The end of the 2015 year at Hot Wheels has been full of surprises. Though most of those tend to be associated with the fact that the first couple waves of 2016 cars have been released and 2016 lines are starting to be uncovered, 2015 still has a lot to […]
Yesterday we looked at the world of the AcceleRacers and how they brought us some rather “imaginative” castings that eventually found their way into the Hot Wheels mainline. Today, we look at another casting released in that same Metal Maniacs series from within the AcceleRacers line. The AcceleRacers line […]
10 years ago, the AcceleRacers debuted much to the dismay of the Hot Wheels collecting community as it was a followup to the Highway 35 World Race of 2003 that featured a lineup of first edition unlicensed fantasy castings. Where the HWY 35 World Race succeeded in telling a […]
When I shifted my collecting focus from “cardboard completist” to “buy-what-you-like” & “casting collector” in 2012, I began tracking down wheel variations of the castings I had already collected. I still have a long way to go on the wheel variations of the Jaguar XJ220 (I know most of […]
The Monte Carlo Concept Car was designed by Hot Wheels designer Phil Riehlman and was based off of the Monte Carlo “Intimidator” show car. The show car itself, was built in 1997 by GM and featured a glimpse of the 6th generation Monte Carlo styling that was used […]
Anyone remember K•B Toys? Remember when they used to be in your local mall? The stores were always a tease as they carried a limited number of mainline Hot Wheels at the $1.29 price point which led to the stock rarely rolling over. Ultimately, this small-scale failure [pun not intended] […]
So the Lancia Stratos is back, eh? I couldn’t believe it either when I first saw the 2015 Hot Wheels mainline list at the beginning of the year. As for most castings that are not produced for 5 or more years, they often join the ranks of our […]
In the Hot Wheels world, a general rule-of-thumb is that if a casting doesn’t appear for 5 years, there is a good chance that casting is gone for good. The Lancia Stratos recently defied the odds by making a comeback after a 7-year hiatus. Read about its comeback >> HERE <<. […]
Hot Wheels castings often drive off into the sunset without warning. The Bad Mudder’s lone release (as a 1998 First Edition, shown below) came and went but it wasn’t until a couple years that the rumors started to swirl in regards to its demise. In the world of […]
In 2011, Hot Wheels started a line that was heavily licensed. No, it wasn’t the Nostalgic Brands line but rather the “Hot Wheels Characters” line. Its a line composed of licensed characters from several brands such as DC Comics, Sponge Bob & The Muppets. All the vehicles in this line were […]