2010 First Editions #12 0f 52 - Lamborghini Gallardo

After a few slow weeks I was pleased to find this beauty on a local peg. I am a Lamborghini fan and this one is a fantastic looking car. The Gallardo model has been available for a number of years and so it is a bit unusual that it has taken so long for a Hot Wheels car to be made of it. The paint is a matte black which is an interesting choice for this toy or the real thing. The details of the casting are very well done including what can be seen of the black interior. The tampos are excellent as well, with the front hood emblem being so small you might need a microscope to appreciate the detail.

2010 First Editions #21 0f 52 - '09 Corvette Stingray Concept

If you've seen Transformers 2 you would already be aware of this car. This is a GM prototype with some great lines from throughout the history of the Corvette. What you can barely see from this photo is the split rear window design as a tip to the 1963 corvette. The metal-flake gray is nice and the use of tampos for front and side badges is well done. This is an all around sleek looking car with "faster than ever" wheels and a plastic "chromed" base.

Blue Corvettes

Some fun with photography. From top to bottom: C6 Corvette, ZR1 and C6R.

2010 First Editions #3 0f 52 - '67 Pontiac Firebird 400

The Hot Wheels brand was born at the height of the muscle-car era (1968) and so it seems fitting that new designs are still cast of cars from that time. This 1967 Pontiac Firebird 400 is a prime example of the muscle-car breed. Tampo's on the ram air scoops show the "400" designation and the side stripes are finely detailed actually being made of 3 stripes (a large sandwiched by two pin stripes). The middle stripe breaks to form the hot wheels logo. A sharp eye can detect the firebird logo forward of the front wheels and a black Pontiac symbol centered on the grill. chrome front trim and side ground effect panels are also given the painted metallic treatment which might seem like a small thing but you can see that the result is very effective. Considering the recent death of the Pontiac brand, it is a good thing to remember what turned out to be the best of times for the company. Goodbye Pontiac.

2010 First Editions #2 0f 52 - Tooligan

I just found this one and I thought I would write about it. I think this one is neat. Its a car AND it can be used as a wrench in a pinch (or a ruler, or allen wrench I suppose). Its called Tooligan and it reminds me of a model from 2008 called Carbonator. That one also serves a dual purpose as a car AND a great bottle cap opener. I had to get a second Carbonator to keep on the fridge to mainly serve its secondary function. I think I will have to keep a Tooligan in my tool box. The die-cast metal may not be the strongest when compared to actual tools, but I'm sure it will go down the track a lot faster.

The First 2010 First Editions

I don't have a complete list of what to expect for 2010, but I am sure it will be another awesome year based on what i have seen so far. I have managed to snag 3 First Editions so far, and a few other mainlines. The three here are the '67 Shelby GT 500, Tooned VW Bug and '08 Viper ACR. I have noticed some changes and additions. One notable fact is that the packaging remains the same as the previous year. The year will see 214 different models, and if you receive international packages, 52 of those will be first editions. If you are getting the boxes in the local USA market, 8 of those will be included in other series. This should generate some interest in 'who gets what'. I will follow up with more information in future posts. So the following are the first 3 of my 2010's. Happy Hunting!

Ferrari Variations - 2009 Dream Garage F430

While I am still sorting out the last of the 2009 model year and already seeing some 2010 cars, I have decided to change the format of my other website a bit. Instead of keeping cars in their packages and only breaking a few out for fun - I will now try to keep one in package and get a second one to keep loose and take the photos.

What this mean is I will have more loose cars and so I will be taking more fun shots like this: