Since Mattel and their two diecast brands have to adhere to the licensing agreements, you never know what they will or won't be able to make. Fortunately, they've been able to acquire the license to make many of the cars I've wanted to see from them. And now, they've done it again! After all these years, we've finally gotten a Hot Wheels Pagani Zonda, and it's the "R" version of it, no less.
Words can't describe how happy I am right now! Like the McLaren F1, Pagani's Zonda was always one of my favorite exotic cars. Now, this might be the "R" version, but a Zonda is still a Zonda, and I am extremely happy to see a Hot Wheels version of the car. Oh, and let me not forget to express how thankful I am with their decision to make this casting for the mainline. With how things are now, a premium version would have been near impossible to find, and that would have made me really sad.
So how did I discover the the Zonda? Well, I used to play a game called Midnight Club 3 DUB Edition Remix, and the Pagani Zonda was one of my favorite exotic cars in the game. And I wanted Hot Wheels to make one because I knew the brand would be able to make a nice looking replica of it, and I was right!
Overall, this is truly an outstanding 1:64 scale replica. I especially like how it basically has the same proportions as the Huayra. It also has some great tampo details as well. And like the real car, its sides feature "Zonda R." Now, on the real car, that decal is seen on the lower half of its sides, but for this model, the designers chose to put it on the doors. And you what? I really don't have an issue with that. In my opinion, I think it looks just fine with the decal there.
Hopefully we'll see many releases of this casting going forward. But it could end up being like some of the other exotic cars. In other words, we might not see back-to-back releases of it. I hope that doesn't end up being the case, though. But who knows, right? That's why I made sure to snag an extra one to have on display.
After everything I've said about the Zonda, you think I would have also said that it was the highlight from this case. Well, it is, but at the same time, it isn't. And the reason why I'm saying that is because I feel this case has more than one highlight. So even though I've been waiting for it, I not going to say that the Zonda R is the star of this case. So with that being said, let's move on to another one of the awesome releases.
In 2004, Hot Wheels gave collectors a Lotus Sport Elise, and there were a lot of releases of it. But then it disappeared after 2013, which is why I assumed that was it. However, out of nowhere, Hot Wheels gave collectors a retooled version of it that looks much better, and I was wondering why they suddenly decided to do that. Well, I'm not "in the know," so I don't know the exact reason, but I'm going to assume that it has something to do with them now being able to make more of Lotus' cars. And the newest one they've made is the very beautiful Evija.
I think we can all agree that the Hot Wheels design team did a fantastic job re-creating the Evija. I especially like how its body was designed in a way so its interior piece could function as its additional exterior color. Now, I know it affects the color of its interior, but I don't mind because this design makes it so we can have multi-colored releases without the use of a tampo, which could have minor issues.
There is one bad thing about the way it was designed, though. Let's say, for example, they want to give us a release of this casting that's one color, and they want to use a metallic paint. Well, the release might not look right because the interior piece isn't going to be metallic too. Now, they could just use a gloss paint or they could continue to give us multi-colored releases. But I happen to think silver would be a great color for this car, and an all silver release would be the one with the issue. Of course, I'd still like the release, but the difference would be noticeable like it is with the Volvo 850 Estate.
Like many other high-end cars, the Lotus Evija also has an active wing, and I really like how the designers chose to create a casting that depicts the car with it up. Sure, the car looks great with it down, but in my opinion, being up makes it look even more sporty than it already does.
Lotus has definitely upped their game, and I feel this car has put them up there with manufactures like Ferrari and Lamborghini. And I'm so glad they've allowed Hot Wheels to make it. Alright, let's move on to the next release.
In some of my recent post, I've made mention of how I love seeing certain colors used for the various Batmobiles. In fact, I recently made mention of that in my case "M" want list post. Anyway, most fans of the franchise will think black is best color for a Batmobile, and I'm sure many diecast collectors will agree. After all, that is the character's main color. But I love seeing diecast Batmobiles that are finished in colors that aren't typically associated with Batman. So that's why I absolutely had to have the recolor of this year's TV Series Batmobile.
I dare say that this is the better of the two releases. I mean, there's already been so many releases that are black with red stripes, and the 2018 release also had a custom scallop design. So I feel it's refreshing to see one with this particular color scheme. And you have to admit that this release is pretty unique thanks to it. Of course, some people might not like how purple looks over gold, and I'll admit that it's a little on the wild side, but that's what I like about it.
I'm also sure some collectors won't like the color of the window piece, either. But for me, it also contributes to how unique this example is. And you know what? Thanks to the design choices that were made, I almost got an extra one to open. The only reason why I didn't is because I already have an example of this Batmobile on display. But if I didn't, then this would have been one of the latest additions to my display. Alright, let's go over the next one.
To be honest, station wagons used to be vehicles that I would ignore. For the most part, I was just into coupes, sedans, and hatchbacks, but things are much different now. And you know what? I'm actually really glad I started paying attention to them because if I didn't, then I would have missed out on a lot of cool castings like the new Nissan Maxima Drift Car. So as long as I like the design choices that were made, station wagons will be among the many releases that I get. And this year's case "N" had two that I wanted to add to my collection. So with that being said, let's go over the first one, which is the newest release of the '94 Audi Avant RS2.
The Super Treasure Hunt version might be the best one, but this regular version is one release I just couldn't ignore. And the reason why has nothing to do with its exterior color. Although, it is worth mentioning that I think it looks pretty classy finished in black, so I do like how it's the color they picked for this release. Anyway, the Aero Disk wheels are the reason why I had to have this one. I know there could be more releases with them, but what if there isn't? For all we know, this could be the only one with the Aero Disk wheels. After all, the real car has 5-spoke wheels, which is why I suspect that most of this casting's releases will have the 5SPs. So I had to take the opportunity to acquire an Avant RS2 with a different looking wheel, and I think it looks fantastic with the wheels they chose.
I do have one minor issue with this release, and it has to do with its license plate section. Instead of giving it an authentic looking European plate, they have once again put a blank white rectangle on its front and rear. Most collectors probably won't care, but I do. I mean, if you're going to put a detail there, then you might as well put a license plate instead of a blank rectangle that looks like a random last minute detail. Alright, I've said enough about this release, so let's move on to the next one.
The new Nissan Maxima Drift Car is not the only station wagon that is sliding its way into our collections this year. Also making its debut is the Volvo 240 Drift Wagon, and it's sure to put up a good fight against the Nissan Maxima.
Once again, the Hot Wheels designers have turned an otherwise bland and boring station wagon into a wild beast that's definitely not street-legal. And for the most part, I think it looks great. However, I do have one issue with it, and it has to do with its interior piece.
For some reason, the decision was made to add dogs to the back of this casting's interior piece. Now, I'm not someone who is "in the know," so there could be a specific reason as to why they added them. You know, like how there was a specific reason as to why the Porsche 944 has a stethoscope. But I personally don't like the way this casting looks with them. I mean, this is a heavily modified car that is not street-legal, so there's no way you're going to be going for a Sunday cruise with you dogs in the back. Okay, now that I got that out of the way, let me put the spotlight back on its exterior.
As you can see, this casting was designed with some cool exterior features. I especially like how they chose to give it side exhaust. Besides those, this casting also features side-view mirrors, which for me, are a huge plus. I also think it's great how they picked the Aero Disks for its front wheels. In my opinion, they absolutely complement its overall competition appearance.
So what about the other design choices? Well, I do like the exterior color they picked, but I feel they should have given this debut release a better looking livery. I, for one, would have liked to have seen something like the Motul livery that was created for the Maxima. You know, a livery that is actually noticeable and features real-life decals.
Ultimately, this casting is going to be one of the ones that I look forward to each year. So hopefully they create some awesome liveries for it. Okay, let's move on to the next release.
Like the GMC Hummer, the Lucid Air is another reason why I've decided to pay more attention to the HW Green Speed set. I mean, it's no Pagani Zonda R, but it's definitely a nice looking car nonetheless. So I couldn't wait to see the next release, and thankfully, I didn't have to wait till next year for another one.
If you've read many of my posts, then you probably know how I feel about white vehicles. And if not, then let me tell you. Basically, I don't always like white releases as much as I like the other ones because of how common the color is on actual vehicles. But things are a little different with this release. In my opinion, a luxury car like this actually looks really good finished in white, and it's metallic white too! So that's even better!
Now, even though I like how it looks finished in white, I do have to admit that there's another color I'd like to see used for it. And it's not blue, which is surprising, right? So which color is it, then? Well, one of this vehicle's trims in called "Dream Edition," and "Eureka Gold," which is a color that's exclusive to it, is the one I'd like to see used for the next release. I mean, silver and white are nice, but gold isn't always used for licensed castings. And I feel this casting would look stunning finished in the color.
If they do decide to ever give us a gold one, then it'll probably be my all-time favorite release. But right now, this is my favorite release. As I have already said, a luxury car like this actually looks really good finished in white.
Well, that's six releases, so I'm going to go ahead and stop this first part here. As usual, the next six releases will be featured in part two, so be sure to come back to the boulevard tomorrow. Until then, thanks for reading, and happy collecting.
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