Welcome to the #Power Ratings for the 7th mix of #Car Culture for 2023: Exotic Envy. This is the third #Car Culture / Exotic Envy series in as many years. Despite the 2024 gold-level premium branding, this is actually the second-to-last mix for 2023.

Before we go any further, a big THANK YOU to our sponsor of this segment, 1 Stop Diecast! Make sure you pre-order your Car Culture case via 1StopDiecast.com. While finding in the store is nice, I can’t stress enough how simple it is to order by the case. It gives you the best shot at getting a chase. I have went 3 for 6 in getting the chase pieces in my 1 Stop Diecast cases this year so batting .500 is not bad! If you do miss out on the chase, you have a set to gift/trade to a friend.

I would like to thank my fellow collectors who participated in helping me rank these. These #Power Ratings give you a glimpse as to what you can expect the demand to be at retail when these appear and this exercise has definitely proved itself this year. I gave each person a chance to speak to the car they felt the most strongly towards — positive or negative — and you’ll see below that the interest in certain models justifies their Power Ratings.

Without further ado, let’s take a look at what should be arriving at stores very soon. Here is a rundown of how we form the ratings…

POWER RATINGS are comprised of an average of 3 scores: Casting Choice, Deco/Livery, and Cool Factor. Below is what is factored into each rating:

• Casting Choice: Rating is based on how well does the casting fit within the series. Is the casting a good choice for today’s Car Culture?
• Deco/Livery: Looks are everything! Rating is based on the color/deco/livery and how appropriate it is for this release.
• Cool Factor: The real X-factor here. Does the car resonate with collectors? Will it be sought after?

POWER RATING: 8.3

Casting Choice = 9 • Deco/Livery = 7 • Cool Factor = 9

’71 Porsche 911 (chase)

EXOTIC ENVY 0/5

Vintage Porsches are in! I fully expect to see more casting collections of the Hot Wheels #’71 Porsche 911 start popping up once the decos on this one start settling down. This casting is fabulous, and while a simple all-black version here would have been an instant hit, the deco/livery knocks it down a notch, just slightly missing the chance to be the runaway favorite to be the best release in Car Culture for 2023.

From Matthew, Matthew on Cars & Hot Wheels on YouTube: I like the fully blacked out Porsche, really clean.

From Chris, @cschaefer2012 on Instagram: My heart is with the Porsche but that Aston and Lambo🔥. They need to change up the colors on the chase the black thing is getting old.

POWER RATING: 7.0

Casting Choice = 5 • Deco/Livery = 9 • Cool Factor = 7

BMW M1 Procar

EXOTIC ENVY 3/5

Who loves iconic vintage liveries? It seems collectors do and this recreation of the iconic 1981 BASF #BMW M1 Procar will be a sure-fire hit. I think the casting is a bit of a sleeper, but with all the classic livery possibilities, the fandom surrounding the M1 Procar should pick up.

From Kristina Albrecht, Graphic Designer at Hot Wheels, @hotrodkristina on IG: This was one of the first mixes I designed the decos for last year. 😁 (the BMW is my fav, I love those in any livery to be honest)

From @baughtandbilt on Instagram: For those that know me, you will be shocked to hear that my favorite car of the set is NOT the Porsche. Instead, it’s the BMW M1 procar that ticks all the right boxes for me. For you younger folks, that is not a Target livery. That is the BASF cassette livery that screams 80’s. It’s replicated near perfection sans the actual BASF logos. It’s a great choice in car and deco but it does seem a bit odd being it’s a considered an exotic. Perhaps if we were to rewind to then, it was exotic. Fast forward to now, those terms are more apt to describe Pagani, Lamborghini and McLaren. Regardless, BASF didn’t make the BMW m1 procar. They made the BMW m1 procar better.

From Matthew, Matthew on Cars & Hot Wheels on YouTube: Classic BMW, colors are decent but it just isn’t my style.

From Derek, DoomusRLC on YouTube: The BMW M1 Procar casting has been a favorite since it debuted at the end of 2017. A beautiful example of this awesome race car, we finally get another solo release in 2024. This time decked out in another livery of one of the actual race cars (one driven by Hans-Georg Bürger), it gives the car a real unique feel among the other 4. Hands down my favorite release of the casting, and of this CC mix.

