Hot Wheels 2011 - New Packaging

In addition to all the new things happening in the world of Hot Wheels, we have a new look to the standard mainline packaging again this year. The rendering of each individual car (complete with actual color and rim variations in most cases) is a great feature added last year and I am glad to see that it will continue to be featured even more prominently this year. What wont be returning are the mystery cars series.

In total it looks like there will be 244 mainline releases including 50 First Editions.

The breakdown looks like this:

2011 Main Line                                                    244 Models

• 50 2011 HW Premiere
• 15 Treasure Hunts
• 15 Track Stars
• 42 Thrill Racers
• 22 Video Game Heroes
  

• 10 segments (10 cars each): 
  • Faster Than Ever™
  • MuscleHeat Fleet®
  • HW City Works™
  • HW Drag Racers™
  • HW Main Street™
  • HW Performance™
  • HW Racing™
  • Muscle Mania®
  • Nightburnerz™
  • Street Beasts®

Hot Wheels 2011 Premieres Update

2011 is barely a month old and so I figure I should post before the new models flood in. As usual, I will make the New Models my focus. So far I have been able to snag 6 different models (with one variation). It is also nice that they are pretty much in order compared to last year when the first models to show up were all over the range. The First Editions I have been able to acquire are all posted on my collection site, and I will show the thumbnail links below:

The Danicar - a nice start for the first of the year

Gran Torino - Inspired by the film, no doubt

What Hot Wheels model year would be complete without a few Mustangs?

Classic Corvette

Looks great in white, but hard to see against my regular backdrop

Where there's a Mustang, a Camaro can't be far behind... or in front?

A modern Musclecar by Dodge, the GM and Ford boys can't have all the fun!

readers should know my preference for Italian exotics.

Fun With Photos - Backsliders

What do you do with 3 flatbed Backsliders?

Stack'em!

Not all Treasure Hunts Are Created Equal

There are Treasure Hunts and there are Treasure Hunt$! You probably know that there are a series of 12 cars released every year since 1995 which are made in limited numbers. They have some enhanced features like rubber tires and special high-detail pain treatments. Because of that they are highly sought after by the collecting community. If you are in a "competitive" area like I am, you would rarely see one in stores because they rarely make it to the shelves (insiders and shelf stockers usually get first dibs).

If you are lucky enough to get one it is a treat, but if you are particularly lucky, you might find a "SUPER T-HUNT$". I have some high resolution pics of both below, see how many differences you can spot!

All Time Favorite List - 2005 Shelby GR-1 Concept

 

Awesome in chrome

 

 

 Also good, but not as awesome as chrome

At a recent car show I had the opportunity to see the actual concept car which this model was based upon. It was indeed made with a chrome finish. When this Hot Wheels model was released back in 2005 as a First Edition, it was available in chrome and gray. I made a point to scoop up a few extra chrome ones because I really like the look.

My son stands in front of the actual Shelby GR-1 Concept at the Shelby show

All Time Favorite List - 1995 Pearl Drivers Series - Purple Passion

Back in 1995, I was just starting to collect Hot Wheels as a hobby. I knew this one was special when I first saw it. This particular car has been sitting on my shelf for years. What I like about it is the excellent custom design based on the '49 Mercury. Also, the series that this one is from had a pearescent paint theme. Each car in the 4 car series had a special paint job which was part peal, part chameleon. This one looks metalic purple with some green highlights. Although it has been released in many variations over the years,  I most appreciate the colour of this one. It is impossible to show the complex way the light dances off it but if you look closely you can see the green and white highlights.

The End Of Hot Wheels Pop Offs

There were only a handful of models made to be "Pop-offs" in Hot Wheels history. The first one I know of was the Mini Cooper from the 2000 First Editions. They are a neat idea. They do not have the standard rivets holding every component together. Instead they are clipped together and the body can be taken off of the chassis.

The Pop-offs were different, they had to be specially detailed throughout the interior because when the body is removed, everything is visible. I also liked the idea that every time they came out with a new variation, you had an increasing number of combinations of tops and bottoms to fit together.

And now, it seems Mattel has decided to remove the "Pop-off" ability of these models. I have 2 examples from this year where the clips have been replaced by standard rivets. I have to say I am surprised that this feature has been taken away; and disappointed too.

The following pictures show the 2010 Race World Earth Scion XB with clear green body (Right). Beside that is a previous variation, the 2005 First Editions X-Raycers version of the same model (Left).

Here is the previous model, popped off - pretty cool.

Something different with the green one...

Old one on the left, current one on the right... Hmm, no clip - no way to pop it off, its just a normal car now. :(

You can see the clip on the red one, missing on the newest version.

