themes these assortments can take on, including more muscle. The key is we keep buying.
If Car Culture stopped after 2017, it would already be my favorite Hot Wheels line ever. But I still think it can go much further. I start a Homer-doughnut-drool when thinking of the possibilities. Gran Torino? Greenwood Vette? A/FX Coronet? RX-7, new and old? Pontiac GTO? I could go on and on.
Let’s hope Car Culture does the same.
More pics from Jimmy.
Great castings!…but I think it's the detailing that makes a great casting really pop that's why, in my opinion, the current Gran Turismo and Forza series are the best Premium Lines with almost all the cars (except the Forza Camaro) have full detailing all the way around front to back. The GT cars even have detailing on the windshields, whereas, most of the current Car Culture cars lacked full detailing. Hopefully the upcoming CC lines will catch up…the Evo2 is a great start!…and I won't feel so bad paying a premium price for fully detailed cars 🙂
Oh man. I concur! This is an awesome line. I loved the first release of the 964 and was curious what they would do to make the plastic bumpers work on a solid color car. Wow! I am very pleased. That 962. It will never look better. Those wheels too. They are fantastic. Seriously Mattel! Cut it out! I was supposed to be slowing down how much I collect.
that merc is the epitome of perfection, mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
Those 4 are fantastic… The problem is the 5th model in the mix. The CRX.
I still say the '92 Mustang or Buick Grand National should have been used instead.
I agree. Well, with what I can see in your pictures. Can't find any in stores.
Car Culture is cool and I don't think it's too import heavy as much as it is too Racing heavy. Almost every segment so far has been done in some type of Race car scheme – Give that a rest for a while.
Very very very exciting….there's not a dud in either one of these batches. I do wonder how much it could possibly cost to just do the damn front-end tampo on the BMW M3…that casting really screams out for it.
All of these Porsches are total eye candy, but I honestly think the 914-6 is one of the unsung heroes of Hot Wheels' Porsche portfolio. I really love that model a lot, even in its obviously modified form.
I TOTALLY agree…I WANT that black beauty NOW!!!
I only wish they had left the wheels on the Benz all grey like on the Porsche model. I owned the real thing back in the early 90's, and that car did not have any chrome.
Matchbox World Class did this how many years ago? Good to see hotwheels not afraid to make a matchbox car.
Great stuff here! Would like to see a muscle car series with the 62 chevy's the wagon and the two door. Or maybe Ford,Chevy and Dodge. Could get some really nice sets out of some of the castings they have on hand now.
These things are truly
G R E A T
These are supreme rides!!!
Too Import heavy – There is a huge world out there thats NOT and has nothing to do with the USA – in fact i will go as for as to say that the US does not make great cars – they just do not compete with Mercedes, BMW, Bentley, Rolls, Aston, Lotus and so on and so on, so the more Euro or Japanese (although they have been done to death lately) the better – in fact why not do another Euro set – but make it just a street range – cars you find on your road, just ordinary colours, without tons of tampo's – now that would be brilliant.
I agree that most of the “real riders” series from 2015 onward are by far the best overall collection of Hot Wheels ever produced following the classic red lines era. My collection now has four dozen or more cars that are just amazingly higher design and quality than the rest of my collection that started in the 1960s.
If Hot Wheels discontinues this line at any time, then we've seen the peak of all time because even if they came out with a super realistic scale series, Tomica/Greenlight/Auto World have already covered it.
Truly the best time ever to be a collector.
Nothing this decade compares to 2011 Garage to me, because, you know, Ferrari, and Hot Wheels wasn't as stingy with the front and rear tampos on retail premium lines, but the coming waves are an improvement in that at least a couple of cars have headlight tampos this time and I'm happy that we'll be getting a Porsche in a more or less stock livery with no eccentric bearded man's logos anywhere to be seen.
I know we've gotten premium Lamborghinis in racing-game based Entertainment series but I really want to see a Countach or Miura get the Car Culture treatment and I rather wonder why the Bull hasn't yet made a Car Culture appearance?