Imagine walking into a Target one Saturday morning and finding a mini dump bin at the bottom of an end cap full of the latest Hot Wheels #Red Editions. That was my luck this past weekend as I scored what I am going to assume will be the hottest Red Editions of the year with a lineup that consists of the #LBWK Super Silhouette Nissan Silvia (S15), #Tesla Model Y, and the #Ford Escort RS2000 — with the latter two being #2023 New Models.

Yes, it was only a few days after John at the Lamley Group previewed these models — that came from Mattel — via his YouTube channel, so I could not believe my eyes. It wasn’t dumb luck however as I had seen someone find the #Target Exclusive models at a Target in Colorado which (for those that don’t know) is geographically close to my home state of Arizona, so I knew to check stores over the next few days to have a shot. Its a veteran Hot Wheels collectors move, and it paid off. Enough of my Hot Wheels hunting accolades … I clearly have some work to do in the Hot Wheels premium and Super Treasure Hunt department so I digress…

The stars of this first mix of #2023 Hot Wheels Red Editions are the three models: all licensed, and all in a great color that suits the casting well. Since these are being released in the #Target Exclusive Hot Wheels “C” case assortments in basics, each casting has had 1 prior release already. Below I’ve given you a look at both the #Red Edition and their initial colorway from a previous 2023 Hot Wheels assortment.

QUICK LINK! Find the 2023 Hot Wheels RED EDITIONS on eBay.

Tesla Model Y

In similar fashion to the Hot Wheels Tesla Model 3 — which debuted in 2019 — the brand-new #Tesla Model Y has been released thus far in two colors offered by Tesla. White is the most common color for any Tesla since its the base color that comes with no additional cost so it makes sense that the 3, and now the Y, were released in white for their initial #First Edition release. To follow up the white colorway which first appeared in the 2023 “B” case, this #Red Edition is now appearing (in a slightly darker red than what Tesla offers) as part of the #Target Exclusive Red Edition “C” cases.

The Hot Wheels #Tesla Model Y casting is based on the performance model offered by Tesla as evidenced by the thin red line under on “dual motor” badging on the trunk, the shape of the casting’s rear spoiler, and the black #10-Spoke Wheels meant to represent Tesla’s 21″ Überturbine Wheels. Its arguably the cleanest Hot Wheels #Tesla to date and was designed by former Hot Wheels designer, Lindsey Lee.

QUICK LINK! Find other Hot Wheels Teslas on eBay.

LBWK Super Silhouette Nissan Silvia (S15)

One of the top #2022 New Models returns for 2023 in stellar fashion. The #LBWK Super Silhouette Nissan Silvia (S15) was designed by the late Ryu Asada and is another testament as to how great of a Hot Wheels designer he truly was. There isn’t a bad angle on the car as the casting comes together with a great deal of precision — even with the Hot Wheels basic standard of 4 pieces (body, chassis, windows, interior). While the #First Edition of this casting may be hard to beat — with its replica graphics — the 2023 renditions with their vintage Datsun racing inspired graphics are so nice that I am having a hard time not picking up multiples.

Since the casting replicates the real #Liberty Walk flagship car, you probably won’t see a graphics scheme on this one without mention of LBWK. That’s okay, though; so long as they keep rolling out of the Hot Wheels factory like these. The black with gold graphics colorway was first released as part of the 2023 “A” case assortment as evidenced by my preview of the Amazon black box. The black & gold combo is as sleek and as elegant as it gets. The #Red Edition release in red with white graphics screams #Target Exclusive with this color scheme. We also know that a gold variant is on its way as well.

This mix of #Red Editions is clearly headlined by the #LBWK Super Silhouette Nissan Silvia (S15) as it is expected to command the highest dollar amount on the resale market when it is all said and done. In addition to that, it also fits in well with previous LBWK red (and black) vehicles.

QUICK LINK! Find other Hot Wheels Liberty Walk vehicles on eBay.

Ford Escort RS2000

I feel cheated. How did Europe get such a badass Escort lineage while North America got an Escort that looked more like its predecessor: the Ford Pinto? Either way, it has taken me some time to warm up to the #Escort name. I remember watching Fast & Furious 6 (2013) wonder how that RS1600 was an Escort. Two years later (2015), we got the Hot Wheels version of that car. And now, thanks to Hot Wheels releases of the RS1600, RS1800, and now the RS2000, my appreciation (and knowledge) for the European Ford Escort runs deep. Thank you for the education, Hot Wheels team!

When the #2023 New Models #Ford Escort RS2000 first appeared as part of the 2023 “A” case, the car’s “icy tequila sunrise” design stood out to me because I had seen a similar color scheme/design on a ’79 Ford Capri 3.0 RS before, and the negative roundel without a number is very Hot Wheels. The “C” case #Red Edition turns up the heat a little with the icy blue being appropriately replaced by red, and that snow white body turning to a sinister black.

The Hot Wheels #Ford Escort RS2000 should sit in well with the existing RS1600 and RS1800 castings. It isn’t as classic looking as the #’70 Ford Escort RS1600, but Hot Wheels designer, Fraser Campbell sure put a modern twist on this one with the huge fender flares and ducktail spoiler — ultimately giving it an edgier look.

QUICK LINK! Find other Hot Wheels Ford Escorts on eBay.

It has been a hot minute since I last wrote a Hot Wheels #Red Edition article but given this 1st mix of 2023 (and my ability to find them in a timely manner) it was a must! Together, this mix represents what the #Target Exclusives Red Editions are all about: an infusion of red (with splashes of white and black) into current Hot Wheels releases. Doing so has to be done in a tasteful manner however, as some of the previous Red Editions have come out a little too “Valentine’s Day looking” if you know what I mean.

Also, since it has been so long since I’ve featured a #Red Edition, I’ll mention that these do have the “RED” tampo just like the 2021 and 2022 Red Edition releases. I think initially, adding the “RED5” logo in 2021 was to signify the 5th anniversary of this #Target Exclusive mainline subset, but now the “RED” logo is there for collectors to more easily identify the car with the series while loose.

As far as the placement of the “RED” logo on each vehicle, the #LBWK Super Silhouette Nissan Silvia (S15) has it in white just before the rear fender (and the bottom). The #Tesla Model Y has it where the rear license plate would be, and the #Ford Escort RS2000 has it at the bottom of the negative roundel on the sides.

Be sure to check your local Target store for these exclusives. With this mix, you can bet they won’t last long. If you can’t find, you can always try eBay: search “2023 Hot Wheels Red Edition” now!