As luck would have it, I found a car that has been on my want list for a very long time — the better part of a decade. This rare — yes, I said RARE — variant of the #Subaru Impreza casting could only be found as part of the Dune Racers 3-Pack, a 3-car set that came with a sand pail and a shovel — you know, for beach time fun of course.

Hot Wheels Subaru Impreza from the 2009 Dune Racers 3-Pack (side view)

The Dune Racers 3-Pack was a #2009 Hot Wheels release, and I can’t recall ever seeing these in the Hot Wheels aisle. I speculate that it was one of those weird Hot Wheels branded items that could only be found in the seasonal section of the store. Regardless, Hot Wheels collectors at the time weren’t buying these to play with at the beach, or for the 3-cars — which also includes exclusive decos on the Dodge Power Wagon and the Power Sander. So needless to say, I am venturing to guess that the majority of these were sold to parents destined for a small beach vacation, in need of some quiet time.

Hot Wheels Subaru Impreza from the 2009 Dune Racers 3-Pack (head-to-head with the 2004 WRC release)

Hot Wheels that are exclusive to particular playsets can be some of the rarest Hot Wheels out there. They aren’t often sought out by collectors due to the steep price the playset adds to the cost of acquiring the vehicle. Add in the fact that this set wasn’t on shelves for an extended period of time, and sold to a non-collector base, and you have the recipe for rarity.

Hot Wheels Subaru Impreza from the 2009 Dune Racers 3-Pack (rear view)

10 years later, the cars from this set have tended to pop up for sale in a less frequent fashion. I know because I have been looking for this #Subaru Impreza for a long time. The value on the other two cars in the set (Dodge Power Wagon & Power Sander) isn’t there simply because they are castings that not many collect. The #Impreza however, has seen a meteoric rise in price as of late. Hot Wheels #Subaru castings have become more popular, plus, the word about this release is getting out. Sorry to those of you who are still looking for it.

Hot Wheels Subaru Impreza from the 2009 Dune Racers 3-Pack

With the recent #Subaru releases of the #Subaru Impreza WRX and the ’98 Subaru Impreza 22B STi-version, collectors will surely revisit the 2004 Impreza casting which was based on the World Rally Championship version of the car. What they will find is that there aren’t many releases of the #Subaru Impreza casting that come cheap these days; and that some — like this release — are going to be a pain to even find. If you’re one of those collectors, best of luck to you, and happy hunting!

Hot Wheels Subaru Impreza from the 2009 Dune Racers 3-Pack (with 3 generations of blue Imprezas)