In Stars Wars, the Ewoks on Endor perceive the linguistic robot, C-3PO, as a deity. In Hot Wheels collecting, some Hot Wheels collectors perceive the Volkswagen Drag Bus to be of Hot Wheels royalty. So its only fitting that the Star Wars Characters car for C-3PO resembles to all-too-popular Volkswagen Drag Bus.

Hot Wheels VW Bus vs. C-3PO comparison shot

With similarities in the overall shape of the vehicle, large spoiler on top, and back bumper, there are a few differences too. The most notable difference, when you remove the Hot Wheels C-3PO from his package, is that the casting does not open like the Drag Bus does. This is rather unfortunate since photos have been posted of the strikingly detailed interior (which is unseen unless you drill apart the vehicle).

RELEASE DETAILS: Gold Body (metal). Yellow-Tinted Windows. Gold-Chrome Interior. 3 Gold & 1 Chrome Open-Hole 5-Spoke (OH5) Wheels. Gold-Chrome Base (plastic). Made in Thailand. Toy# CGW45. Released in 2015 as part of the Hot Wheels Star Wars Characters line.

The Hot Wheels Character line started in late 2011 with the DC Comics characters of Batman, Superman & The Joker. While they were cool cars, they had a $3 price point and that first wave of 3 castings sat for months at retailers. There were few collectors that liked this line that was designed solely for kids. As time has went on, collectors have taken a liking to some cars in this line (especially this one). The Hot Wheels designers have done a great job at capturing certain features of the characters when designing the vehicles, implementing them wherever they can.

Take for instance the one chrome wheel on this vehicle (compared to the other three that are gold). It has been throwing a few collectors off thinking they have an error. Suffice to say that this is because C-3PO has a chrome leg. Nice feature, huh? This detail is also found on the 2-Pack variant–the weathered version C-3PO.

Hot Wheels C-3PO from the 2015 Star Wars Characters line