The Real Cars - Nissan GT-R

The new Nissan GT-R is a spectacular car. Quality, performance and value are the virtues it possesses as recognized by the automotive press and the sports car enthusiast public. For a car in the $100,000 price range, it may seem that these be a minimum requirement, but considering the competition, in relative terms, this car is a stand out.
It is only fitting that a Hot Wheels model was made of this car to celebrate its release in 2009. Here, in pictures is the initial model run for both Nissan and Mattel.

The Real Cars - Ferrari California

Here is another fun idea - I am digging through some of my photo collection to find pictures of the real cars along with their Hot Wheels counterparts. Today's post will be showcasing the Ferrari California. The California is one of those cars that has to be seen in the flesh to be fully appreciated. The design is so subtle and well thought out, but the essence of the car's shape rarely comes through in a photograph.

Also, I thought it would be a good opportunity to give a sneak peak of an on-going project - The Ferrari Hot Wheels collector site. It is a Hot Wheels site dedicated entirely to Ferrari models. It is a work in progress, so be sure to bookmark and return in a few months if you visit.

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?