It’s no secret that the Hot Wheels mainline has been highly budget constrained for a number of years. Castings have slowly begun to include more plastic and less metal, fewer tampo passes, and reduced quality control. Since being a “$1 toy” is such a big part of the Hot Wheels brand, it’s understandably difficult for Mattel to issue a big price increase on their most impulse-purchase friendly toys. They seem to have found the perfect solution in the release of a new line of semi-premium toy cars, easily identified by the silver Hot Wheels logo on the packaging.
Much to my dismay, most of the new silver logo models are Walmart exclusives, which means they effectively don’t exist in today’s collector climate. Luckily, this six car boxed set is available directly from hobby dealers, so it’s far easier to acquire. As soon as I saw the listing pop up, I knew I had to get one in hand. I’m glad I did, because as soon as I opened the box it became clear that the silver logo premium line was about to be my new favorite Hot Wheels line.
![](https://diecastleno.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/hot-wheels-subaru-brz-pandem-pink-1.jpg?w=1024)
The star of the show is the pink Pandem Subaru BRZ. As a premium casting, we’ve seen very few uses of this casting – only two unique decos to date – but this new line allows premium castings to be used outside of the Car Culture series. This BRZ looks great in pink, with full detailing front and rear, as well as Pandem graphics on the sides.
![](https://diecastleno.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/hot-wheels-subaru-brz-pandem-pink-2.jpg?w=1024)
The spoiler seems to be made of a less flexible plastic than the premium versions, as it appears to have none of the curving problems that plagued this casting’s early versions. These five spoke wheels are new for the silver logo line, and they’re easily my favorite of the new wheel designs. They’re clearly inspired by the Fifteen52 Tarmacs, which just work so incredibly well on a Subaru. Perhaps we could see them make an appearance in a future rally set too?
![](https://diecastleno.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/hot-wheels-toyota-supra-mk5-yellow-1.jpg?w=1024)
Like the BRZ, Hot Wheels’ Mk5 Supra is another casting that feels very underutilized. It made its debut in the Fast & Furious line and was then released as a Team Transport model that was impossible to find. For the last three years, I’ve been waiting for a clean deco version of this lovely casting, and it finally arrived! While this yellow version is still adorned with some unnecessary graphics, the design is simple enough to show off the casting quite nicely! Detailing is excellent, though some dot-matrix printing artifacts are here just like many premium models.
![](https://diecastleno.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/hot-wheels-toyota-supra-mk5-yellow-2.jpg?w=1024)
The back end of this Supra is easily my favorite part. Between its distinctive brake lights, iconic Supra script badge, and GR logo, it looks like a perfect Hot Wheels model.
Unfortunately, these wheels don’t work for me, though I’m struggling to identify why. They don’t look particularly realistic on any of the cars I’ve seen them on so far, and the design reminds me of Tomica’s wheels. I hope they don’t get used too often in this new line, as I think they’re the weakest of the new wheel offerings.
![](https://diecastleno.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/hot-wheels-acura-integra-4-door-black-1.jpg?w=1024)
The Acura Integra GSR had a pretty hideous deco for its debut release in the Fast & Furious line, so it’s nice to see it quickly reissued in a slightly more understated form. While the yellow graphics are still a bit much for me, this simpler design really shows off how good this casting is. It sits low and on small wheels that look perfectly at home on a slammed Acura. Unlike when Matchbox makes a car with small wheels, this Integra rolls perfectly!
![](https://diecastleno.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/hot-wheels-acura-integra-4-door-black-2.jpg?w=1024)
The headlights and brake lights are both detailed, as well as the Acura logo beneath the boy-racer spoiler. The gray base means this Integra gets an exhaust that truly stands out, a relative rarity among Hot Wheels models but one of my favorite design elements in the castings that get them.
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The Mitsubishi 3000GT VR-4 is a casting that seems to get a clean deco every time it’s released, with only a couple of added black stripes for this release. Interestingly, the front and rear detailing both have the dot-matrix look of traditional premiums, whereas the black stripes look tampo printed. These wheels are also new for this series, and they look great! I’ve always been a fan of the white-on-white look for Japanese sports cars.
![](https://diecastleno.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/hot-wheels-mitsubishi-pandem-fx-rx-7-red-1.jpg?w=1024)
Two Pandem models in one set! This Mitsubishi FC RX-7 looks fantastic with its wide body kit and small wheels. I particularly like the Pandem banner on the windshield. Like the other models in this set, it gets full front and rear detailing, though this RX-7 is mercifully absent of extra side graphics, save for a couple of Pandem stickers.
![](https://diecastleno.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/hot-wheels-mitsubishi-pandem-fx-rx-7-red-2.jpg?w=1024)
I love all the detail in these rear lights, as well as the visible roll cage through the back window. Too bad Hot Wheels didn’t make the base gray to really make those exhaust tips pop!
![](https://diecastleno.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/hot-wheels-nissan-z-blue-premium-1.jpg?w=1024)
I saved the Nissan Z for last because I think it provides the best example of the potential of this new silver logo series. Because we have a mainline version of the Nissan Z in the same blue, it provides the perfect point of comparison. This new one is based on the premium casting so it gets the metal base, which makes it feel noticeably weightier. Compared to the mainline, this blue contains lots of metal flake, which really helps show off the sleek bodylines of the new Z. This new version gets the upgraded wheels with visible brake rotors, and it has absolutely perfect wheel fitment.
![](https://diecastleno.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/hot-wheels-nissan-z-blue-premium-mainline.jpg?w=1024)
The semi-premium model gets the silver accent along the roof and the Z logo on the quarter panel from the premium version. It also gets the FairladyZ logo on the trunk, which makes a huge difference to the look of the back end of the car. This is easily my new favorite version of this casting, surpassing even the premium Z from Car Culture.
![](https://diecastleno.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/hot-wheels-nissan-z-blue-premium-2.jpg?w=1024)
That’s ultimately the theme of this new silver logo semi-premium series – almost every model I’ve looked at has been better than the premium model on which it’s based, even though it costs half as much! That isn’t exclusive to this six pack either, as I think the black 944 from the Walmart-exclusive Porsche series is better than the premium version from the Canyon Warriors set. Unlike the Car Culture series, which gets relatively few releases every year, I hope to see many more recolors and releases in this new line. There are so many premium castings that I’d love to see new colors of (the Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk, E39 M5, RWB Porsche, and Aston Martin DBS to name a few). With any luck, this new series gives Hot Wheels the chance to get more use out of their numerous great premium castings while also allowing mainline castings like the McLaren Senna or Scion FR-S to get the detailing they need so they can be truly great models.
The series desperately needs a better name, though. “Silver logo semi-premium” is one heck of a mouthful…
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