Will the latest batch of Hot Wheels Mystery Bag Cars make it to the US? Maybe not...

Mystery cars have now become a common part of the Hot Wheels basic lineup.  It started with mainline cars hidden behind blacked out blisters, then it moved to foil baggies.

The foil bag cars are no longer official mainline cars, but rather recolors of previous models and decos, similar to what you will see in 9- and 10-packs.  Some models have been tremendous (the Kroger-only Super Speeders line comes to mind), while others sit and sit and sit.

That shelf-warming tendency of the latest batch has led to a lot of boxes of mystery models hanging around each and every Walmart, which has the exclusive rights to carry them.  Plus the models included in that batch have not garnered a ton of excitement.

Even with that, our interest was sparked when a collector out of Germany reported finding new mystery cars in a local store.  Like the Walmart batch, it included 12 models:

We were especially interested when one of the mystery models was a Lamley favorite, the Aston Martin DBS, in jet black.  So even with the last Walmart batch of mysteries clogging the shelves, we figured the next batch would show in time.  So we waited.

And waited.

And waited.

But then, during a routine weekend check-in with the Team of 3 at Diecast TV Channel on youtube, we saw that they too had found the mystery cars, including the Aston.  That could mean they were close to hitting the US.  So we continued to wait.

And continued.

And continued.

And continued.

Until we gave in.  We are fans of Diecast TV Channel (And you should be too.  Their videos clear, concise, and maybe the best produced of all youtube diecast channels.  It is like a quick weekly diecast newscast.  HIGHLY recommended.), and have chatted with the Team of 3 before, and after a few emails back and forth, worked out a trade to get three of the new Mystery models over to Lamley.

So we are happy to have three, and they are below, but the question remains: Will we see these in the US?  The answer could very well be no.

These could very well be international exclusives, made to be the equivalent of the current batch of mysteries at Walmart, only for non-US markets.  The follow the same pattern as other mystery cars, sharing the same deco as mainline versions of the same casting, only in different colors.

Or these could be slated for US release, but delayed because of the slow-moving batch ahead of it.  That could very well mean Walmart won't want the next batch, which could leave those models in limbo, and unofficially make them international-only models.

Only time will tell, but in the meantime we are happy to have secured these three - the aforementioned Aston Martin, a Pontiac GTO, and Lamborghini Reventon.  The Aston especially is fantastic in black.  Grey rims would have made it even better, but we are not complaining.  We are happy to have the HW DBS collection complete.  A hearty thank you to the Team of 3 for their help.  They have some good stuff coming their way in return...

So what do you think?  International only?  Coming to the US?  Do you even care?


Hot Wheels Aston Martin DBS, '70 Pontiac GTO, and Lamborghini Reventon (2014 Mystery Models):

Lamborghini Reventon

'70 Pontiac GTO

First Look: Hot Wheels Super Speeders '64 Lincoln Continental...

Another Super Speeders model to show off.  I don't know if I would call a boat a Super Speeder, but at least it has flames.  That makes it fast, right?

Interesting thing about this model.  Outside of the police version released earlier this year, this is the only black version of the Continental.  I will say it looks great, and the flames really pop.  But more than anything it makes me want to see Mattel release this model in a pure stock black version (as stock as a super slammed Continental can be).  Boulevard maybe?  There are some great versions of this casting (including the just released 2013 green version), but that black Lincoln is missed.

But all that aside, I am a fan of this one.  Now let's take it drifting...


Hot Wheels '64 Lincoln Continental (2012 Super Speeders Kroger exclusive):

First Look: Hot Wheels Super Speeders Lamborghini Aventador...

Well, this set of 12 Mystery Cars is called Super Speeders, and I think it would be difficult to find a car more suited to that title.  You can put flames on a '64 Lincoln Continental, but it will never as fast as a brand new Aventador.

I think this is the first time I have featured the Aventador casting on the blog.  When I get my hands on the white version, which should hopefully be within the next week, I will show all of them together.  I like this yellow, but the orange still takes top honors for me.  The white might surpass them both.

