That’s a pretty salacious headline, so let me start off by expressing my love of this model. This new GR Corolla casting is excellent, with plenty of details and a plastic grille section that reminds me of Hot Wheels from a decade ago. It’s a little bit wide compared to other Hot Wheels hot hatches, but that feels appropriate for a car with such massively swollen wheel arches, and the stance is absolutely perfect.
I’ve made no secret of my love for hot hatches and my desire to see more of them in the world of 1/64, so this new GR Corolla was among my most anticipated castings of the year. When we saw the initial previews from the convention, I knew it would be a must-have model. I envisioned a beautiful dark red or gray version with black 10 spoke Real Riders to match Toyota’s press images. So imagine my disappointment when the GR Corolla was released in a Formula D livery.
I know that this deco is based on Ryan Tuerck’s actual FD car, but as someone who doesn’t follow FD and prefers my cars to look like they just rolled off the dealership showroom, I was crushed to not get an OEM version for the debut release.
It seems someone at Hot Wheels felt the same way, because the GR Corolla was selected as the chase model for the Slide Street 2 set. Unlike previous chase models, which featured a blacked out version of the same livery the standard car had, this chase features a completely clean, stock look. Which brings me back to that salacious headline…
While I love the stock look of this car, and I’m thrilled to have it in my collection, I worry that Hot Wheels will begin to use different decos to further differentiate the premium chase models from their standard counterparts. Up until now, the chase models served mostly as a recolor of a premium car, which meant I only had to chase them down when it was a car that I had a particular love of, like the C63 AMG. With this new GR Corolla, the chase has become the definitive version of the casting (at least until a recolor is issued), and therefore a must-have model. You could argue that desirability is the point of a chase, but I believe the chases already command enough attention and excitement without being the only way to get a clean deco version of a casting. Much like when Matchbox debuted the Porsche Macan casting as a Super Chase, Hot Wheels’ decision to make the best version of the casting so rare feels like a slight against their most loyal collectors.
Luckily, there’s a simple solution for Hot Wheels to make amends: issue another clean deco version of this fantastic casting, ideally in a factory color. We know they can release a casting in rapid succession – the upcoming Lancia Stratos Zero is receiving 3 releases in its first year – so why not give us a Boulevard or 2 pack version of this GR Corolla?
I believe this GR Corolla is also the first time a premium chase has received different wheels than the standard car, which is rather odd because the 10 spokes that were used on the FD car look far more similar to the GR Corolla’s factory wheels than these TE37-style wheels. The wheel fitment is great though, and I just can’t get over the details on this casting, especially that huge rear wheel arch!
The details continue on the front of the GR Corolla, with a plastic grille section that really stands out from the painted hood and bumper. Because it’s plastic, it has much more detail than it would have if it had been diecast, and it even has printed fog lights! The hood vents identify this GR Corolla as a Circuit Edition, though sadly there is no carbon fiber roof to be found here.
The rear of the GR Corolla is dominated by its distinctive triple exhaust tips, which look nice and crisp on this casting. I’m glad to see printed brake lights and badges, though I would have liked to see a rear license plate added.
When it comes to the model itself, it’s hard to find fault with this black GR Corolla…I just wish more people would be able to have one in their collection. The artificial scarcity robs some of the joy that these cheap, fun little cars are supposed to provide, so I hope Hot Wheels reverts to their previous strategy for premium chase models, where the chase is just a black recolor of the standard, readily available model and deco. That way, more people can experience the joy of having a toy version of a car they love. After all, isn’t that the point of all this?
diecastleno.com 
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