Hey there, little green guy….
The Hot Wheels Elite 64 #Land Rover Defender 90 Pickup has arrived and I could not be more impressed. Despite still being in the Mattel Creations shop 2 weeks after it went on sale, this brand-new casting serves as a stark reminder that not all collectors want something new — nor do detailed castings matter to them. I am not here to tell people how to collect, however. Its just that it seems like the same unfortunate thing that doomed the #100% Hot Wheels line years ago and may very well spell the end of #Elite 64 in the near future.
Yes, the line has rolled out at a glacial pace — killing a lot of the buzz surrounding the initial announcement. Only 5 vehicles have been released in a little less than a year. Also, collectors have scoffed at the price point which comes out to nearly $30 after tax & shipping. Amidst all that, I feel like many are overlooking a true gem here.
We live in an era where the bulk of Hot Wheels collectors have no problem throwing $30+ at the newest Super Treasure Hunt — I saw it at the convention earlier this month first-hand. Nor do they have a problem paying double that for a Fast & Furious mashup Team Transport with a car that didn’t even appear in any of the 10 movies and a recolored transport which also didn’t appear in a movie. Instead, give us a highly-detailed, brand-new casting that is definitely top-tier, and we have the cajones to bring up price. I get that MSRP, quantity, and competition in the adult diecast market play a roll here, but where is the hype surrounding the #Land Rover Defender 90 Pickup?
Look at all the detail on this one! If you can’t see what separates this one, allow for me to point it out.
First things, first. The casting was designed by former Hot Wheels Designer, Dmitriy Shakhmatov. Dima also designed the basics/premium counterpart, the Land Rover Defender 90. The hardtop 90 was actually his casting of choice at the dinner honoring him two years ago at the convention in LA. I have brought that one out to use for the comparison here. This is a model that sells for $70+ all-day on eBay. Sure, it is a more limited convention model, but — even at this ultra-premium level — it is inferior in many ways to the new #Land Rover Defender 90 Pickup.
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From a head-to-head comparison, the side profiles fit within each other. Hot Wheels #Elite 64 models should be adhering to 1:64 scale so I’m surprised how close the Land Rover Defender 90 (hardtop) really was. It was a casting that started off in basics, and moved to premium later on — unlike the Elite 64 pickup which will never appear in basics or premium. If I had to guess, Dima most likely started with the files from the basics version before he went all-out on this Elite 64 casting.
The front comparison is what truly separates these two castings. There is no obvious rivet post crashing through the vehicle’s interior. The side mirrors are separate pieces that extend out, and away from the diecast body. The skid plate is more tastefully done. Oh, and look at that front grille… so much detail! And, the headlights aren’t tampo’d on. These are separate pieces that allow you the see the little bit of depth that is there. There is a full-detailed, winch — man, this thing is cool!
Another collector recently asked, “which RLC releases of the last 2 to 3 years could be highly sought after in the future?” The production runs may negate any of them from ever reaching that level, but then again, I see the blue RLC Skyline R34 — which was produced in excess of 12,000 pieces — fetching more than $365 on eBay, and I realize that hype may play a larger factor in appealing to the masses. My answer to that collector is this particular release of the #Land Rover Defender 90 Pickup. Yes, I know I am taking some liberties here because it is #Elite 64, not RLC, but they are sold on the same site (different names) and I am going to go with it.
Please note that OTD is part of the eBay Partner Network (EPN). OTD will receive affiliate compensation from the EPN thanks to readers like you clicking on the above link and purchasing items. Think of it as a great way to support OTD!
This Hot Wheels #Elite 64 #Land Rover Defender 90 Pickup in mint green is an under-appreciated, undervalued piece right now. The way it’s looking, I’m not sure we will ever see it released again. If it does grow a nice casting collection family from here, you’ll see a lot of collectors wondering why they skipped this one, and wishing they got in at the ground floor when these sat in the online shop for 2+ weeks. Sound familiar? It should to a few of you veteran RLC collectors out there.
Flat out: this #Defender rocks! It crushes it’s basics/premium counterpart but also fits in well with it. Contradictory — a tad — but that is the magic of #Elite 64 here.
Categories: Collection Reflection
ORANGE TRACK DIECAST 
Can’t say I’m a fan of this “journalism.” It feels like Mattel is paying you to guilt us into buying a piece that no one asked for because no one wants the stock that’s piling up in a warehouse…You gave us one paragraph in the article that actually pointed out the differences between this and the mainline casting, and your pictures certainly don’t tell the tale. If Elite 64 goes the route of the 100% line, it won’t be because of the collectors. It will be because of ignorance from Mattel of what collectors want made worse by the sloppy writing exhibited in this article.
Hi Klaus. Thanks for responding! Let me make this clear: I was not compensated in any way, nor was I approached, to speak about this vehicle. What you’re seeing is my collector enthusiasm boiling over. Honestly, it’s more confusion than anything. I’m sorry if you feel like their is a lack of evidence to back up my claim and I can definitely do better. Most of the time, its lack of time in my personal life to do so. Thanks for reminding me that other passionate collectors do value the words that I write. The goal of this article was to solicit a debate around this casting and the Elite 64 line — whether I am right, or wrong. Hopefully you can now see this as a chance to engage rather than “sloppy writing”. I look forward to you commenting in the future. Cheers, and happy collecting!
Yes, I agree what really throws me off. As this plastic wheel look. It’s horrible!. If you’re going to copy a vehicle, you’d make it look as real as possible.
That seems to be forgotten. Unless you pay a hundred dollars for a car because you can’t get it through r l c half the time because their website doesn’t work.
Not sure what you are seeing… the wheels on the Elite 64 Defender are Real Riders. Technically, yes, they are plastic — all Real Riders are a synthetic rubber — but I don’t believe that is what you meant by your plastic comment.
As for the RLC website, yes, there have been issues from time to time, but since they switched to the Shopify platform and ramped up the numbers, there shouldn’t be problems getting most items. They all last several minutes — some have even lasted days — and this Land Rover is STILL available.
I can’t wait to get the mint green Defender 90 to put it next to the Mini GT Christmas version! But as cool as this Elite64 is, the yellow-white deco on the convention model (and its LOUD yellow rims) is my favorite Defender of all time across any brand. I’m not a Land Rover/utility vehicle guy, but I just inexplicably LOVE that thing.
I was surprised that this is currently still available in Mattel Creation’s website and on sale too for 12 bucks! You’re spot on when you pointed out the details. And that is exactly why I was drawn to it. I immediately purchased this along with the Freightliner Cascadia.
Hey Matt! Congrats on the $12 score. Its a great deal… so much so that I actually bought another today. I don’t really collect carded pieces anymore but figured it was a great deal so why not. That Freightliner is going to be awesome. I can’t wait to get mine and display all of the Elite 64 cars on it.
Congrats Brad for snagging the Freightliner! Surprised that it sold out in less than an hour! Can’t wait to display that carrying Audi RS Avants! I’m a wagon man! And I couldn’t pass up on the $12 deal on the Defender – It was a no brainer decision. I’m going to display it next to the Terra Trek Datsun and Hummer H1. I’m new to this 1:64 diecast journey – still learning the ropes. Used to collect 1:18 diecast.