First Look: Hot Wheels Fast & Furious '72 Ford Gran Torino Sport...

Right out the gate it is probably appropriate to remind everyone about our approach to Hot Wheels movie cars.

Just like all the Retro Entertainment cars, we are more interested in the cars themselves than the movies they came from.  At least when it comes to our approach here on the Lamley Blog.  I am a movie geek (Fargo remains my favorite movie), and love to see some of my favorite cars pop up on the big and small screen, but when it is time to showcase the mini versions of those cars, there are folks far more qualified to take the movie angle.

So we will focus on the car.  Yes, the just-released Ford Gran Torino was a bad guy car in the F&F 4, but that is all I remember because someone told me.  I saw the movie, I just don't remember.

But I could not be more excited for the model's release.  That is why we sought out a good friend in Canada and asked him to get us a couple.  They arrived this week, and we could not be happier with the release.

First off, we are as much in the dark as everyone else when it comes to this new Fast & Furious release.  Last year's release at Walmarts here in the US, and to hobby dealers elsewhere, was a huge success, and a perfect match for Mattel and Hot Wheels.  So successful in fact that it appears that they decided to do it again.

But that is where the questions arise:

1. What models are in this set?  Many from last year's set, and we can't see any differences, outside of the new metal spoiler on the R34 Skyline.  Other than that, the color, wheels, and decos are exactly the same.  
2. What are the new models in this set, and what did they replace?  New to this set is the '72 Gran Torino, which has never been released elsewhere, and the '69 Dodge Charger Daytona, which was released as a mainline last year.  They replaced the matte grey Chevelle and grey Nissan GT-R.  All the rest are the same.
3. Why was this set released again, one year after the first?  We don't know for sure, but maybe the release of the set, with the two new models was already scheduled to coincide with the release of Fast 7, which was planned for this summer.  As we all know, the release of 7 has been delayed due to the tragic death of Paul Walker.  But maybe the set was already so far into production that Mattel carried on.  Pure speculation, but it could be the case.
4. Will we see this set in the US, or will it be an international-only release?  Once again, we have no idea.  There is no reason to think we won't, other than it has been released overseas for a few weeks now, with no sign of it anywhere in the States.  Maybe Mattel wanted to make these available to the markets that didn't get the first set, and US collectors will have to make Canadian friends.  Not a bad option...
5. Is the Gran Torino as awesome as we think it is?  Hell yes.

If you have been a reader of Lamley for awhile now, you probably have a few things figured out about us.  We are JDM-obsessed, we break for classic Porsches and BMW's, we have a severe wagon fetish, classic pickup trucks strike our fancy, and we ADORE the Hot Wheels Gran Torino Sport.  While muscle generally means Mustang, Bowties, and Mopar, the Gran Torino is our favorite of the bunch.  Its profile evokes the classic muscle lines from front to back, but its grill is a telling sign of the over-the-top designs that were coming later in the 1970's.  It looks like nothing else, and Hot Wheels captured it perfectly.

And it is clear someone at Mattel shares our passion for the '72 Torino, because it has gotten a lot of attention since its initial release in 2011.  It has been in the mainline every year since, with recolors, it has been a Walmart exclusive, A Kroger exclusive, an RLC model, and a Super Treasure Hunt.  And now a Fast & Furious exclusive.  Whoever in El Segundo is responsible for this plethora of Torino tastiness, we salute you.

And it looks great here in green on chrome J5 wheels.  Obviously the 1:1 F&F version was updated and enhanced, but the design was kept clean, and the car is a beaut.  And the mini reflects that well.  The J5's, at least to me, really work, as does the green and white.  The design is very close to the actual stock version of the Gran Torino, with the side pinstripe, but updated enough to look very modern.

Nonetheless, we are very happy to add this to the ever-growing Gran Torino collection.  In fact it is time to give it an updated listing, which you will see below.

Enjoy...

Hot Wheels '72 Ford Gran Torino Sport (2014 Fast & Furious exclusive):

The Gran Torino Sport Family:

2011 Mainline

2011 Mainline recolor

2011 Mainline recolored (also released with a Walmart-exclusive banner on the windshield)

2012 Kroger exclusive Super Speeders

2012 Mainline white MC5

2012 Mainline white-lipped MC5

2012 Mainline recolor MC5 (rare)

2012 Mainline recolor J5

2012 Walmart exclusive

2013 Super Treasure Hunt

2013 Mainline

2013 Mainline recolor

2013 RLC

2014 Mainline

2014 Mainline recolor

2014 Fast & Furious

A Tale of Two: Hot Wheels '71 Nissan Skyline & '69 Pontiac GTO...