From @rockkicker.diecast on Instagram: The procar is the star, Porsche close second, then kinda meh.

From Jeff, @jghopwheels on Instagram: Not feeling the deco on the BMW or maybe it’s the wheels I really don’t like on the BMW. Are those Matchbox wheels? Hate those things. Haha

From Von Sail on YouTube: The Exotic Envy series tends to not be the most popular ones, often containing repeats of hypercars in plain deco. But the BMW M1 in the Sauber/BASF livery is the standout for me. A racing legend with an interesting F1 connection to boot. With it’s characteristic BASF design, it’s hard to miss.

POWER RATING: 7.0

Casting Choice = 8 • Deco/Livery = 6 • Cool Factor = 7

McLaren F1

EXOTIC ENVY 5/5

The #McLaren F1 is one of the rarest cars out there — a true #Exotic — with only 100 or so produced from 1992 to 2000. In terms of Hot Wheels, the #McLaren F1 GTR casting reigns supreme due to its release lineage, but the production F1 casting is heating up! The casting is getting an overhaul for RLC — with opening gull-wing doors — while the standard basic/premium castings keep rolling out in an array of colors. This reddish purple one is apparently based off a rare color of the 1:1 McLaren F1 which I can’t wait to find out more about.

From Matthew, Matthew on Cars & Hot Wheels on YouTube: F1 is a classic car and it looks pretty nice in the red.

POWER RATING: 5.7

Casting Choice = 9 • Deco/Livery = 3 • Cool Factor = 5

’71 Porsche 911

EXOTIC ENVY 1/5

Hot casting, questionable livery. If you read what I wrote about the chase piece above, you’ll know that busy graphics have persisted on this casting. That seems to be starting to change but this release isn’t the catalyst. That isn’t to say the German-inspired graphics are bad. This one simply suffers from the “double arches syndrome” where yellow paint combined with red wheels will have collectors thinking fast food rather than cool, vintage Porsche.

From E.J., @shoesnhotwheels on Instagram: Out of all of them, my favorite is the porsche 911. Hot Wheels has been on a tear lately with Porsches starting with the Ohio Nationals in 2023. What makes this one stand out to me is the color scheme. Something that will grab your eye when seen on the pegs!

From Matthew, Matthew on Cars & Hot Wheels on YouTube: Colors just aren’t the best and kind of weird.

POWER RATING: 3.0

Casting Choice = 2 • Deco/Livery = 4 • Cool Factor = 3

Lamborghini Reventón Roadster

EXOTIC ENVY 2/5

Is it just me, or does it seem like the convertible version of most Hot Wheels castings is deemed to be inferior? Had the selection been the #Lamborghini Reventón here, it would have increased desirability — especially with that clean, bright orange paint. Instead, we are looking at the #Lamborghini Reventón Roadster which tends to hang on the pegs a little longer for what I deem the “Hot Wheels Convertible Effect”.

From Matthew, Matthew on Cars & Hot Wheels on YouTube: The Reventón is a really nice car but just the color isn’t the best on it.

POWER RATING: 2.7

Casting Choice = 1 • Deco/Livery = 5 • Cool Factor = 2

Aston Martin V12 Speedster

EXOTIC ENVY 4/5

If you thought collectors passing up convertibles was bad, you should see the history with the window-less, speedster castings. Apparently some real car enthusiasts feel the trend needs to die. There is a notion among Hot Wheels collectors that the lack of windows and a diecast roof make a casting feel cheap. And, despite some really nice British racing green paint on this one, I fully expect to see this one to be the last on the pegs.

From Jeff, @jghopwheels on Instagram: I love Aston Martin’s, but I’m not into this one.

From Matthew, Matthew on Cars & Hot Wheels on YouTube: Pretty clean car, colors reminds me of the Jaguar F-Type.

There you have it! Our seventh #Power Ratings here on OTD for #2023 Hot Wheels #Car Culture. Judging by the number of comments on the #BMW M1 Procar, this should be the hottest car in the mix outside of the chase — don’t sleep on the #McLaren F1 though!

What do YOU think? Do you agree with these ratings? Let us know in the comments below!

If you’re keeping score at home, here is how the OTD Power Ratings presented by 1 Stop Diecast stack up thus far for 2023 Car Culture: