We know we are not alone in our fondness for the Hot Wheels Then & Now series. Last year's set, consisting of mainly muscle cars - Challengers, Mustangs, Camaros, Chargers, etc - in their nostalgic and current incarnations sporting similar deco, was a treat to collect.
We now have photos of the first set of 2014. We already knew the AE86 Corolla had a "Now" counterpart to compliment its "Then", and now, unsurprisingly, we know what it is.
Say hello to the 2014 deco on the Scion FR-S...
...which shares the same deco as the recently released Toyota AE86 Corolla:
There was some debate on Hot Wheels boards as to what the companion model would be to the Corolla. Some thought the Corolla was the Now, and the Then would be the Toyota 2000GT. Uh, no. First, the 2000GT was already released in 2014 in a different deco. Second, the hachi may be a very hot car right now, but it is most assuredly a nostalgic "Then". Third, if you live in Japan, and drive the equivalent of the FR-S there, you are driving a car called the Toyota 86.
Toyota sees the 86/FR-S as a logical descendent to the AE86, and thankfully so does Hot Wheels. Because of it we are getting a version of the FR-S that is far superior deco-wise to the First Edition released in 2013. The silver is sharp, and the deco wonderfully retro.
We can't wait to put these two side-by-side...