The next set of photos shows the 2010 Hot Wheels Performance Ground FX in yellow. Beside that is a previous variation of the same model.

 What it looks like under the skin

The new one (yellow) with no clip

My disappointment confirmed - no clip.

All Time Favorite List - 1999 First Editions #18 - Turbolence

What is this one all about? To me it could be a few things. It has the stretched lines of a salt flats racer, attempting to break a land speed record. It could be a pre-war endurance racer or maybe a prototype from some past era. In reality it is a great piece to be able to conjure up those images for me. And it has a solid feel too. This is one of the increasingly rare models with die cast top and bottom. It feels heavy and rolls great. I think the colour and tampos for this First Edition model are well done too but now I'm curious... what do you think? What does this model remind you of?

2010 Hot Wheels Poster

Click the picture below for a huge .jpg of the 2010 Hot wheels lineup poster. For all of the collectors out there, this is a great guide for what to expect for the rest of the year. It is a fun look at the entire 2010 main line of Hot Wheels cars. Each series is listed and most of the cars are shown in their final form, or if that was not available at the time of the posters creation, a rendering is used for some of the first editions. Enjoy:

New 2010 First Editions - April 2010

It has been a few weeks with nothing new on the pegs but now its a flood of awesome cars. I am saving a few choice models to show here later. Those are the ones that deserve their own post. Until then check out these:
Cadillac CTS-V

Citroen C4 Rally

 

Formula Street

Tegray

Snow Ride

All Time Favorite List - 1998 First Editions #6 - Jaguar D-type

Another favorite from the collection: a classic racing Jaguar D-type from the 1998 model year. This one is based on the legendary Le Mans race car produced in the mid 50's. This Hot Wheels model is a fantastic scale recreation. The detail is great, but not over-done (I like the molded gray side exhaust). The car feels heavy in the hand due to the die-cast metal on top and bottom. The seam is higher up than typical models which adds to the unique look of the race-car. Dark blue metal flake paint is striking and compliments the elegant shape of the car.The tampos are true to the period and very evocative of 50's era racing with the large numbers and front stripes. Trivia fact: the #4 Jaguar D-type was not the winner of the 1957 Le Mans, but came in 6th position. The #3 D-type was the overall winner that year.

2009 Special Features - Ferrari 512

Opening engine covers, lift off bodies, fold out wings, extending wheels, opening doors and even a whistle. These are all considered "special features" that can be found in some Hot wheels cars. For 2009, some great examples of special featured cars make up a great collector team named "Special features", of course. One of my favorite "hood openers" (or bonnet for some overseas readers) is the Ferrari 512. In true endurance racing style the whole rear end lifts up to reveal the engine and all rear end mechanical bits. The detail is about what you might expect at 1/64 scale - that is not too detailed, but it is always a great enhancement to be able to lift it open and check it out. Also, as a fan of Ferrari cars, I am satisfied with the color of this one - red, with a great Ferrari tampo on the tail.

2009 Hot Wheels Main Line Packaging

Anyone collecting would have already noticed the new packaging. It is a variation of the 2007-2008 packaging with the colored bar on a slight angle and a major addition of a rendering of the car found in the package. I do like the artistic style of the renderings and they have done a great job in making the look consistent throughout the lineup. It is also worth noting that the coloring and rim styles is an accurate representation of the variations too. It seems like a lot of extra work to get every car rendered that way, and I'm curious as to how they do it, what programs they use, etc.

I do like the new style of packaging and very much appreciate the effort put into the rendered depictions of the cars. Great job!

2009 First Editions - Nissan GT-R

Another awesome year for new castings. I have a bit of time now so i will try to capture my thoughts on the year so far. Some of my favorite cars old and new have been or will be released in 2009 as First Editions.

The Nissan GT-R is a car that defies classification - It has a shape that does not accurately come across in photos or even in the spotlights and pedestals of a car show. To truly appreciate its design is to see one in its element - on the road. It has a certain presence. As good as the Hot wheels version is, I'm afraid that "road presence" was not captured in the mould. Before I pass judgement I would like to see it in a darker colour - maybe blue, with a heavier tint to the glass. With the amout of variations and repaints I'm sure they'll capture the magic a bit more.

The Ferrari 288 GTO is finally here!

I have been waiting for this one for months and I have to say I am not dissapointed! The detail is very nice and the colour/smoked glass and tampos are well done. Classic 5 spoke rims are a natural choice but I would like to see this model with a few of the other 5 spoke variants such as the PR5's. Of course red is the way to go with all Ferrari's, all other colours are tied for second place.