Hot Wheels 2011 Year in Review

One post I never did get to in 2011 was about "the poster". Every Year we can count on a poster depicting the planned releases for the Hot Wheels 1:64 scale. Every series is here, New Models, Treasure Hunts, Track Aces and all. You might have already seen this, but if not, it would help see what 2011 was all about. Check it out, see what you might have missed:

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.

New 2010 First Editions - '71 Maverick Grabber

The Ford Maverick was a compact car produced in the '70's. The early years of the car coincided with the tail end of the muscle car era. Though the Maverick was not really a muscle car, there was a "Grabber" trim option available in 1971. "Grabber orange" was the name of Ford's bright orange paint. The graphics, spoiler and hood were what set a "Grabber" apart from a normal Maverick. This car was ahead of its time in many ways when you think about the phenomenon of custom graphics and tacking some aftermarket hood and spoiler onto a compact car to make it look more like a bigger faster sports car. Like any good Hot Wheels car, this one is a celebration of small things trying to be bigger faster things and imparting some of that 'larger-than-life' feeling to whomever holds it in their hands.

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