The highly anticipated Gran Turismo 8-car series is here! Since this series will not appear in the big box stores here in the United States, I ordered the full case off of 1StopDiecast.com. It came with the full set of 8 cars, plus 4 extras (1 each of the Skyline, Gallardo, Huayra and Ford GT LM). The one car I was most excited for was the #Jaguar XJ220. If you’ve been following the blog, you may have read that the Jaguar XJ220 was one of only a handful of Hot Wheels that got me into collecting back in the early 1990s.

Below you can see the pretty stylish packaging this series came in. Each car has its own unique packaging as the car featured on it matches the car featured in it.

Hot Wheels Jaguar XJ220 from the 2016 Gran Turismo Series (Carded)

Having played the original Gran Turismo for the original Sony Playstation back in the ’90s, the Jaguar XJ220 was often the car I used in the actual game. That came from my love for the Hot Wheels casting that was designed by Larry Wood. Once it was first speculated that Hot Wheels would be releasing a Gran Turismo series, I had never imagined the XJ220 would be a part of it since the casting has not appeared since 2011 and was on our list of #Discontinued Castings.

Much to my eventual surprise and delight, the XJ220 was indeed part of the series and memories of playing the game came flooding back. Memories of another white XJ220 came back as well. This one was the second-to-last release as it was part of the 2010 Speed Machines. As you can see below, they make an excellent pair!

Hot Wheels Jaguar XJ220 in White. From the 2010 Speed Machines & the 2016 Gran Turismo Series

While this pearl white #41 Jaguar XJ220 does not feature #Real Riders or a metal base, it does feature some pretty solid graphics both design- and quality-wise. On a side note: the Thailand Hot Wheels factory, where this one was made, has done a superb job when it comes to detail — an area where the Malaysian plant is clearly inferior. My favorite graphics on the piece, aside from the racing scheme as a whole, would have the be the headlight tampos as the only other time this casting received that type of detail, was on the 2010 Speed Machine releases.

With seven other spectacular cars in the Gran Turismo series, you can bet you’ll see those here. But for now, I leave you with my favorite car in the series: the Jaguar XJ220. Comment below on which car you’d like to see next!

RELEASE DETAILS: Pearl White Body (metal). Tinted Windows. Gray Interior. Chrome PR5 Wheels. Black Base (plastic). Made in Thailand. Toy# DJL14. Released in 2016 as #2 of 8 in the Gran Turismo Series.