There is a group of Hot Wheels that receive no fanfare when they are released, get little attention, and are left at the store a lot. Yet often they are among the best-looking Hot Wheels models released during the year.
I am talking about the multipack exclusives. And the newest group for 2018 is slowly filtering into stores.
There are mainly two kinds of multipack exclusives. The first are marked as exclusives on the package. They are specific to the 9-packs that sit on the shelves, and are up in the top right-hand corner of the box. Hot Wheels will usually release three colors of that exclusive throughout the year.
But it is the second group I am talking about here. These could be called fillers. A wide array of Hot Wheels castings, from licensed to generic. They can be found in 9-packs and 3-packs. And they typically sport decos from previous mainline releases, only in new colors. They make for unique editions to castings we collect from years previous, and I LOVE seeking them out.
The multipack fillers for 2018 are just starting to show, and I thought I would try to keep a running list of those that would interest Lamley Readers. I will document when I find them, and then incorporate them into my Lamley Daily features, showing the multipack exclusive, along with the previous released they are based on (if I have them).
Cool? Cool.
So let’s start with a few I came across, but have yet to buy.
This Honda CR-X and Nissan 370Z are both multipack exclusives, based on older decos from a few years ago. Found at Target, but part of a 20-pack, so I left it for now.
But both are headed for the collection when I find them in cheaper packages.
And just today my friend Ace send this pic:
I am almost positive that the VW is a basic release (check out the chrome bed), but it is the Ford GT that has my attention. This looks to be a multipack exclusive, and essentially a third color of the 2017 release, seen in the mainline in grey and yellow.
But that’s the thing about the multipack exclusives. I could be wrong. On both the VW and Ford. Only time will tell, and guessing is kind of fun. We’ll keep doing it.
Actually, the VW Isn’t a multipack exclusive, nor is the GT. The VW will come in the 2018 E case, and the GT will come in the 2018 D case. Nevertheless, nice finds! I’ll be on the look-out for them.
My mistake, the GT actually comes in the E case as well.
There is a really nice blue Lamborghini Veneno multipack exclusive as well, plus TRU was selling the twenty packs at $16 so I got one with the multipack exclusive: Veneno, 370z, CRX, Focus, Ford GT LM, 67 Shelby GT500, Mazda Furai, Jaguar F-Type, Lancia Stratos, and Vantage GT3.
Wow, that’s a nice bunch of models in that 20-pack. I picked up some of those except in a 9-pack, but I’d love to find the Shelby and Furai somewhere.
These are all the 2018 10-pack (or 3-pack) exclusives I’ve found so far: Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione (Black), Aston Martin Vantage GT3 (Red), ’68 COPO Camaro (Purple), Chevrolet SS (White), ’82 Corvette Stingray (1996 plastic, Purple), ’13 COPO Camaro (White), ’69 Dodge Charger 500 (Metallic Green), ’67 Shelby GT500 (Bronze), Ford GT LM (Metallic Olive), ’08 Ford Focus (Yellow), ’85 Honda CR-X (Black), ’10 Infiniti G37 (Blue – different shade to the 2016 exclusive), ’15 Jaguar F-Type Project 7 (Light Blue), Lamborghini Veneno (Blue-green), Lancia Stratos (Grey), and Nissan 370Z (Grey). I’ll post up photos of them all on IG later today and tag #lamleyfinds. Haven’t seen the Furai yet although it’s coming in a Mystery Model pack. I also picked up early releases of four D case cars in these 10-packs: Mazda REPU (red), 49 Ford F1 (maroon), Custom ’15 Ford Mustang (red), Twin Mill (red).
I think the 9-packs are a lot of fun as well. It might just be my imagination, but it seems like Hot Wheels is putting more licensed castings in the 9-packs lately. It used to be that a good half of the cars in the pack (which actually used to be 10, not 9) were dumb generics, but the one I picked up the other day only had 1! And of the remaining 8, there were only I think 2 that I didn’t really care for. 6/9 ain’t bad at all, especially considering many are decos that you can’t get elsewhere.
