A Scion FR-S Party! The new Zamac plus a Variation Alert...

We do enjoy bringing our readers pics of the latest models as early as possible, but when it comes to the Zamacs, we are completely at the mercy of Mattel's distribution and our local Walmarts.  So we knew we would be a little late to the game when J case dump bins starting hitting the eastern US, without a trickle of sign that were in the West.

Sure enough, they didn't hit the West until late last week, 2-3 weeks after the East and Midwest (and at the same time K case bins are hitting there as well.   Um, grrrrr.)  But at least they did hit.  The last batch of Zamacs, with the pretty AE86, Silverado, and Camaro was scarce at best around here.  I did manage to find them at one rural Walmart, but I never saw them in the Salt Lake City area.  That is a little concerning, as the upcoming Chevelle Wagon, Hakosuka Skyline, and '70 Chevelle SS Zamacs are high on the want-list, and I hope I can find them.

But distribution talk is boring, so let's move on.

We have the Scion!  In 2012/2013 the Toyota 86/Scion FR-S/Subaru BRZ dominated the auto world, so maybe 2014 is a year where we come down a bit.  (And get ready for the Nissan IDX buzz to start getting VERY LOUD.  We will be contributing.)  So Hot Wheels' version of the Scion may have come a tad late, and it has had a surprisingly run of bland colors and deco.

So the Hot Wheels Scion hasn't gotten the attention of many non-JDM collectors, but it might once we see one in a sharp primary color.  Bright red?  Satin blue?  For now, we have the Zamac, and it does look great.  But all Zamacs do.  We have said it before, we will say it now, and we will say it again: Zamacs are f*#king fun to photograph.  They always look good.

Then & Now with the Zamac AE86

There is another bit of HW Scion FR-S news, and we decided to include it with our post on the Zamac.  It just took a bit longer to get that Zamac Scion than we expected.

If you are a wheel variation collector, check your local Hot Wheels 9-packs.  If you are lucky, you might find the first color of the 2014 Scion with chrome-lipped J5 wheels, as opposed to the standard PR5.

We weren't lucky enough to find one, but thankfully we had an extra OH5 RX-7 to trade to HWC variation nut 1.eyed.jack for one that he found, and it arrived a few days ago.

As far as we know, this variation is exclusive to 9-packs, and has not been found in high numbers.  But both Target and Walmart have housed them.  So keep your eyes peeled.

And it makes for a happy family:

2013 New Model

2013 New Model - large PR5 wheels (found only in 3-packs)

2014 Mainline

2014 Mainline J5 wheels (found in 9-packs)

2014 Zamac exclusive

Just Unveiled: 2014 Hot Wheels Then & Now Scion FR-S...

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...

Variation Alert: Hot Wheels Scion FR-S with large PR5 wheels...

Here is the criteria for us to show a variation on Lamley:

1. If we like it, and there is a good pic, we will show it.
2. Uh, yep.  That.

That's it.  It is random, but occasionally something catches out interest.  And in this case, the fact that I found it helps.

Say hello to an FR-S in an identity crisis.  It seems that among the car folk the first rule of owning an FR-S/86/BRZ is to not keep is stock.  Play with the stance, add a racing kit, get all excited about something associated with a rabbit riding a rocket or something, whatever.  Just play with it.

Well Hot Wheels loves to add a little love to their castings, and it does appear the Hot Wheels FR-S is sporting a little kit of its own.  But last week we found a variation that isn't satisfied with its racing kit.  It wants to be an off-roader, or an Escalade driven circa 2003, or something.  All we know is this one is rolling on very large rims:

Can you see it?  Shall we compare?

Now do you see it?  Yep, she's rockin out on 19's.  Or 20's?  All we know is those are some big wheels.  But you know what is cool?  When we say "rolling on large rims" we mean it.  It may be a tight fit, but those wheels roll.  

Now you might ask why this model is being shown off loose.  You might be saying to yourself, "Everyone knows you don't open a variation.  They can be faked, especially one as simple as this.  Moron."  Yes that is true, but since this model is staying in the collection, I opened it.  And it helps that I found a second:

You can tell by the missing paint on the white stripe.  Both of these were found in Walmart 3-packs.  It is probably a case of the larger wheels erroneously getting into a batch of normal sized PR5's, and a few FR-S's making it out with the vari.  That means there could be more.  

So those of you who hunt at Walmart, check the aisles.  You might find a cool little vari with very large wheels.  But keep that eye trained.  I thought something looked different, but still almost put it back...

And while we are at it, keep that keen error eye trained as well.  These three were found this week:

No side tampo (both sides)

No side tampo (both sides)

Front MC5 wheels

First Look: Hot Wheels Scion FR-S...

Finally.

There is a lot to discuss on this one.  Clearly a no-brainer of a Hot Wheels car.  Whether it appeared as a Toyota 86, Subaru BRZ, or Scion FR-S, this model had to be done.  The little car that could has gotten rave reviews all around, and even though it has been on the road awhile now, it still elicits a head-turn whenever one passes by.

So Hot Wheels version, in the form of a Scion, has finally arrived.  It might be a little late to the game, as the car has gotten a large share of attention from diecast companies, from Kyosho to Tomica.  But Hot Wheels can do what it wants, and the Scion casting has made a stellar debut.  

Let's talk about that debut.  There will be some mixed feelings once it hits the pegs.  Not about the casting, as it is near flawless, but about the choice of color and deco.  I will agree it doesn't stand out like some others do, and many times metalflake colors just don't pop.  But my guess is that this casting has a long future, and we will see many colors and decos in the future.  Perhaps one or two more in 2013 alone.  So deco and color, and wheel choice for that matter, don't really bother me.  Its looks don't bother me at all.  In fact, I quite like it.

The casting?  It looks great.  In pure Hot Wheels fashion, the model is a slightly modified FR-S, complete with a racing kit.  The only confusion?  It sports a right-hand drive, which would technically make this a Toyota 86, since Scion is a US brand.  Could we actually see this casting change badges in the future?  

Hmmmmmmmmmm....

(Find the FR-S and the rest of HW Batch N at Wheel Collectors...)

Hot Wheels Scion FR-S (2013 New Models):

The fantastic group of new Toyota castings in 2013: