Hot Wheels of the Day

’18 Toyota 4Runner

Hot Wheels Boulevard #36

RELEASE YEAR: 2021 • CASTING DESIGNER: Mark Jones

As one of the most popular vehicles of today, the Hot Wheels #’18 Toyota 4Runner hit the pegs in 2021 as #36 in the current #Hot Wheels Boulevard line. The line itself is a quasi-homage to real versions of real cars and this release is one of several from the line that have 1:1 counterparts in the parking lot of Mattel’s Design Center.

This 1:1 Toyota 4Runner TRD Pro belongs to Hot Wheels Marketing Director, Jimmy Liu. If you’ve heard the name before, Jimmy is often credited with the success of Hot Wheels Premium during his tenure at Mattel and now oversees the marketing of Mattel’s wheels division which includes Hot Wheels and Matchbox. Jimmy was recently honored last April in Columbus, Ohio as the dinner guest at this year’s Collectors Nationals. He bought this “unicorn” 4Runner back in January 2018 and you just knew a Hot Wheels version would follow.

And that it did! The #First Edition of the Hot Wheels #’18 Toyota 4Runner debuted in the #2021 Hot Wheels #Boulevard line as #36 in the ongoing line. The casting itself is a premium tooling with a diecast body and diecast chassis, and is certainly much heavier than your standard basics/mainline vehicle. Former Hot Wheels Designer, Mark Jones was credited with the design of this behemoth — which I can only assume was under Jimmy’s supervision. And while the packaging doesn’t call it out at the TRD Pro trim level, this one clearly is with the “TRD Pro” tampo on the vehicle’s C-pillars.

I remember eagerly awaiting the release of this one and thinking it wouldn’t be hard to find (based on demand) since it is based on a stock 4Runner — albeit a unicorn-of-sorts when it comes to the trim level. As the world learned however, the COVID pandemic exposed world wide shortages via the supply chain and the #Walmart Exclusive Hot Wheels #Boulevard line was exposed here in the United States. Mix 4 of 2021 Boulevard was produced at the end of August in 2021 — thanks base codes — at Mattel Bankok (MBK) in Thailand. The production of the mix was clearly affected as the majority of this wave was found outside of the United States. The 5 vehicles in this mix can now be found on the secondary market at a premium due to their scarcity — with the #’18 Toyota 4Runner being the most sought after.

Color (material): White (metal)
Chassis (material): Matte Black (metal)
Windows: Smoke Tinted
Interior: Black
Deco: Headlights, Taillights, and Toyota / TRD Pro badging
Wheels: Black Real Riders 6-Spoke Mag Wheels
Country of Manufacture: Thailand
Toy# (SKU): GRM08

ESTIMATED MARKET VALUE (In Original Packaging, August 2023)

$42.59 —

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Despite the value of the #2021 Hot Wheels #Boulevard #36 #’18 Toyota 4Runner ballooning up to the $40-range in 2022, the prices on the secondary market seem to have leveled off. This could be in part to the abundance of supply from Japan and Australia reaching the US market, helping cool down domestic buyers. The truck remains an outstanding #First Edition release and could wind up being the only TRD Pro version we see of it.

In 2022, the sophomore release of the Hot Wheels #’18 Toyota 4Runner made its way to the #Boulevard once again — this time as #58 in the line. Gone is the TRD Pro trim level as this 2nd release of the casting celebrates the 4Runner’s 40th anniversary as the Toyota 4Runner 40th Anniversary Special Edition trim level, complete with special edition striping. Value of the #First Edition Hot Wheels 4Runner was definitely projected onto the sophomore release, but demand has lessened as 2022 Boulevard was produced in seemingly greater numbers.