As always, these photos are presented here with permission from Mattel:
2012/2013 Mainline:
Many of the details of the what is coming for the remainder of 2012 and some of what to expect in 2013 was broken down by the previous Ambassador, Shabbir Malik, in his final report. Below are some photos of upcoming models.
Let's start with a new tool for 2012. It was shown at the Gathering last month, but here is another look at the new 4x4 garbage truck, called the Garbage Grinder.
Alright, now that we've got that out of the way, on to 2013! Mattel has provided photos of several upcoming models in the basic range. No new tools yet, but here are some new decos to look forward to:
We will start with a new color on the Batmobile, which was introduced this year. The black over grey gives it a more menacing look than the debut version.
Next, the BMW Police Motorcycle looking great in a livery similar to police vehicles in Europe and Australia. Can anyone tell me if there is a police force this livery most closely resembles?
Another model of note, the Austin Mini Cooper S. This red version is the first of three versions to be released in 2013. In addition to the basic model in red, there will be a black version with the 60th Anniversary logo that will be a 9/10-pack exclusive, and finally a 3rd version in the 60th Anniversary range, with its own deco and illustrated box. Lots of fun for the Mini Cooper fans.
Finally, some more upcoming 2013 basic range models (starting with the Ambassador's favorite in this batch of sneak peaks):
Cadillac CTS Wagon
Chevy Van
ATV
SWAT Truck
Skidster
Jeep Wrangler Superlift
Cliff Hanger
2013 5-packs:
First off, some news on 5-packs for 2013. 5-packs will be set up differently, as 4 of the 12 packs will not have exclusive decos. For these 4 packs, models will be selected from the mainline and used based on the theme. The other 8 will feature exclusive models. I am not yet aware of the reasoning behind this, but that info is coming soon, so stay tuned.
Here are parts of two upcoming exclusive 5-packs. First, here are 3 models from the Jungle 5-pack:
Jeep Wrangler
Jungle Crawler
Road Tripper
And lastly, here are 4 out the 5 models in the upcoming Exotics 5-pack. This marks the very welcome return of "street" cars to the 5-pack lineup, after no street-car-themed packs in 2012. I am looking forward to getting my hands on this pack when it hits the pegs. And in case you are wondering, I am already trying to pry the identity of the fifth car out of Dave Weise.
Fisker Karma
Ford GT
Ford Shelby Cobra
Porsche 911 Carrera
That is it for the sneak peaks for August. Keep checking back for Part 3, where Mattel answers collector questions...
-jtl
