9/17/2019 — Welcome to the world of Hot Wheels in 2020! Kids and collectors alike will find a pleasant surprise starting in the #2020 Hot Wheels “A” case as the fine folks at Mattel decided to introduce the #Hot Wheels iD vehicles to mainline consumers so they can not only race on the orange track, but also in the digital world — at the extremely affordable price point of $1.

Hot Wheels Night Shifter from the 2020 HW Race Day series and the Hot Wheels iD Chase (on orange track)

So far, #Hot Wheels iD vehicles have only been available through Apple and Amazon. The big-box store rollout seems imminent as there is talk that iD could show up at Target as early as October, and you know Walmart has to be on the horizon. From what I understand, the actual Hot Wheels iD line will be available in the electronics department. Since the rollout hasn’t occurred, we don’t know if that strategy will pay dividends for Mattel yet.

What we do know is that Mattel has plans to integrate the #Hot Wheels iD line into the diecast aisle in the toy department as well, by virtue of the #2020 Hot Wheels mainline — even possibly other lines like the #Character Cars. I can already hear the grumblings, “why did Hot Wheels try selling us iD cars for $7 when they could sell them for $1”? The answer: They probably can’t. However, getting the iD name out there is so important to Mattel and the Hot Wheels team behind it, they are probably willing to lessen the margins — or even operate at a loss — to get the iD cars into the mainline.

With the 2020 “A” case now in the hands of collectors through distributors that got them first, the “#Chase buzz” will certainly rise and you can expect these iD cars won’t hang long — limited quantity or not.

Hot Wheels Night Shifter from the 2020 HW Race Day series and the Hot Wheels iD Chase (package view)

Hot Wheels Night Shifter from the 2020 HW Race Day series and the Hot Wheels iD Chase (in package, base view)

WHAT TO LOOK FOR

As you can see above, the #Hot Wheels iD mainline vehicles will come on a standard blister card, oppose to the premium box. That blister card is all-white and features the “id” logo with orange accents. Pretty obvious, right? Also, since these are actual Hot Wheels iD vehicles that can be played with and collected in the iD app, they feature a Near-Field Communication (NFC) device in the base.

Word got out about #Hot Wheels iD in the mainline a little early, just like most mainline information these days. What wasn’t conveyed was that there would be a “regular”/common version of the vehicles as well. Take for instance the first car in the series of 8: the #Night Shifter.

Hot Wheels Night Shifter from the 2020 HW Race Day series and the Hot Wheels iD Chase

The #Night Shifter is #1 of 8 in the #Hot Wheels iD mainline series, and there is an assumption that it will appear in both #2020 Hot Wheels “A” and “B” case assortments, with the next car in the series — the #’70 Ford Escort RS1600 — being the next iD chase car in mixes “C” and “D”. That may stray a little ways from how Super Treasure Hunts ($TH) are released, but these chase cars do have some similarities with their chase counterparts. First, there is a common variant in the mainline. It is your basic Hot Wheels release, just like $THs have a common variant as well. The common variant of the Night Shifter appears in the HW Race Day 10-Car mini collection.

The #Hot Wheels iD #Chase cars have been elevated to feature the same #Spectraflame Paint that $THs have  — also the same paint that the cars in the regular Hot Wheels iD line feature. In the pictures above and below there is no mistaking the difference in the paint between the two. In addition to that, the iD chase car also has an additional graphic on it: the Hot Wheels iD logo. What these iD chase cars won’t have are the #iD5 Wheels that are exclusive to the iD line, nor #Real Riders like $THs.

Hot Wheels Night Shifter from the 2020 HW Race Day series and the Hot Wheels iD Chase (head-to-head view)

MY COLLECTION

I was fortunate to have gotten both of the #Night Shifters from an online distributor — albeit I had to pay the asking price. It was a price that I probably wouldn’t have paid if it wasn’t a casting that I collected and if I wasn’t able to share it with you. But here we are, and I am happy to do so. Let me know if you have any questions in the comments below and hopefully, I can answer them for you. If not, I will reach out to Mattel.

As a bonus, I put together a mini #Collection Update for you to see all the #Night Shifters that have been released thus far. There is one due out in the #Hot Wheels iD line before the end of the year so when that one comes out, I will do a full article on this casting. For now, I leave you with the Night Shifter casting family photo.

Hot Wheels Night Shifter CASTING COLLECTION Family Photo (September 2019)