It’s hard for me to view this model through an impartial lens, because I so desperately wanted it to be made. I grew up loving the Aston Martin V8 Vantage, watching acceleration videos and walkthrough tours in the early days of Youtube car content, and daydreaming of owning one in a few years (ah, the... Continue Reading →
Timeless Icons is a Koenigsegg Short of Perfection
I’ve made no secret of my belief that Hot Wheels is incapable of making a compelling Exotic Envy set. Despite the enormous potential of a theme based entirely around the exotic cars that occupy our dreams and adorn posters on bedroom walls, Hot Wheels has consistently filled the Exotic Envy sets with several pegwarmers. So... Continue Reading →
Keep Your Hype R, I Just Want a Clean Evo!
If you grew up in the mid-2000's, you know how fierce the fan wars could get between lovers of the Subaru WRX and the Mitsubishi Evo. These two rally icons were juggernauts of the car scene during the early internet era, prompting endless forum debates, Instagram fan pages, and plenty of races. While many consider... Continue Reading →
The Hot Wheels LaFerrari is the Most Important Premium Model of the Year
Every year, we get plenty of cool and exciting new models in the Car Culture series, but it’s been quite a while since we’ve seen a model with as much significance to the brand as this LaFerrari. Sure, mainline castings like the SF90 and F40 may have made it into stores sooner, but this LaFerrari... Continue Reading →
Can the Hot Wheels Koenigsegg CCXR Right The Agera’s Wrongs?
Koenigsegg is undoubtedly one of the coolest hypercars makers on the planet right now, with an incredible ability to develop cutting edge technology while maintaining old-school appeal. Which makes it all the more frustrating that we just can't seem to get a decent Koenigsegg casting from Hot Wheels! The premium Agera casting dates back to... Continue Reading →
Is The New Hot Wheels CLK63 Black Series Enough To Get You Up Before The Dawn?
There’s an old Top Gear segment that always sticks in my head (as so many classic Top Gear segments do) where Jeremy Clarkson is testing the then-new Mercedes CLK63 AMG Black Series. He begins by asking “when was the last time you just got up and went for a drive?” before going on to complain... Continue Reading →
BBR’s Red Ferrari 296 Is Finally Here. Was It Worth The Wait?
To say this model has been a long time coming would be an understatement. It feels like years ago that we first saw a prototype version of this casting, but we finally saw a production-ready version debut in April of 2024…but not one most collectors would ever be able to get their hands on. In... Continue Reading →
LCD Models Continues To Impress With The McLaren P1
My first experience with LCD Models was their McLaren 600LT, which I bought on a whim after finding a killer deal on one last year. It blew me away with its quality, especially the carbon fiber detailing and fully detailed interior. So, when LCD released a McLaren P1 – a car I’ve been wanting a... Continue Reading →
The Defender & Jaguar Mk1 Team Transport Set Is More Than The Sum Of Its Parts
I’m never quite sure what to make of the Team Transport series. It’s home to some of the most legendary Hot Wheels releases of modern history, but as its price has crept higher over the years, it’s also felt more difficult to justify many of the sets. Especially when, if I’m being honest, I buy... Continue Reading →
BBR’s Maserati MC20 Is As Good As 1/64 Gets
I begin this feature with an embarrassing admission: this MC20 has been sitting on my “to be reviewed” shelf for over a year. That’s absolutely no statement about the quality of this model – it's truly excellent – but these models don’t tend to get the viewership numbers that their more mainstream Hot Wheels and... Continue Reading →
Forgotten Gem: The Speed Machines Ferrari California
With the recent announcement of Ferrari’s return to Hot Wheels, it seemed like a perfect time to take a look back at one of the best and most overlooked of the Hot Wheels Ferraris: the California. Though, if we’re being honest, it’s not just this diecast version of the California that gets frequently overlooked, as... Continue Reading →
Matchbox News – 3/23/2025 – Advan Supra, Durango Returns, and a Red Edition 918 Spyder!
This time of year tends to be pretty slow in the diecast world, so it’s always exciting to see an update on some upcoming recolors. Plus, we’ve started to see Mix 7/G pop up at some retail locations, so we got a look at what it has to offer. Let’s jump right in! The most... Continue Reading →
Matchbox’s Durango Police Seems Too Premium For The Moving Parts Line
If you’re a Matchbox collector, odds are you’re also a fan of diecast police cars. When the Dodge Durango first came to the Matchbox line a couple years ago, I was surprised to see a civilian version rather than a squad car. I didn’t have to wait long for a police version, though. Matchbox just... Continue Reading →
What Went Wrong With The Hot Wheels Elite64 Audi RS7 Sportback?
In its first few years of existence, the Elite64 line has swung wildly from overpriced mediocrity to greatness and back again. There have been some greats, like the LBWK Aventador and Freightliner Cascadia, and there have been some not-so-greats, like the Modified Mustang. However, none have felt like a bigger disappointment to me than the... Continue Reading →
Matchbox News – 1/19/2025 – New Premium Wheels, 1990 Honda Accord, and Recolors!
While there isn’t a ton of new information in this week’s sneaks from the @matchboxworld Instagram, there was one model significant enough to warrant a news post all on its own: the 1990 Honda Accord. The most important part about this model isn’t the casting itself, but the wheels it rolls on. These wheels are... Continue Reading →
My Favorite Hot Wheels Models of 2024
Normally, I make a dedicated top 5 list for both the Hot Wheels mainline and the premium line, but I decided to combine them into one roundup this year. The Hot Wheels mainline felt pretty weak this year, with only a few new models that interested me, so any top 5 list would require padding... Continue Reading →
Matchbox News – 12/23/24 – Corvette E-Ray, Morgan 3 Wheeler, Boxster Spyder RS, and Lots of BMWs!
It’s been a slow few months for Matchbox news, as product has slowly been trickling into stores for the holiday season but relatively few new products have been teased on the @matchboxworld Instagram. The last two weeks have had some interesting tidbits though, so let’s dive in for a better look at all the new... Continue Reading →
The Ford GT is the First Matchbox Super Chase Worth Chasing
Since they debuted a few years ago, Matchbox’s super chase models have always felt a bit lacking to me. Where Hot Wheels $upers are often an upgraded, more premium version of the mainline they replace, Matchbox’s super chase models often feel like a downgrade over their mainline counterparts due to the addition of unnecessary side... Continue Reading →
The 2024 Hot Wheels Convention’s Best Models Were The Ones They Didn’t Show
This year’s Hot Wheels convention preview presentation felt very underwhelming to me. The mainline section of the presentation was filled with a huge number of generic “originals”, the premium section had some good models but also a disappointing number of future pegwarmers, and even the RLC line featured far less to excite me than previous... Continue Reading →
Hot Wheels Aston Martin DBS: The Best Premium Model Nobody Cares About
The late 2010’s really were a peak for Aston Martin’s design language. All their cars were the perfect combination of elegant and aggressive in a way that just exudes “cool” – none more so than the DBS. Hot Wheels’ take on the DBS is fantastically executed, with great proportions and lots of casting detail. Originally... Continue Reading →
