Let’s get this show rolling once again for 2019. Hot Wheels Car Culture miraculously is entering is fourth year in existence. For you long-term collectors, you know what a rarity it is for a premium line to last that long. Pop Culture and Replica Entertainment continue to fill their respective niches, but Car Culture has kept on truckin’ a lot longer than most comparable premium lines.
And let’s just keep it going. As long as there are cool themes to take on, cool new castings to create, and existing models to gussy up, Car Culture should continue to roll on. At least I hope it will.
The first mix for 2019 if Gulf. The deco is the theme here, so Hot Wheels has the freedom to do in several directions with the model selection, and they did. One JDM, one Muscle, a Supercar and two Euro models. The GTI seems the weak link, but the others are spot-on selections.
Wheel Collectors sent me a set to preview, and that is just what I did. You can buy the set now:
Hot Wheels 2019 Car Culture at Wheel Collectors
Not sure why people would think this is a weak link. I hope people sleep on these so I can horde them.
The Volks and Fiat will soon join the Econolines, Galaxies and Comets on peg warming duties
Keep on truckin’…lol u so eighties… Agreed, the GTI is an abomination, fiat second, and Laurel third. Those three don’t associate with Gulf as there are many more worthy models. I rather see the Laurel in JDM related tampos such as enkei, hks, calsonic, spoon, etc
You buy this set just for the McLaren, TBH. The rest just wear a skin.
I’m guessing I am alone in being disappointed with the 2018 car culture. For me, as an opener, the increase in card size and whatever its cost is too much. Not to mention it seems the money for deco in many situations makes the designer feel that they must plaster as many decos as they can on the cars. in addition the repeating of castings still was on going. That’s why I am dropping car culture in favor of the Matchbox Superfast 50th. Maybe 2019 will convince me otherwise but only the silhouette Series previewed has any potential to me. At the end of the day, no one is forcing me to buy these, and lots of people like the series
jake, would you consider selling you car culture?
The weak link for me is not the Golf but the Laurel, look at those tiny wheels ! The McLaren’s back wheel is also too large like a lot of Mattel releases, why ? I will buy a set, but will sell the McLaren and the Laurel on to other collectors.
I Agree on the laurel’s wheels. Looks like those cambered-out, stretched-tire imports that a bunch of tool bags drive.
It looked a lot better when it was first released in Japan Historics 2.
Funny, I’d buy the set just for the Laurel and McLaren…
The Mustang and McLaren are gems. I’ll probably just stick with those two. If I were selecting the models, I would’ve chosen the ’70 Ford Escort RS1600 as the vintage Euro car, the Porsche 911 GT3 RS as the modern Euro car, and the Toyota 2000GT as the JDM car (even though Mattel isn’t producing Toyota products at the moment).
As for the future of Car Culture, I sure hope to see some classic American vehicles that aren’t race cars or trucks. A “Cruisers” or “Low-Riders” set would be most welcome for me.
Well I hope collectors leave that VW on the pegs, I think its great. Great casting with full deco. Looks sharp. Could there ha e been a better model choice? Sure. We could say that about all of them, but we got what we got and the VW will have a nice spot along the car culture Camaro in gulf and the Galaxy.
Gulf muscle cars are done to death. so I like the quirkiness of the Fiat and the Laurel. The Mac is nicely done too.
The McLaren is the only one I want. Second is surprisingly the Golf. Ok it may not be as iconic as the F1 or clean as the Mustang but its the first time it has looked any good. The original Car Culture release was too bland and empty and the mainlines were just crap. But thankfully it looks good now. Next is the Mustang which like I said looks clean with appropriate wheels. The Laurel and Fiat, uhhh I don’t even have anything to say. One has no relation to Gulf and the other has hideous orange wheels. These 2 are the weak links of the set IMO. I’d rather have a Porsche instead of the Fiat and something else over the Laurel. Something that actually has a relation to Gulf.
I will but a set if I find them but the McLaren and, dare I say Fiat are my personal favorites.
Love this set and contrary to most, I love the GTI.
As an owner of a Mk 7 Golf R, I love this Golf. Glad to finally see headlights and tail lights on this model. The Gulf livery on the Golf is in no way silly when compared to the Laurel with its tiny wheels.
I don’t understand why Hot Wheels continue to use that “Euro” style wheel on the Golf Mk7. That wheel was a fail from the moment it was approved for production. It’s almost like they purposely refuse to make VWs look good.
How awesome would that Gulf Golf look with orange “Aero” style wheels? I don’t understand why HW haven’t matched that combination up yet…