5/7/2024 — The Hot Wheels Transformers — more specifically, Autobots — have started to roll out! A little over a year ago, the unthinkable happened: toy conglomerates, Mattel & Hasbro joined forces. There will be a variety of licensing shared between the brands, but the biggest impact to Hot Wheels collectors will be Transformers infiltrating the Hot Wheels lines. Transformers cartoon & movies have always featured cool cars personified as robots. Collectors of both Hot Wheels and Transformers will now be able to buy these vehicles under the famed Hot Wheels brand. Several questions remain: When will they be available? … and …Will they transform?

The first vehicle to be released is Bumblebee. He will appear in the Hot Wheels mainline — the $1(ish) cars — as part of the HW Screen Time mini collection. Bumblebee was famously a Volkswagen Beetle in the 1980’s Tranformers cartoon long before he was changed into a Chevy Camaro (due to the licensing agreement with GM) for the first live-action Transformers (2007) movie. While the Camaro version of Bumblebee is sure to come, it’s cartoon Bumblebee that gets the nod here to launch this new partnership between two iconic toy brands. He will first start to appear in the 2024 Hot Wheels “K” case assortments. Those have already started to be distributed in Malaysia — case unboxing below by Ministry of Diecast on YouTube — and will hit retail stores in the United States this summer.

Due to Bumblebee being released in the Hot Wheels mainline, there will obviously be limitations. He will not transform because Hot Wheels basics cars are only comprised of 4 pieces (body, base, windows, interior) outside of the wheels — and no longer feature opening parts. The base of this one however, will feature Bumblebee’s face molded into the plastic.

The first image of a Hot Wheels Optimus Prime came in the form of the vendor packaging illustration you see below. The leader of the Autobots will debut as the cartoon version as well, complete with his trailer. This Hot Wheels casting would not possible in the mainline so Optimus will appear in the newly revamped Trackin’ Trucks line which is now called Track Fleet.

This Track Fleet release of Optimus Prime has already “pre-sold out” on Entertainment Earth, but is still available for pre-order via 1 Stop Diecast. Hot Wheels Track Fleet vehicles are an extension of Hot Wheels basics so don’t expect this one to transform as well. The release, however, will feature a removable trailer and work on Hot Wheels’ famed orange track.

Lastly, the third Hot Wheels x Transformers release we know about is the high-end, Hot Wheels Optimus Prime which will be released via Mattel Creations. No images have been seen yet, as only this calendar post on the site was seen — and subsequently removed. The “$$$” does indicate that this release will cost collectors three-digits so expect the possibility for this one to be north of $100 and feature some sort of transforming capability.

The Mattel Creations Optimus Prime is still expected to drop in 2 weeks, and an article confirming it’s release should be posted to the site on May 17th. To keep up to date on all future online drops, make sure you bookmark the OTD Upcoming Sales page.

UPDATED 5/14/2024 — The official shop listing for the Mattel Creations: Hot Wheels Optimus Prime is now live. We now know that we are getting a gen-1 Optimus in 1:64 scale that will fully transform! The piece count on this piece will most likely exceed any piece that Hot Wheels has done at this scale. Optimus will have attachable hands and an ion blaster. He will also receive brand-new, Hot Wheels Real Riders wheels and the Hot Wheels famed, Spectraflame paint. The listing also mentions that the packaging allows you to display Optimus as a vehicle or in Autobot form. The piece will sell for $80 next Wednesday, May 21, via MattelCreations/.com. Below are some of the images from the listing.