I Thought I Was Done With The 500E. Then Came The Metallic Green Version.

The Hot Wheels Mercedes 500E was made to be an instant classic.  Easily one of the best mainlines of the year back in 2021, this German heavyweight helped usher in the classic Euro trend that’s currently proliferating throughout the diecast world.  

The debut version featured black paint with silver 5-spokes, which is exactly how I picture a 500E in my head.  None of the subsequent mainline recolors ever seemed as cool as that original black release. 

Last year, Hot Wheels decided to up the ante with a premium release in a wonderfully-90’s two tone silver and gray deco.  It was an instant purchase for me, and its artificially rare counterpart is still the best use of the black chase deco I’ve seen.  Between the two, I figured I had the ultimate versions of the 500E, so I would have no need to add additional recolors to my collection. 

Yet, Hot Wheels always finds a way, don’t they?  This metallic green paint is so perfectly 90’s that I simply could not pass it up when I saw it on the pegs.  The stock detailing that made the original great is all still here, but the metal flake in this green paint catches the light to accentuate the boxy styling that defined this era of Mercedes.  This model couldn’t scream “90’s” much louder if it tried, so it’s fitting that it appears in the 70’s vs 90’s series.

Everything that made the original black version great remains, including the five spoke wheels that fit perfectly in the wheel arches and do a reasonable job of replicating Mercedes monoblocks.  

It’s hard to put my finger on exactly why this paint color feels so transformative for this model, but based on some of the comments I’ve seen online, it seems I’m not alone.  The most similar color that Mercedes offered on the 500E is Spruce Green Metallic, but despite that name it lacks the bass boat sparkle of the Hot Wheels version.

Perhaps the greatness of this color is just the fact that it feels a bit playful, while still fitting into the style and sensibilities of both this car and the era it represents.  This feels like a proper enthusiast spec – different enough to make you look closer at it without losing the 500E’s sleeper appeal.  To my utter amazement, this feels like the new definitive version of the 500E casting.  Now I’m done with the 500E…right?