I do like this casting.  And here is a very nitpicky reason why: The rear wheels sit flush with the rear wheel wells.  There was a period of time that Lambos done by Hot Wheels never looked right because the rear wheel wells shot out way past the rear wheels.  It almost made the car look like it was on spare tires.  And when you shoot these models at the angles I do, it becomes difficult to hide.  In this post, I had the pull the wheels out on the side being photographed to make it look right.  That is not the case on the last few Lamborghinis, namely the Gallardo, Superleggera, Estoque, and now the Aventador.  Hooray.

A big deal?  No.  Lamborghinis are cool, and Hot Wheels (and Matchbox) should continue to produce them.  And they will...


Hot Wheels Lamborghini Aventador (2012 Super Speeders Kroger exclusive):

First Look: Hot Wheels Super Speeders Mystery Pack Ford Gran Torino Sport...

I had some decent finds today, as documented on the Lamley Facebook page.  (If you are not following the Facebook page, you should.  There is a lot of good info there that doesn't appear on the blog...)

And as nice as it was to find some of Batch Q (a lot has already been shown here), and some Decades, I was most excited to find the Super Speeders Mystery Cars at Smith's, our local Kroger store.  We have already shown the fantastic Mazda RX-7, and it remains my favorite of the bunch.  But there are some other great models.

Just barely behind the RX-7 on my favorites list is the Gran Torino Sport.  I...love...this...casting.  I cannot reiterate it enough.  It stands out in a sea of Mustangs, Camaros, and other muscle.  The 1:1 may not have been the performer its cousins were, but it ranks very high in the looks department.  Mix a little muscle silhouette with the geeky grill and you have one cool 70's car.  Cool enough to be one of my favorite classic American car castings.

Another thing to like about this model: It is part of a 2012 line, yet it is a recolor of a 2011 model.  And that 2011 model happens to be the debut of the Gran Torino, and as is the case with a lot of New Models, sports a stock design.  Like we pointed out with the multipack VW SP2, this gives us another version of a previous year's model.  And that goes with many of the other Super Speeders models.  The Camaro Road Race, for example, has already been a Super in 2012, yet the Super Speeders version is a recolor of the 2011 debut.

These Super Speeders are quite cool, so we will show more of them in the coming days.  In the meantime, try and go find them at your local Krogers, or snag those you want from those who have Krogers...


Hot Wheels Gran Torino Sport (2012 Kroger Stores "Super Speeders" foil pack exclusive):

with its alter-ego:

And the family of New Models:

First Look: Hot Wheels Kroger exclusive "Super Speeders" Mazda RX-7...

Alright, I will confess.  This is not really a First Look.  That distinction goes to Japanese Nostalgic Car. As well it should, as their logo is on the model, along with JDM Legends in Utah.

Hot Wheels keeps the joy coming.  It seems they are providing more ways to get our favorite castings out to us.  I have loved the Mystery Car series they have released at Walmart, as it has allowed for more recolors of specific models that did not have a spot in the mainline.  Same with the multipack exclusives we profiled yesterday.  Both of these series give us more goodies to collect.

And here is another.  The Super Speeders series is a group of 12 Mystery models found exclusively at Krogers, and some appear to have unique liveries, while others are recolors.  The list includes:

1. Lamborghini Aventador LP 700-4
2. '86 Monte Carlo SS
3. '64 Lincoln Continental
4. Nerve Hammer
5. '72 Ford Gran Torino Sport
6. Custom '11 Camaro
7. '69 Mercury Cougar Eliminator
8. Prototype H-24
9. Fast Fish
10. Mazda RX-7
11. '70 Camaro Road Race
12. Fangula

There is a decent number we will feature here, and you can probably guess what they are.  A perfect mix of Lamley-ish models.  A supercar (Lambo), a Japanese nostalgic (RX-7), and one of those 70's classics with those great 70's lines (Gran Torino Sport).  Happytime!

But lets start with the RX-7.  It is a recolor of the 2012 New Model, first seen in black, then blue.  For me, the white takes the cake.  Look for us to feature more of this casting next week, as we take a look at 5 of Jun Imai's castings leading up to JCCS on Saturday...

Hot Wheels Super Speeder Mystery Cars for sale...


Hot Wheels Mazda RX-7 (Kroger Super Speeders exclusive):

Family portrait: