2022 was not a banner year for Hot Wheels, though perhaps that’s just because 2021 was such a good year. Either way, we still got a number of excellent new models this year. These are my top five!
Number 5: Lucid Air
In his recent feature on the Lamley blog, Graham Heeps mentioned how nobody seems to be talking about the Lucid Air. Alright, I’ll bite. I’m shocked that this model was produced, especially given how young and small of a company Lucid is. In that way, it reminds me of the Matchbox Fisker Karma – a casting of a relatively obscure car from a small company that may or may not be around by the end of the decade. It’d be a shame if Fisker’s fate befell Lucid though, as the Lucid Air is one of the most impressive EVs on the market right now.
I don’t review car companies though, I admire diecast cars, and this one is surprisingly well done. Granted, these wheels don’t look good on anything, but the car itself looks great. There’s not a lot of detail on the front end, but that’s the case for the 1:1 car too. The highlight of the Air is the single-piece windshield and sunroof that allows an excellent view of the interior and creates a very distinct front-end view. The silver paint is perfect for a debut model, and the new white recolor looks sharp too!
Number 4: Audi RS e-tron GT
As a big Audi fan, I’m glad to see another Audi performance car in the world of 1/64 (and a much cooler one than the e-tron Matchbox chose to make). Though the 1:1 e-tron GT shares a platform with the Porsche Taycan, I actually think Hot Wheels did a much better job on the Audi casting. It looks sleeker, lower, and sportier. The Hot Wheels team must agree, since we’ve already seen a red recolor of the e-tron GT, but there has been no such follow-up on the Taycan.
Unlike the Lucid Air, the wheels on this Audi fit the car perfectly. The only part of this casting I consider slightly off is the roofline, which seems to slant a little too aggressively a little too early, making the rear windows look squished.
I love the tail lights on this model – they’re trademark Audi, and that red slash on the RS logo screams sporty. I just hope we get a version with flat gray paint in the future!
Number 3: McLaren F1
This casting was a long time coming, and frankly I’m surprised it took so long for Hot Wheels to make it. I chose to feature the orange version here because I believe this color should have been the debut. I can’t help but picture orange when I think of the F1 (or just about any McLaren for that matter). This factory fresh F1 is far superior to the old F1 GTR casting, so it’s no wonder collectors are gobbling it up.
There’s a ton of detail in this casting – just look at those side strakes. There’s a depth to them that we don’t often see in 1/64. I’m thankful that we’ve managed to get four clean decos for this model in the first year, and I’ll happily welcome more!
Number 2: Porsche 911 GT3
This casting seems to be abnormally polarizing for a Porsche 911, but I love it. I had my doubts when I first saw pictures, but it looks and feels great in hand. I wrote a full feature on it, which you can view here. Suffice it to say, I’m a big fan.
That hung wing is endlessly cool. There’s certainly better models of the GT3 from companies like MiniGT and Minichamps, but at $1 this Hot Wheels is a stunner.
Number 1: Lotus Emira
Oh bother, my top two cars are an identical color, and I’m afraid my blue bias is showing again. Paint color aside, I knew the Lotus Emira was a model of the year contender from the moment it was announced. I view this model as the spiritual successor to my favorite diecast car of all time: the Matchbox Lotus Evora. Note: there’s a reason I put “my” in the title…I’m anything but impartial.
This casting certainly is not perfect. It’s a bit too small, and the wheels just do not fit the car, but the bodylines are absolutely gorgeous and I love the integration of the black roof.
My favorite angle is the rear ¾, where the side of the car has an hourglass shape that makes it appear lightweight and sporty. The tail lights look great and are unusually crisp for a Hot Wheels, and I love the air vents below the rear lights. The Emira’s integrated ducktail spoiler adds a nice flair as well. Expect a full feature on this model in the near future.
If you haven’t already, check out my list of the Top 5 Matchbox of 2022, and keep an eye out for my Top 5 Hot Wheels Premium models in the coming days.
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