Pandem Subaru BRZ

The last of the Street Tuners is the Subaru BRZ. But this is not just a BRZ, it is the Pandem Subaru BRZ. Pandem makes crazy body kits for cars and Hot Wheels actually did a good job with this one.

Subaru Pandem BRZ front quarter profile

The car is based on the Scion FR-S, the car better known as the Toyota GT 86. Mechanical siblings, the Toyota GT-86, Subaru BRZ, and Scion FR-S, they all share the Boxer engine from Subaru as a joint venture between Subaru and Toyota. The result is a back-to-basics sports car that is low-cost, easy to maintain, and most importantly, fun and sporty to drive.

Subaru Pandem BRZ side profile

The difference of course is the Pandem body kit on this latest iteration by Mark Jones for Hot Wheels. They nailed the body kit on this casting. Front and rear bumpers, side skirts, canards, front lip, diffusers, wide-body, and the humongous rear wing. This is highlighted in the simple but effective blue paint job on the car. Other highlights include detailed headlights and taillights and a distinct Greddy logo on the rear number plate. No Car Culture casting would be complete without Real Rider wheels, and the Pandem BRZ will not disappoint with those black RR6SPM wheels.

Subaru Pandem BRZ rear quarter profile

The whole Street Tuners series was spectacular. The 180SX could have done better, to be honest, but it was a great addition to the series and really completes that JDM vibe. As with the rest of the cars in the series, the BRZ is a keeper.

Hot Wheels Gulf Racing

I decided to tear open a few blister packs because my wife had been asking me to clear up some space in the home office. I looked at some of my boxes of toys and figured that having them boxed in their blister packs isn’t getting anyone anywhere. So I took out three in one blow just to get things rolling. I started out with a handful of Gulf Racing liveried cars because they were like a race team.

A Gulf Corvette

Chevrolet Corvette ZR1 (C6)
To be honest, this ZR1 has the weakest impact in these racing liveried cars. It’s not that it’s a bad car, far from it. But the ZR1, with its supercharger sitting and exposed from that hole in the bonnet, doesn’t flaunt the Gulf Racing colors as well as the other cars I opened. I have always loved that contrasting black roof over the car’s lighter color and the Gulf Racing livery just took that away.

A Gulf Ford GT LM

Ford GT LM
The Ford GT Le Mans race car is nothing but race pedigree. The livery actually complements this car and makes it look like a proper race car. Livery aside, the GT LM casting was always a favorite of mine because of the proportion and the shape and the detail that was given to the car. Granted, the paint job could always do with finer details, but that Le Mans wing just really gives this car attitude.

A Gulf Chevelle

’70 Chevy Chevelle SS
My favorite amongst the three. This SS casting is all about presence. And you can’t have any more presence than this casting. A bulging hood, wide over fenders, side exhausts, NASCAR-style wing and front air dam all makes for a mean, fuel burning machine. And then you look at the inside. Single seat, textured side windows, and a roll cage finished in chrome. The orange base pops from the inside reflecting over all that chrome and that stance is just purposeful, like how the Hoonicorn Mustang sits low on the ground waiting to be driven hard.