Once Again, Hot Wheels Forgot to Show Their Coolest Models in the Presentation (2025 Convention Sneaks)

In what has become somewhat of a tradition, Hot Wheels showed off a lot of rather underwhelming and uninteresting models during their sneak preview slideshow at the Convention last Saturday, leaving me with a feeling of disappointment. Then, as seems to happen every year, pictures of the prototype boards started to appear online about an hour later, filled with cool models that didn’t even get a mention during the presentation! Obviously, some of these models are still in the early prototype stages, but others look production-ready, so I can’t fathom why they left them out of the slideshow! Either way, let’s take a closer look at all the cool stuff that Hot Wheels left out.

Koenigsegg CC850

I’ll be honest, this could also be a CC8, since this prototype doesn’t show off too many of the details and the two models are literally designed to look alike. I suspect a CC850 is the more likely option, both because it’s the newer model, and because of the brake lights that look more like the squircle design of the CC850 than the circular brake lights of the CC8. This is a very exciting model to see, because it was on my recent wishlist of models for the Matchbox 2026 line – so I’ll gladly take a Hot Wheels version! My hopes for this model are high, especially given the excellent execution of Ron Wong’s recent CCXR design. This one has mirrors too!

Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk

Regular readers will know that I’ve been asking for a red recolor of this casting since the original gray version was released a few years ago. Recolors are always few and far between in the premium lines, so I couldn’t be happier to see this super-Jeep get the exact deco I’ve always wanted! I like the tan interior that’s easily visible through the windows as well. My only concern with this recolor is that it might indicate another offroader themed premium set in the near future, which have often become pegwarmers. Time will tell.

Mercedes CLK63 AMG Black Series

Speaking of anticipated recolors, we’re also getting a white version of Ron Wong’s fantastic CLK63 casting, though we didn’t have to wait nearly as long for this one! I’ve seen no word yet about which line or mix this model will appear in, but I’m hoping it’s either a Mercedes themed set or a new Deutschland Designs set. It’ll be a must-have no matter where it ends up!

Porsche Cayenne Tow Vehicle

This Cayenne will also be a must-have, though there’s not much mystery about what line it will end up in. Based on the tow hitch, it seems inevitable that this Cayenne will be assigned to Team Transport duty, and I think that’s a very cool idea! Team Transport needs some cooler haulers to tow their trailers, and the Cayenne feels like a perfect fit for a rich guy towing his new GT3 RS to a track day. Compared to the Land Rover Defender that was recently released as a Team Transport tow vehicle, this Cayenne’s tow hitch looks far closer to the correct scale and doesn’t stick out nearly as far, so it may even have a future as a standalone model. I hope the final version keeps these roadworthy wheels, rather than getting chunky offroad tires like so many Hot Wheels SUVs.

992 Porsche 911 GT3 RS

It’s hard to think of a much better car for that Cayenne to tow than this new 911 GT3 RS! Honestly, I’m a little surprised that it took so long for either of the Mattel brands to make a model of the new GT3 RS, but better late than never! This prototype looks very promising, especially with the plastic wing that shows far more detail than a metal wing can. Just like on the mainline GT3 casting, this GT3 RS looks to use its window section to form the headlights as well as the hood vents, so I expect this model to use pretty dark tint on its windows. That construction technique, while clever, feels a little odd to see on a premium casting, since premium models don’t have the same limitations on printed detailing that the mainline does. Perhaps Hot Wheels plans to use this casting in the silver series at some point?

Honda Del Sol

This isn’t our first time seeing the Honda Del Sol casting, but this is the first time I’ve seen the final deco on it. I’m glad to see it get a clean design, as there would have been plenty of opportunity to ruin this model with 90’s-inspired graphics. It might be a tad big, though it’s hard to get a sense of scale from these pictures. My biggest concern is with the color-match on that windshield surround, as the printed white detailing looks far brighter than the warmer tone of the paint. Hopefully they can improve that before production!

Ferrari Testarossa

After the deluge of new Ferraris in the 2025 lineup, it’s not surprising to see Hot Wheels pulling back a bit for 2026. The one and only new Ferrari casting they showed off at the convention was this Testarossa. It’s hard to make out too many of the details from the grainy pictures, but it does appear to have side mirrors! The Testarossa isn’t really my cup of tea, but I’m sure it will make plenty of Miami Vice fans very happy.

Maserati MC12

Twenty years after their first attempt at an MC12, Hot Wheels has decided to take another shot at Maserati’s Enzo-derived hypercar. I can’t help but feel like Matchbox beat them to the punch on this one, but Hot Wheels does have a good track record with their recent supercars, so it’ll definitely be worth putting the two together to compare. From these pictures, we can see that the Hot Wheels version will be getting side mirrors, which the Matchbox version is sadly missing. Like the Matchbox, I do worry about the limited recolor potential for an MC12. Perhaps Hot Wheels will be brave enough to release the orange version?

Legends Tour Team Transport

It’s been a few years since there has been a Legends Tour model that really grabbed my attention, so this Civic Type R is a welcome surprise! I love the white-on-white color combo, and the Legends Tour deco is a clever way to get some more use out of this Spoon modified Type R casting. The Kousoku Hauler is definitely not my favorite truck in the Team Transport series (I much prefer the Aero Lift), but the deco looks nice and it definitely has some diorama potential. The Type R is undoubtedly the star of the show, though.

Toyota GR Yaris

Okay, this one isn’t technically new. We’ve seen it before (it’s coming next year in the Boulevard line), but I’m incredibly excited about it so this is mostly just another chance for me to talk about it. The GR Yaris is easily one of the most appetizing pieces of forbidden fruit, and since I have to wait more than 20 years to get a real one here in the States, I’m looking forward to at least being able to add a 1/64 version to my collection! I’m thrilled that it has a stock deco, as the white and black paint job just looks so good on these cars!

Those are my favorite models from the convention this year – let me know which ones you’re most excited for! Be sure to stay tuned here for more in-depth showcases of many of these models once they actually start hitting shelves. Plus, I’ve embedded posts from a few other diecast creators that show the rest of the models on display, in case you want to take a look at everything that the Hot Wheels team showed off. Be sure to show them some love!