Taking a Chance With The Hot Wheels Speed Graphics 5-Pack

Each year, there's a grand total of about two 5-packs worth getting, and they both revolve around the same theme. One is the annual Hot Wheels Exotics 5-pack, usually featuring five of the hottest European sports cars and supercars, with minimal graphics and occasionally the odd stripe or two. The other is Matchbox's version of the Exotics 5-pack, which is similar but with far better castings and more realistic designs. Otherwise, most of these multi-packs are best suited as children's gifts, for the ones who haven't yet reached the age to differentiate good taste from bad taste.

This year, there's a third, and it's this Speed Graphics fiver. There are two particular models in here absolutely worth having regardless of what you collect, and the rest is a toss-up depending on who you're talking to.

I personally like three of these models: the Corvette Grand Sport, Ford GT LM, and the Toyota Supra. Three out of five, for five bucks, is not bad at all. Last week, I took opportunity of Target's 40% off all Hot Wheels promotion on Cartwheel to snatch this quintet for $3, which brought me to a single dollar for each car I intend to keep.

Now that's more like it!

After examining each of these in person, I felt the Corvette was more ho-hum than I had thought. The yellow base is, naturally, hideous, at which point I had to remind myself that Hot Wheels and common sense are not synonymous with each other. The GT, while a bit simplistic, is pretty as always. The Supra really wowed with its bold colors and perfectly suited (and very underrated) Y5 wheels. It's fantastic and my favorite release of the Mark IV to date.

I think I'll keep those two tucked away safely and toss the others in the donation bin.

The Dodge Charger Drift car is merely a shell of its former self.

Love the colors and the livery, but this casting is plain awful.

Hot Wheels designers sure love their yellow bases!

The 1/18 Chevrolet Corvette (C7) Z51, by Maisto

This is the last of the Maisto haul, for now.

I hope to go back for more and find some of the models I haven't seen yet. If my wishes are granted, you will be seeing a bunch more in the near future.

I'm a fan of the C7 Corvette. It has been criticized for being too derivative in its styling. The front end has shades of Viper and Ferrari 599 GTB. The front fender vents and A-pillar scream GT-R. Yes, it steals styling cues from its closest rivals, but all the pieces flow together, resulting in a look more exotic than any Corvettes in the past. For a semi-affordable sports car, it still turns heads on the street. My favorite features are the taillights. If you're driving behind one, which shouldn't be a surprise as these things are fast, it looks as if Batman is staring back at you.

Maisto produces both the base C7 and the Z51 in eighteenth scale. Other than a laundry list of performance tweaks, the Z51 Performance Package differs from a normal C7 in its wheels, as far as exterior is concerned. If you're searching for this model, it should be easy to spot with its black wheels. In my opinion, the base's wheels look cheap, and these split-five-spokes are a major upgrade for a car with this much performance and style.

By now, I don't feel the need to explain why these models are totally worth getting. Anything Maisto has produced in the past 3-4 years is golden. Most folks are leaving behind the Corvettes, Camaros, and Mustangs, and they're really missing out. Go grab them.

It's St. Patty's Day! Here's a Couple Holiday Themed Cars for the Occasion!

I started collecting diecast about seven years ago. I remember being able to find all the cars I wanted back in the day. When it came to Hot Wheels, that meant walking up to the pegs and finding tons of exotics and imports, cars that I've always liked. I also remember those were the days when Holiday-themed series were actually good. Great, in fact. Valentine's, St. Patrick's, Christmas, you name it. Good casting choices with nice colorways and attractive decos, and all definitely worth getting. Nowadays, they all seem very uninspired and lacking effort. Granted, the older stuff retailed for double the price, but I would gladly pay that, if not more, for a more well thought out product. Here are two to take us back to the good ol' days.

First is the Chevy Corvette C6. It's not a Grand Sport, Z06, or ZR1. Just a regular 'Vette, but a nice one nonetheless. St. Patrick's Day colors all around. I love the little touches on this model, especially the clover and "317" printed on the front fenders, there just in case you forget it actually is a St. Patty's car.

And then there's this limousine, or Limozeen, rather. I rarely ever purchase generic castings, but I made an exception for this one back in the day. How could I not? This one screams St. Patrick's Day. Big, bold 4-leaf clover on the hood. Wild green flames running through the side. Oh, in case you didn't notice, it also flat-out says "St. Patrick's Day". If Hot Wheels is going to throw a bunch of generic castings in its Holiday cars, they should at least be as good as this one. 

So, with that being said, Happy...

...and good luck hunting!

Bravo, Matchbox: The Fantastic Exotic 5-Pack

It seems once every year, Matchbox does a 5-pack that just about every collector wants. Last year, it was the Classic Rides 5-Pack which, although nice, contained a few models that had already been released as singles. This year, Christmas came early with this Exotic 5-Pack, featuring five models that are all exclusive to this set. Five brilliant models, may I add.

It features the Ford Shelby Cobra Concept, Ford GT, Lotus Evora, Porsche 911 (996) Turbo, and Chevy Corvette ZR1. Five modern sports cars. Five licensed models. Zero generics. That alone makes it a winner in my book. Let's take a look at these models. Shall I start with the good or the bad?

Okay, I'll start with the bad. What's crazy is this casting isn't even that bad; it's simply outshined by all the other models in this pack. This is the Ford Shelby Cobra Concept, a car that I don't particularly care for. It certainly doesn't do any justice to the original Shelby Cobra, which was a beautiful car. This, however, is not. In an attempt to modernize the Cobra, Ford took away the curves of the original in favor of a more square-bodied shape. In my opinion, it's far from a success.

Nonetheless, you can't really blame Matchbox for it. They did what they could to make it true to the real thing. However, I do think the wheels are too small for the casting, which is abnormally large to begin with.

You know you have a great 5-pack when the Ford GT isn't even near the top of the list. It's always been a great casting, and this time it comes in a pretty metallic blue color with two-tone, 5-spoke sport wheels. I love these wheels to death, but they somehow manage to look wrong on this model. I think something more traditional, like the 6-spoke or the multi-spoke wheels in mono-tone, would've looked better.

Things are starting to heat up now. Here we have the 911 Turbo of the 996 generation. It's a fairly old casting that doesn't see much production anymore. It briefly made an appearance as a single a few years ago, in dark purple, and has since gone into hibernation, until now. I have a weakness for the 996. I think it looks miles better than the 997, and I don't mind the kidney-shaped headlights at all. Needless to say, I'm glad it's back.

Then we have the Corvette ZR1 in black with a touch of red and white striping. Not too much, but just the right amount. It looks absolutely sinister when paired with the black 5-spokes.

It's been a while since we've gotten a ZR1, and I've started to miss seeing these on the pegs. Even though this may be one of the rare instances where the Hot Wheels model is better than the Matchbox, there's never been a more deserving runner-up. And here in this 5-pack, it finishes in second place once again, but just barely.

The award goes to...

The Lotus Evora. British Racing Green. Gunmetal wheels. Racing decals. How could you not like it?

And I don't even care one lick about the real car. That's how good this one is. And that's how good this 5-pack is. Go out there and get it!