John, I already gushed over the olive green Ford GT LM that’s showing up in some of the new 9-packs in a different post, but that one would be a great one to seek out and do a feature on…I think it’s one of the best-looking mainline releases of that casting.
I haven’t seen many 2018 nine packs, but the 20 packs I saw had good ratios. In fact, the 20 pack I picked up had only 1 generic, and it wasn’t bad (Twin Mill)
That’s impressive. I think I’ve only ever bought one 20-pack…usually by the time I see a new one, I’ve already bought most of the ones I want as singles. I gotta see more than 10 that I wasn’t able to get elsewhere to make it even remotely worth it. That said, there have been plenty of occasions when I’ll spy one or two cars in a 20-pack that I REALLY want, but it just doesn’t make sense cost-wise.
I think i have a 9 pack with ALL licensed vehicles, if not, there is only 1 fantasy car in it at worst.
Both the rusty VW and the blue GT are normal cars and will come in 2018 E case. Some people have already found them, namely Hotdiecast Garage on YouTube (I saw his video just the other day). I’m quite looking forward to the other cars though, like the 370Z, Veneno and Ford GT LM.
The gift packs are where it’s at! Saw the 370z, the GT40, the CRX, also have seen both the ’82 Skyline and the blue R33 in gift packs as well. The 3-car and 5-car packs shouldn’t be neglected either – some great ones in there as well!
ON hwc.com there is a post dedicated to multipack cars started by MUSICVOX. Go to page 39 for the latest updates. http://hotwheelscollectors.mattel.com/shop/en-us/hwc/forums#plckforumid=Cat%3A2954019542Forum%3Aeb514661-dd10-befb-3ce1-02772479623c&plckforumpage=ForumDiscussion&plckdiscussiononpage=1&plckforumpostshowfirstunread=&plckfindpostkey=&plckdiscussionid=Cat%3A2954019542Forum%3Aeb514661-dd10-befb-3ce1-02772479623cDiscussion%3A339430a4-ebc3-35ce-4297-6e29d9a2515f&plckforumpostonpage=1&plckpostid=
The Hotwheels Collectors Newsletter also posts pictures of multipack cars once they are found. Started the 2018 cars http://hwcollectorsnews.com/2018-multi-pack-only
I just found a 9 pack with 9 licensed models, with the white Chevy SS in the exclusive box. Exclusive CR-X, Jag F-Type, and red 72′ Ford Gran Torino- a really nice green Charger 500, not sure if it’s an exclusive, but it’s probably the best of the nine. Also an Aston Martin GT3, Alfa Romeo 8C and the blue Infiniti Q37 . Red ’67 Mustang was #9. Good haul for a 9 pack!
That’s a screaming deal!
I think the Charger is a D or Even case, not sure which one
A rastafari CR-X, LOL that’s interesting. The gray 370Z is a nice variant, but not worth chasing for me. I do like that royal blue Ford GT though and even the blue Corvette Stingray convertible. I believe I’ve seen that Corvette in 2017 9-packs, but don’t recall it ever being a mainline release in that deco. Does anybody know if it was? I’ll also pass on the VW T1, as I have both of last year’s mainline releases and this particular deco does nothing for me.
I too have seen the Lamborghini Veneno in enamel blue in a recent 9-pack along with another licensed model that escapes me right now in the same color. Both were pretty nice, though the paint looked a bit thin. The one car that really caught my eye however was a matte black ’15 Dodge Challenger with cream-colored side stripes and a red emblem. Man! It was gorgeous! If I collected Challengers, I would have snapped that one up in a heartbeat.
Thanks for documenting these John. I take a look at the 9-packs from time to time, but it will be great to know if there is something special to be on the lookout for.
I picked up the ‘vette convertible in a 3-pack
could i buy a pack?/how much?