(Find the Hot Wheels Mercedes 500 SEL on eBay)
Like the Chevrolet Nova SS that I featured back in March, this Mercedes comes to us from a Hot Wheels Fast & Furious line and again that’s the first and last time we’ll be talking about that. The films are of little to no interest to me, but firms like Jada and Hot Wheels have jumped on the franchise and released some models that are pretty good diecasts in their own right, and don’t need the F&F branding to make them desirable. Case in point is the new Premium Mercedes-Benz 500 SEL.
The W140 era Mercedes was revealed at the 1991 Geneva Motor Show. Facelifted in March 1994, the model remained in production until 1998. The 500 SEL tag referred to pre-facelift, long wheelbase models equipped with Mercedes’ M119 E 50 5.0 litre V8, producing 322bhp. Top speed was an electronically limited 155mph, but it wasn’t all about how fast you went in the 500 SEL, it was how you got there. And most customers probably weren’t the type to be driving themselves anyway! The W140 range featured groundbreaking technology for the time such as heated, rain-sensing windscreen wipers, dual-zone climate control (four-zone on long wheelbase models), soundproof glass, parking sensors and voice control. “Parameter Steering” aided low speed maneuvering and and the 500 SEL wafted along on electronically adaptive suspension. Passengers were cushioned by seating that was 12- way adjustable and heated front and rear. And for an extra sum owners could spec orthopedic seats with inflatable cushioning.
The W140 had acres of presence, and remains one of my favourite big Mercs from any era, and grabbing the Hot Wheels version on the pegs when I saw it was a no-brainer.
The Hot Wheels version doesn’t appear to be a bone stock SEL and comes equipped with a mild AMG inspired bodykit, with the base jutting out under the front bumper to form a front splitter.
The car is the work of Mark Jones, Dmitriy Shakhmatov and Ronald Wong and they’ve done a great job. Proportionally it’s very accurate, even capturing the slight nose high stance of a real W140. It’s a properly mean, blocky looking diecast and there’s some pleasant details such as the blacked out window piece modelled with a lowered driver’s side window, and the 6 spoke mag wheels really work well here.
But here’s where I end up in a catch-22 situation… let me explain. The decals are good but not superb; I’ve been critical of Hot Wheels’ work in this area in the past and still think it’s something they need to improve on. A lot. Here they are relatively ok; the head and taillights are sharp but the lower grille on the front bumper is a bit fuzzy and the rear badging could be sharper. Also in a telling sign of QC slip, there were two examples of the SEL on the pegs at my local Asda and the car I left behind had poorly aligned head and tail lights. But at the same time I find myself asking for more decals! The casting could have really benefited from a touch more detail and a set of license plates wouldn’t have gone amiss at all.
It’s a shame this thing wasn’t around when I was creating my Mercedes long form back in April 2023 as it would have made a perfect companion to the trio of heavyweight Bahn-stormers I featured. But some things are worthy of their own time in the spotlight.
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Great write-up! I’ll be on the lookout for this casting. Not to niggle or anything, but the platform code was W140. W124 was the mid-size sedan, which late in its run became the E-class.
I knew this and I definitely should have checked! Doh! I’vw rectified this. I was distracted a lot during writing this article by looking for a W124 for other purposes.
What a sweet Merc! A perfect complement to my HW Red Pig. Premium sedans for the win!