10 years ago, the AcceleRacers debuted much to the dismay of the Hot Wheels collecting community as it was a followup to the Highway 35 World Race of 2003 that featured a lineup of first edition unlicensed fantasy castings. Where the HWY 35 World Race succeeded in telling a story that bridged the gap between reality and fantasy worlds (using cars/castings from both), the AcceleRacers lived in an alien world made up of seemingly alien cars.

It is evident now, and even at the time, that this line was designed exclusively as a marketing initiative towards children as each of these “imaginative” cars on blister cards also contained a pack of AcceleRacers cards. So while the older Hot Wheels collecting community shunned these unlicensed fantasy castings, the kids went nuts! It just wasn’t noticed until a few years later–a few years too late.

We were left with 36 unlicensed castings that eventually found their way into the Hot Wheels mainline. While some collectors eventually gravitated to a casting here and a casting there, it seems as though its those kids from 10 years ago that have been buying up the AcceleRacers as of late. This, of course, plays into the notion that kids grow up, earn money, and buy the toys they adored in their youth.

One of the castings from this 2005 AcceleRacers line that I gravitated to post-2005 was the Hollowback. Driven by the Metal Maniacs team leader, Tork Maddox, this car had some very familiar looking lines.

If I had to describe it, I would say it looks very similar to a modern day Dodge Challenger with a futuristic, or even dystopian (post-apocalyptic) upgrade. Between an engine that looks like an electric/fossil fuel hybrid powerhouse, side exhaust pipes that are riveted to a metal frame, and the fan in the back that looks contribute to back-end performance (and the name sake), the Hollowback is a mean looking car that has definitely been overlooked.

RELEASE DETAILS: Satin Red Body (plastic). Tinted Window. Chrome Interior. Gray Co-Mold 6-Spoke (CM6) Wheels. Unpainted Metal Base. Made in Malaysia. Toy# G8097. Released in 2005 as #5 of 9 in the Metal Maniacs Series of the AcceleRacers line.