Let’s cut to the chase. Cars & Donuts is loaded. Two new castings – the Subaru WRX and BMW M1 – and it includes two of the most popular new castings of the last year – the FuguZ and Alfa Romeo Giulia Sprint. Oh, and there is a McLaren. And it is now available for purchase at Wheel Collectors, in singles and as a set, at this link:
2017 Hot Wheels Car Culture Cars & Donuts at Wheel Collectors
Grab them now, and I promise you will not be disappointed with what comes. There is so much to like about this set. The Hot Wheels Team went through it with me at the Convention:
Car Culture dominance continues.
It’s a great looking set for sure. I hope to see more premium releases of Z cars. The Convention 240z was the best iteration yet. Hopefully we can see something similar in premium releases in the future – no crazy fender flares, but just a straight, classy casting. I will definintely be picking up the Alfa Romeo – that release in the 2016 Forza set has been a bit of a pegwarmer around here and I don’t understand why. Its a really cool car. I know where a couple are…maybe I should go pick one up AND get this version too.
I constantly check my stores keeping an eye out for these. At least I know that when the hobby dealers finally take delivery of them, they should be hitting stores a little afterwards. On a side note, the wheels look a little too big on the McLaren there. Overall though, great set! Just like anybody, I’m really after the “Bug-eye” Subaru Impreza and Alfa Romeo! Love the artworks as usual, just like most of the other sets! To me that’s their biggest selling point. Can’t wait for more next year!
It seems the premium sets are getting the works now at HWs. They look great hope they add some new casts to classic muscle cars and add a series of them to the premium lines. I love the JDM and the European cars. What I don’t understand is why it is muscle or the others? Why can they just come up with some fresh models in the muscle and classic category and keep all of them fresh? I understand guys are into collecting all the versions of a model. Some of us just collect cars real bleeping cars. There are tons of bad ass classic cars that were bad ass hot rods and drag cars. HWs was a leader in this area I can’t understand why they turned their backs on them! Like I said I love the JDM and European models love them. Just would like to see more variety! It’s getting really frustrating to see the same models on the pegs. Like I said I’ve been saving a good bit of cash lately. There is tons of market room for all and the more variety the more sales! Hope someone is reading this that matters!
I am a sports car guy. And even on those more of the classic and higher performance ones. So the Japanese models usually do not hold my interest. I think the answer to the lack of muscle cars is 2 fold. First the current team is very much into the older Japanese and those type models. Plus it plays into these are the current castings so use them to get the return on investment. Sell what’s hot.
The second item is there are many other competitors on the muscle car side doing much better models in the same relative price point: GL, M2, AW, RC, JL etc. So unless the collector is a HW collector or has a curse for completeness they may not buy the models. Add in the cartoonish and custom stylings of the HW muscle cars and they don’t work as well on the upper end. At least for me.
That said I would love to see them do a modern version of some of the classic muscle cars just to be able to add them to the high end lines. Models like the Cobra, Split window vette, 65 Mustang, etc. I think the old castings are too worn and played out. But do new tooling keeping it as similar to the original and they will do well.
I’ll be picking all of these up when they hit stores, but it’s the Alfa I’m most excited for. Can’t wait.
This is a set I may get only after seeing them in person. The BMW and McLaren are of the most interest. Unfortunately on the latter they felt the need to add extra decoration to it. The Alfa is a cool model but the color is bland. Also I wonder how this gets to have lots of colors but the MB version is still stuck on white and red only. it may be because it is a racing version or if Alfa loosened the reigns the word has not hit the orange card gang. The Z is so close to the regular release I am not sure it is worth it other than the new wheels for donors.
This could be a set that all 5 come home or none come home.
I bought the Subaru and the Alfa ! They look fantastic.
The mainline P1 (in black) looks better than this one (rear tampos !), the 240z is exactly the same than the Fresh Factory version, and concerning the BMW, I’ll wait for the next version.
Like I’ve said before, the only ones I really want are the Impreza and M1. The others are just not worth it imo. The GTA looks a bit boring and the 240Z is nothing but a mainline with different wheels. And the P1 is just awful. The stripes are totally unnecessary and the lack rear lights is appalling, especially on a model who’s rear lights are as iconic as the GT-Rs.
Picked up the Subaru today at Wally world. They had 2 complete sets hanging there. The cars all looked great, but as others have stated, the Z and the McLaren have had better non-premium version. The alpha was nice but I don’t collect it, and the BMW will likely have better releases in the future.
The impreza though, that thing is georgeous. That was the only model I was hunting for. The color combo of the blue with gold rims is perfect. That and the Mercedes 190 are probably the best two models I have seen from HW…dare I say it…..ever. front and rear tampo. Super clean with factory colors. Just great.
Found 2 sets of these at Wally tonight. Brought home one of each car minus the McLaren and left the other six for the next lucky hunter(s).
These are really super excellent. The Alfa majorly evokes ’60’s Euro racing cinematic cool. The magnificent, pearlescent Z is like a little gemstone in your hand (and totally worth the upgrade from the mainline white). The Beem is straight bitchin’–and a big thumbs up for the wheels. While the Subaru may be the best (certainly the most “complete”) of the bunch.
Hot Wheels is on a crazy awesome roll right now.
Also found the mainline Nissan Skyline GT-R R33, which just might be my favorite pickup of the evening. It’s so subtly sexy, I can’t stop ogling and fondling it. 😉
Another great set from HW. The best IMO is the Subaru WRX STi. But I do have one question (not that it matters as such but) when I google pictures of the 1/1 scale Subaru the exhaust is situated on the left side and in the 1/64 scale HW the exhaust is situated on the right side. Is that some error from Mattel?