Black with gold/copper wheels is such a sharp look.  Yes black cars don't bring out the details in our favorite vehicles, mini or real, but who honestly gives a shit when they look so sexy and sleek in black?

Once you have your sexy black car, what to do with the wheels?  You can go all black, making your car growlingly menacing, or you can go chrome, making it shine.  Or maybe gunmetal gray, putting you right in the middle.  And there is copper or gold.  That is where minis might separate from the real thing.  It may not work on the road every time, but it certainly does in a display case.

So when Hot Wheels released the Nissan Skyline H/T 2000GT-X in black with copper rims, we were on board.  And when we got it in hand, we were instantly reminded of another black on copper beauty, the 2005 Hot Wheels '69 Pontiac GTO Judge with Faster Than Ever wheels.  So we thought we would put them together.

These are actually easy to compare, outside of the color of the body and wheels.  The real cars come from the same era, albeit on different continents.  They are both signature cars in their respective countries, and it only takes one word to reference each car.  "Hakosuka" for the Skyline and "Judge" for the GTO.

As far as the minis go, both were designed by epic Mattel designers.  The GTO by Phil Riehlman and the GT-X by Jun Imai.  And they both look really good.

So here is our ode to muscle and j-tin, in the form of sleek sexy black.

Since we have probably discussed the Hakosuka to death here on Lamley, how about a few thoughts on the GTO:

The casting debuted in 2005, first in black, then orange, then as a Kmart exclusive in red.  The black normally sported 5-spoke wheels, but was part of the huge FTE line in 2005/2006.  Hot Wheels actually released all-FTE cases instead of making a sub-line in the basic range, like they did later.  The FTE GTO was one of the hardest models to find, as many cases didn't even carry it.

Nonetheless, the FTE completely upstaged the 5-spoke version, and in our opinion is one of the best-looking Hot Wheels models ever made.  Period.

And damn, it looks good next to the Hako...

First Look: 2014 Hot Wheels '68 Mercury Cougar...

Nope, not that '68 Mercury Cougar.

This is a new one, but my guess is most of you know that.  Take the old casting, which is pretty nice, but bland like the real '68 Cougar.  (Oops, did I say that out loud?)  Lower it, add some bolt-ons and a spoiler, and you have a winner.  This happened last year.  Hot Wheels took the Chevelle and added just enough to add a fresh addition to an already badly overused muscle car.  And they did just about the same thing.  Lowered, bolt-ons, a chin-strap, etc.

Is this based on a real car?  My heavily scientific research (Google images) produced no obvious inspirations.  But that is the fun of Hot Wheels.  Make it up.  Like the Chevelle, this has a bit of a Japanese feel to it, hence the comparison photos below.

One other very interesting thing.  This is the FIRST classic muscle car to be introduced by Hot Wheels this year.  Surely more are coming, but how interesting is it that we have seen Civics, Datsun Trucks, Aston Martins, Alfa Romeos, and a Porsche all before we see a new muscle car (and we know of a cute little Italian coming as well.  A certain Brazilian site might break that news soon.).  Kudos Hot Wheels team.

This is a fun time of year.  Half the fun of collecting is NOT knowing and one-by-one learning what is coming.  There are new models we can predict (2015 Mustang?) will come, but as for the rest it is wide open.  So we will keep learning, unveiling, and showing off.  This is fun.

If you told me a Cougar was coming as a New Model, the only response would be frustration that we are getting another.  But this one wins.  A very pleasant surprise.

By the way, we are happy to be starting a new year.  Moving into the holiday season, we found the time off refreshing, and Lamley took a bit of a back seat.  But we are back and have many things coming.  The Lamley Award winners will be showcased, we have a heap of customs to share, and Lamley is set to expand a bit slowly and surely.  Thanks everyone for all the support...

(Find this Cougar and the rest of Batch E at Wheel Collectors...)


Hot Wheels '68 Mercury Cougar (2014 New Models):