Hot Wheels just casually dropped an absolute FIRE press release this morning featuring a new line of brick-based playsets being released in collab with the Mattel Brick Shop.
The press release was quickly followed-up with an email from Creations and for us brick-building set fans, it was quite the pleasant surprise. Not only are we getting new Hot Wheels brick sets, but these sets appear to be some of the most realistic and supremely detailed automotive-themed building sets to hit the market in some time, possibly ever.
Brick Shop sets are broken-down into three new series: Speed, Elite, and Premium.
The Speed Series
The Speed series is the smallest of the bunch with cars coming in right around the 1/32nd scale.
Per Mattel, the Speed series sets feature the following:
- A custom decal sheet and two sets of wheel covers to transform your build
- Exclusive die-cast Car & Metal Signature Plate: Features a matching 1:64 scale metal car and signature plate, available first with Mattel Brick Shop sets
- Gift for Car Enthusiasts: Each car in the Speed Series is highly detailed and authentic to the original’s look & feel
- Compatible With Other Brands: Pieces combine with all building sets by Mattel Brick Shop and other name brands
The first two Speed series releases are the Cadillac Project GTP Hypercar and the Maserati MC20 and are priced at $20.00 (plus tax and shipping).
Both Speed series cars look substantially better than that other brick brand’s cars and the packaging looks more like an adult collectible than tabletop toy. Even at their most affordable price point, the new brick sets are really impressive looking.
The Elite Series
The next size up (literally) is the Elite Series. These cars are 1/16th scale and are priced at $50.00 (plus tax and shipping).
The Elite series feature the following:
- Customize Your Ride: Includes extra parts, metal wheel covers, and decals to transform your build
- Exclusive die-cast Car & Metal Signature Plate: Features a matching 1:64 scale metal car and signature plate, available first with Mattel Brick Shop sets
- Authentic details like opening doors, pop-up headlights, functional steering, and swappable license plates for maximum authenticity
Elite launches with two stellar sets — the ’90 Acura NSX and vintage Corvette Grand Sport race car — both of which look pretty incredible. I mean come on – how badass is that lead shot of the NSX?!
The elevated Elite series builds on the details of the Speed series but adds extra parts and more detail. For example, the NSX comes with a licensed set of Rays wheels, sticker options to make a Honda or Acura version of the car, AND it also comes with a light bar to turn the car into a very Ryu-esq pace car.
The Corvette gets the same Elite treatment with optional parts and stickers to convert the car from street cruiser to track terror.
And if the optional bits aren’t enough, the cars also feature moving parts and working steering. I absolutely love where they are taking this line already.
Two bonus sets (I think Target or at least retail exclusive) were teased for both the Speed and Elite lines with a 1/32nd Custom Camaro and 1/16th scale custom ’62 Chevy Pickup too.
The Elite series looks to be the perfect middle ground — not too big, not too small, and yet overflowing with details — the more I see, the more impressive they get, especially at their relatively low price point.
Finally we have the top tier of the new releases – the big boy 1:12th scale Premium line.
This line launches with just a single car, but it’s a classic that’s very much deserving of a larger-scale take.
Behold the Mercedes-Benz 300 SL…
This thing looks incredible and is probably the most realistic brick-based car design on the market (or will be when it’s release later this year). Hot Wheels really went all-in on this model and it shows through the details they packed into it.
For starters, it includes metal parts. Yes, metal parts. While the press release mentions the Mercedes crest is metal, there undoubtedly will be some other parts in metal (possibly the mirrors and parts of the wheels).
The Merc also comes equipped with several moving parts – including the iconic gullwing doors — as well as opening hood, trunk with spare tire, and working steering. The design team was also able to recreate the 1/1 scale car’s plaid seats too.
Just like the previous series cars, the 300 SL also comes with alternative parts to turn the street car into a full-on Euro tourer.
And just when you thought the car couldn’t get an better, the Premium 300 SL comes with a matching RLC casting — that’s right, a full $40 exclusive casting is included in the sets $150 price tag. In terms of brick sets, that’s an incredible bargain.
I have built some of the previous retail Hot Wheels brick-sets and was quite impressed with them (the Bigfoot monster truck set was one of my favorite brick sets of all time) and am very excited about where Hot Wheels is headed with these sets.
I reached out to some fellow diecast and brick-based set collectors to see if they shared my excitement about the line and here’s what they said:
“Firstly hats off to the Mattel Dream Team for trying something new and fresh. I am seriously excited as both a Hot Wheels and building block type toy collector for this new iteration. The details shown off these on these new vehicles is astounding, and they’re competitively priced for what you get.”
“First impressions are the two I will seek out they look extremely nice. I will be interested on the price point of them, but I like the “model kit” ish vibe with having different wheels to pick from. Hopefully we don’t have stickers.”
@drunkpossumcollectibles on IG:
“The Mattel sets look 100% better than most Lego sets, at least you can tell what kind of car it is with the Mattel sets.”
And lastly @widau on IG:
“These are a substantial improvement over any Lego set made yet.”
Hot Wheels new Brick Shop sets seem to be leaving a brick-sized mark in the building set world today, but what do you think?
How do you think these sets look? Will you be picking any of the sets up based on the previews so far? Let us know in the comments below.
I’ll also be doing a follow-up review article when the sets start getting delivered, so be on the lookout for more on these sets soon // 64wheels