For this post, I going to start with the car/truck combination that I just had to have. That combination, is the '32 Ford and Speed Waze. This was a dream come true! Basically, I've been eagerly awaiting a hot rod Team Transport release, and this combination has definitely satisfied that want.
One things for sure, the Hot Wheels design team created a flawless premium '32 Ford. It's color is what I like the most about it. When I first saw pictures of it's color, I thought it was similar to the 3-window '34 Ford that I have, But it's not. I would best describe it as being a satin copper, and I think it's a fantastic color for a '32.
The racing theme on this release is not bad at all. As you can see, it doesn't feature a flashy design, which is totally fine by me. Sometimes, simple equals perfection, and hot rods are already cool enough. So I feel they don't always need scallops or flames. Furthermore, this release isn't going to need a flashy design where it's being hauled to. Based on the card art, this release is going to participate in a dry lake bed race.
I don't really need to say anything about the choice to use the Real Rider Lake Disk wheels for this release. The only thing I will say, is that they were the best possible wheel for this dry lake bed racing themed '32 Ford.
It's nice how they decided to decorate the back half of this '32 Ford. Besides the tail lights, it also features a cool pinstripe design.
Okay, now I need to talk about the truck, since it's a new casting, and I like it as much as the '32. Overall, the Speed Waze is a very beautiful classic looking hauler, and it's no surprise that I'd love it's color scheme. After all, blue is my favorite color, and the designers picked two shades of it that combine well.
I know it's doors feature "El Segundo Special" like the '32, but I like how it doesn't feature any other decals like Ford or Mooneyes. In my opinion, "El Segundo Special" could be that name of a speed shop. So because it doesn't completely match the car, I feel it can be paired with many other custom classics from Hot Wheels.
When I first saw pictures of it, I thought it would have a functional bed similar to some of the other Hot Wheels haulers. Sadly, it doesn't. At the end of the day though, this is no big deal for me. I'm just glad to finally see a classic looking Team Transport hauler, and I can't wait to see the next release of it.
Alright, the next car/hauler combination from this case, is the BMW M3 E46 and Aero Lift. This BMW casting is definitely off to a good start. First we got the Fast and Furious one, and now we got this Team Transport release. There's also going to be another release of it a little later, but that's a topic for a later review. So let's stick to the here and now with this release.
After the first release, Hot Wheels decided to turn things up a notch by making a very cool Eibach Springs theme for this release. So it was finished in red, and given a white design. Now, as you might already know, the Eibach Springs logo has a design that's within the extended section of the E. The design on this BMW, appears to be based on it, and I think it looks great.
Being a premium with a design, means that the top of it will be decorated too. And what I like, is how the design continues onto the roof. Nothing was placed on the trunk, which is fine.
Remember how I said that I had a critical opinion about some of the decisions made for a few of the vehicles? Well ... this is the first one. In my opinion, this release should have definitely had a few additional decals. One such decal, is RAYS. One of their wheels is called CE28N, and it just so happens to also be a 10-spoke wheel like the ones used for this release. So I think that decal would have been a nice touch.
A release like this also needs the decal of a tire manufacturer. Michelin Tires is the one I would have picked. It's not like they don't have the legal okay to use them. Just look at all of the recent releases that feature them. I also would have added an interior sponsor decal. Sparco, which is another decal they've used recently, is the first company that comes to mind. You might disagree, but I feel those decals would have made this a much better looking $12 dollar premium.
The back half of this release was also decorated. It's interesting how they placed multiple small Eibach decals on the bumper. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying it looks bad. Now is it something I would have done... no it's not, but it doesn't ruin how this model looks. Alright, let's move onto the hauler.
It's so nice to see a third release of the Aero Hauler, and I like how decorated it is. I think it's cool how they decided to continue the design onto the side of the bed. They really didn't have to since it's white like the design, but I'm glad they did what they did.
Unlike the BMW, this Aero Lift was given a red interior. Additional decisions like this, can make a huge difference in how a model looks. And I think it made this hauler even cooler.
The third car/hauler combination from this case, is the '18 Dodge Challenger SRT Demon and Retro Rig. I'll get straight to the point, this combination is sporting a Hot Wheels racing theme. Initially, I wasn't quite sure how I'd feel about this one. It doesn't look bad, it's just I wasn't expecting them to use their own livery for a Team Transport release.
