Modern muscle cars are among the most underutilized car segments in the diecast world. While we often see these castings come out, they’re usually short lived or quickly relegated to multipack duty with unrealistic decos. Sadly, that was also the case with this Camaro – it received just a few clean, stock-looking releases before being relegated to odd colors with flame graphics. Yet, this second release of the ZL1 in dark blue is one of my favorite muscle car models of all time.
Starting with the obvious, this model is exquisitely detailed. It features a white stripe running over the top of the vehicle that contrasts nicely with the blue paint, Camaro badges on the fenders, marker lights on the front and rear bumpers, and ZL1 badging on each side of that massive hood bulge.
This particular version also features headlights and a Chevy badge on the grill, which just makes the front end of this car pop. All the versions of this blue model I have seen online do not feature these headlight details, so I’m assuming they must have been removed at some point during the production run. Perhaps the single piece of detailing on this model I don’t like is the Hot Wheel logo included in the stripe right in front of the spoiler. Much like the logo on the rear bumper of the recent Matchbox BMW M4 Cabriolet, I find this to be an unnecessary bit of branding that detracts from the realism of the model.
My appreciation of this model goes beyond the high level of detailing, as the casting itself is very well done. I’ve always admired the color breaks on the front end of this Camaro, as Hot Wheels was able to use the interior section and the base section to form the upper and lower grills, which gives it a color break even when the front end has no tampo detailing. The hood bulge is perfectly done, appearing appropriately large without being cartoonish, and the hood stripe runs around the heat extractor vents which draws the eye to them. The ZL1 badges on the sides of the hood bulge add to the sense of scale. If you peer through the window and out the hood, you can see the shape of the hood as you look out over the wonderfully retro gauge cluster.
One of the design features the Camaro is most famous for is its low roofline and high beltline, which leads it to have incredibly small windows but a very aggressive appearance. Looking down the side of this casting, it’s clear how the designers worked to match the 1:1 car’s demeanor. The vents just in front of the rear wheel are very well defined and bulge out just as they should.
The rear of this model is also pretty well designed, despite its lack of tampo printing. The Camaro’s trademark square taillights are clearly visible, as are the Chevy badge and rear license plate. The base even features the Camaro’s quad exhausts and a subtle mesh pattern on the rear diffuser.
Staggered wheel setups are always the bane of Hot Wheels muscle cars, but I find them minimally offensive here. They don’t detract from the overall look of the casting too much, and these wheels do a reasonable job of mimicking the five spokes that come standard on the 5th Gen Camaro.
Overall, this Camaro is a truly excellent example of a Hot Wheels modern muscle car. It’s surprising that the modern muscle car segment doesn’t get more love and attention in the diecast world, though perhaps that could change with more models like this.
diecastleno.com 
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