UPDATE!! – December 30, 2017
I screwed up. I forgot one important licensed premium new model, the 60’s Ford Econoline Pickup, and I thank many of you for pointing that out. For that reason, I am resetting the poll with the addition. If you already voted, please vote again. Sorry for missing this, but I think it is important to be accurate.
Here is a photo until I can take one in the same style as this post:
My super late Lamley Awards polls continue, this time looking at new PREMIUM models.
Last year I combined all the new Hot Wheels licensed new models, including basic and premium. But this year it just seems right to separate. Car Culture has really turned into something separate from everything else Hot Wheels does. It means that in many ways any new model coming from Car Culture outshines any basic counterpart. So we might as well pit these heavyweights against each other.
So while quantity surely wasn’t hefty, quality certainly was. Five of the new models came from Car Culture, while the 6th was from the Car Culture-esque Forza Assortment in HW Entertainment.
So get your vote in on which of these six models you think was the best. Who knows, a couple of these might end up in the “Model of the Year” poll. It’ll be a doozy of a list to be sure.
Vote here and if you need a refresher, pics of all six models are below, in the same order.
The Fiat gets it for me because it was so unexpected. It looks just like the real thing. I love it.
I have to whine, but I think the Mercedes would be dropped dead spot on if the headlights were larger instead of the slits that they are! They almost nailed it IMHO. Look at a real 190E and you’ll see.
YES! Thank you! I’m glad I’m not the only one irritated by that. It’s still a great casting and gets my vote, but I wish the headlights would have been more representative of the real thing.
Econoline Van?
That was last year.
Err.. pickup…?
Yeah personily my vote is for the econoline pickup but for some reason it’s absent
You’re right. I totally missed it. Gonna have to reset.
Fiat and Porsche are neck-n-neck. The bugeye Subie is locked for second. Gods, what a lineup.
This is so difficult!! I really still can’t decide (despite voting for the Mercedes in the same poll from last week). There isn’t a weak one in the bunch, all are stunning.
BUT, the way the Subaru made me feel when I first saw it is something the others just couldn’t. There isn’t anything to say about it that I haven’t said a million times before. It was literally love at first sight. I know the 190E is the more significant casting, being the first HW Mercedes in a long time and all, but I think I like the Bugeye more. Second place is a tie between the M1 Procar (underrated casting, let down by lack of tampo details) and 190E Evo II.
I feel your pain. The Bugeye Subie may have won out over the Merc Evo for me if I had found one by the time of this poll. But having the 190E in hand gives it a slight advantage as I am able to examine it firsthand and wonder at its magnificence.
suburu wrx and mb 190e
My vote went to the 190E. Absolute stunner of a casting and sinister as all hell in black, I can’t say anything that hasn’t already been said about it. If Hot Wheels had a set of more Subaru-esque rims to put on the WRX, it may have gotten my vote, but in this form it VERY narrowly gets second place. I gotta make a shout-out to the FIAT 500 though…that casting is so left-field and so well done that it just makes me smile every time I see it. Front & rear tampo may have made it a contender for the win in my opinion.
The rest are great models, but the 962 left me a little cold (I blame the deco, which isn’t great although I’ve seen that a lot of other people really like it). The M1 is a rock-solid casting that’s let down by lack of tampo detail, and there’s just something about the 356 that just didn’t live up to my expectations of it, I can’t put my finger on what though…maybe the grainy tampo they use on the Entertainment line. Overall I great year for premiums though.
Still went with the WRX. Great wheels, great paint, great tampos, great stance. Nothing not to like about it!
There are some other great ones as well, but if we are going for ‘best’, that one is the complete package to me.
Have to go with the Mercedes 190E. I just love the pure detail and accuracy that went into this casting. For me the best part is the rear because of those cool taillights! Also, the wing, gloss black color, and the new Real Riders add to the appeal. Plus, it has side mirrors, which is a nice touch! That’s why I’m sure glad I found it when I did along with the rest of the set!
the mercedes is one of the all time best hotwheel…
If only the Econoline had decent graphics 😥
Gotta go with the Merc.
For me it was a choice between the Subaru and the Merc and I know everyone else seems to love the Merc (and why wouldn’t they, it’s a fantastic model) I just think the Impreza was a little bit better so my vote goes to the Impreza with the Merc being a very very close second.
It will have to be the WRX. Not the biggest fan of the bug eye model, but still, it`s one of the greatest castings of Hot Wheels in my humble opinion. The 190E 2.5-16 is second, followed closely by the Porsche 962, which will make a very good pair with the 917K. Those Porsche racing models are pure gold in any scale and it`s great when you can have them in this one. I’m not into Porsche Speedsters and definitely those wheels on the M1 Procar are close to the original but somehow don`t do the job.
Going with the Mercedes with the WRX a very, very close second. The proportions are right on with both of these cars. The Merc appears to be the racing version with the roll cage and single driver seat (and has quite a bit more horsepower than a street version). Runner up to these is the 962. This car can be a racing livery canvas!
No kidding! I hope they really take advantage of the 962 in future releases!
I had mentioned that in the earlier article and would love to see it as well, but are there many choices that are not tobacco and alcohol related? I suppose they could use the colors and patterns but omit the brand names.
John, thank you for including the photos of each model here. I was going to mention that in the other article, that it is very helpful to have the visual reminder.
M1 Procar!! IMO they nailed this one like the Merc, 962 and Fiat. But the M1 was my most anticipated and I was not disappointed.
I’ve just made the Impreza my first Car Culture purchase, so I go for that one. The Mercedes was very good, but the Bug Eye is better for being more unlikely.