Now what I do like, is how it doesn't look like a typical HW Race Team mainline release. The blue that was used for this one, is different from those, and it's actually quite nice. In fact, I think they should use it for some of their future mainline Race Team releases.
The top of this release is decorated in a similar fashion to the last premium release of this casting. So like the Power Trip release, this one features stripes on it's hood scoop.
The interior is the next aspect I want to talk about. The designers chose to give this it a light blue interior, and it's a blue that's lighter than the other two shades of blue that were used for this release. I'm not sure if anyone would make their real drag car have a light blue interior, but since this is a Hot Wheels model, I think it complements the overall appearance of this release.
My critical opinion of release is it's wheels. Now yes, based on the real Demon's wheels, the RR5SPMs are the one of the best possible wheels for this casting. However, since the last premium release had these wheels, I think they should have used a different wheel. I mean... it's not like this casting looks bad with some of their other wheels. Just look at the 2019 and 2020 Super Treasure Hunt releases.
If they're only going to use the RR5SPMs for the premium releases of this casting, then I feel they should at least change the color. And I think this particular Hot Wheels Racing themed release would have looked okay with black wheels. Remember last year's HW Race Team release of the '10 Pro Stock Camaro? That one was also finished in a different blue, and it looks just fine with black wheels.
(Here's a picture of the Camaro I was talking about. Again, I think it looks just fine with black wheels.)
Now then, I think we can all agree that a Hot Wheels Racing themed Retro Rig, is the hauler we needed. It has the stripe that was applied to the Demon, but it doesn't have any additional decals. The blue is different, and it has the design from the Demon, but I think it's the perfect truck to haul some of the mainline Race Team releases. So if you like to open the aforementioned releases, then this hauler should definitely be on your want list.
Alright, the last car/hauler combination from this case, is the Volkswagen "Baja Bug" and Horizon Hauler. I've really enjoyed this casting's releases, and this fourth release is not bad. I only wish I was able to get the Boulevard one, but that's neither here nor there.
Overall, I think they made some really great decisions for this release. And fans of [HOONIGAN] are sure to be pleased with this release, since that's the theme that was applied to it. I really love the shade of orange that was picked for it's exterior. How it looks, is further complemented by the stripe design and it's colors. Cool exterior colors, combined with flashy designs, are what I've liked about this casting's releases.
As cool as this release is, I do have a critical opinion about two of the decisions made for it. So let me start with the wheels. Once again the RR8DOT wheels are the ones that were picked for this release. This casting does look cool with them, but I feel it's time to switch things up. I'm sure you all know how there are companies that make 6-spoke off-road wheels. So with that being said, my choice of wheel for this release, would have been the off-road version of the RR6SPMs. You might disagree, which is fine, but I think this casting would look nice with them.
My second issue with this release, is the color of the engine. I know it's kind of trivial, but I like to be honest with how I feel about each release. As you can see, the designers chose to give this release a black engine. In my opinion, the previous Team Transport release of this casting has the best engine color. For those of you that have it, then you already know what I'm getting at. But for those of you that don't, then you should know that the previous release has a chrome engine. I feel that looks more realistic.
(Here's a picture of the last release. You have to admit that a chrome engine looks better.)
I was actually eagerly awaiting the next release of the Horizon Hauler. And I'm not disappointed with how it looks. I'm really glad they made it have the theme from the car. Like I said, I absolutely love the shade of orange that was picked.
Although I'm happy with how it looks, I do think it should have had the decals that were applied to the car. If I was designing this release, I would have put them on the side of the bed. I know I've said not having the additional decals makes it so these haulers can be paired with any release. But I think this release of the Horizon Hauler should have completely matched the car it's with.
Alright everyone, that's all four of the new releases from this case. Despite the few things I would have done differently, all of them are welcomed additions to my collection.
So, what are your thoughts on these four? Do you have a specific favorite? Go ahead and let me know down in the comments section. Okay, that's all for this edition of Looking At. Until next time, thanks for reading, and I hope you're able to add these cool releases to your collection too.
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