A stellar R32 Skyline kicks off the Car Culture-inspired Fast & Furious line

Duh. This is how it should have always been.

It just seems perfect. A Hot Wheels Fast & Furious Premium line. Seems like we should be in at least year five of this. But it was worth the wait. Five years ago, it would have been the same cars that we saw repeated over and over again in the Walmart lines: existing castings done up in FnF decos.

In order to get what just debuted, we needed Car Culture to thrive first. Mattel and retailers needed to see how successful a collector-aimed premium line with a wide variety of models in realistic decos could do. And what they have seen is a line that continues to sell and sell well.

That set the stage for what is essentially an extension of Car Culture. Featuring cars from the Fast & Furious universe means a wide variety of cars, from muscle to JDM to Euro to Supercars from stock to classic. It’s like a microcosm of Car Culture.

And here we have Mix 1, called Fast Imports, with several themed assortments to follow. It is easy to note that Fast Imports is heavy on JDM, but I think there is a more interesting way to look at it. Two of the cars are distinctly FnF. The R34 and S15 sport decos that were specific to the movie, and have become iconic in their own right. The other three could pass in ANY Hot Wheels line. A black R32, stock Lamborghini, and classic Escort. And that is what makes this line so cool.

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The R32, for example, never played an important role in the films, but it was there. Qualification enough to make into the line. The Escort was obviously much more prominent, as was the Lamborghini. But they didn’t have to be.

And that is what we will see moving forward. Models with distinctly FnF decos and some without. Quite a few new tools as well. Tools that will be used elsewhere too. Hot Wheels has gone all in on this line, and we collectors will surely benefit, whether we are FnF fans or not.

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It with that in mind that I declare the R32 the gem of this first mix. The casting was barely released in the mainline and this premium version hits (with another hitting in Car Culture shortly). The casting is flawless. A MASSIVE upgrade from the older R32 casting, going stock in body style AND in stance. It’s a great choice and this casting is clearly going to enjoy a fruitful life. I have seen that some say it sits too high. It doesn’t at all. It sits like an R32 is supposed to sit. And while you are looking at the stance in that pic I linked, look at all the other details, and you will seen see how well-done the R32 is, if you haven’t already figured that out.

Add the new 6-spoke “TE37-inspired” rims and a jet-black body and you have a Hot Wheels R32 that will be hard to top.

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Of course the other models are no slouches. The Escort is #2 for me, mainly because it is stock and full premium. The S15 is gorgeous, and while I find the deco on the R34 a little goofy, seeing it premium is a treat.

There is so many cool models coming. You can probably guess what some will look like. Trust me, you won’t be disappointed.

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