Despite being released in the 2017 Hot Wheels “M” and “N” case assortments, the Hot Wheels #Ice Charger is back as part of the #HW Screen Time series (once again) in the #2018 Hot Wheels “D” case assortments. To the casual observer, the 2017 car was released on a 2018 card, however that is certainly not the case.
Hot Wheels Ice Charger from the 2018 HW Screen Time Series (top-right view)
First off, the 2018 release wears some new wheels as the #PR5 Wheels are traded in for the #Japanese 5-Spoke Wheels. A new choice in wheels is a common practice for Hot Wheels #TV & Movie Cars that are re-released in their same paint schemes. I’ve already heard gripes about this #Ice Charger on several social media platforms — and I can understand them when it comes to redundancy. Since this is still a brand-new release here in the U.S., many collectors have not held this one in their hands or have even seen pictures of it loose yet. If you are among those collectors, you may have not noticed that the side that faces the blister card in the package has quite a few #Bullet Holes tampo’d across the hood and down the driver’s side door.
When you compare the two releases of the #Ice Charger so far, the result is pretty cool as you have a “clean” version of the car along with the “battle damaged” version of the car — kind of like a before & after. Since the limitations of producing a #TV & Movie Car only allow for there to be so much variance between releases — like with the wheels — a “battle-damaged” variant is often a popular way to release the same car while still having it be unique. This one has both!
This second release of the Hot Wheels #Ice Charger is hitting retail stores now as part of the aforementioned #2018 Hot Wheels “D” case. If you’re a fan of Chargers or #Fast & Furious cars like me, this one is a must have. I can also only think of one other Hot Wheels car that had #Bullet Hole graphics on it so the novelty in that could also another reason to pick this one up. It will be interesting to see what happens to the #Dodge #Charger in the next installment of the Fast & Furious franchise, but for now, I leave you with the bullet hole edition of the Ice Charger from The Fate of the Furious (2017).
RELEASE DETAILS: Anodized Dark Gray Body (metal). Tinted Windows. Black Interior. Chrome Japanese 5-Spoke (J5) Wheels. Gray Base (plastic). Made in Malaysia. Toy# FJW40. Released in 2018 as #8 of 10 in the HW Screen Time Series (#79/365 in the 2018 mainline).
Categories: Showcase
ORANGE TRACK DIECAST 