Nissan Skyline Van

The Nissan Skyline Van debuted in 2018 from another Car Culture series set, the Cargo Carriers. Designed by Jun Imai, this wagon is actually based on the C10 Skyline – whose more well-known brother is the H/T 2000GT-X.

Hot Wheels Nissan Skyline Van

The C10 series began in 1968 and was offered in 4-door sedan, 2-door coupe, and a 5-door station wagon. While the 2000GTs and 2000GT-Xs were introduced in this run of Skylines, it should be noted that these were relegated to the coupes and sedans. The wagon did not get any performance version like its siblings but remained a functional workhorse.
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I have said it recently, but allow me to say it again. I love this Skyline casting. I prefer it to the 510 wagon casting that Hot Wheels also has circulating. I like this better because I feel that it is a bit more balanced. It is long and low with the proportions looking just right. When placed beside the 510 wagon, the 510 looks a bit chunkier. It might have something to do with the stance, but that’s just how it looks to me.

Nissan Skyline Van

This Skyline Wagon (or van) was designed by Jun Imai, and as mentioned, the car is actually spot-on. The proportions are just nice for a station wagon. It’s long without being overly lengthy. It was designed low to keep with the JDM spirit (although I would argue that this wagon was not hugging the ground when it came out). In the Fast Wagons series, the paint job has been turned to the red, white, and blue motif. This can be said to be a nod to the Nissan vehicles of an older era, and the color scheme had been used by Nissan before. The tampo on the side, I believe, says Hot Wheels (please do correct me if I am wrong). It is still wearing the same C4SPRR wheels, but this time in matte gray color. The design of these wheels is also perfect for this casting by the way, as it looks like some Work Wheels design.

The car’s silhouette exudes simplicity, which makes this a very pretty casting. The paint is your typical Premium line in that it is very good with just the right amount of detail. It still has imperfections here and there, but overall, you can’t fault it too much for what it is. The base is metal, which adds to the heft and feel of the car, which is nice and balanced. The wheels, even though low and small, actually roll quite well – one trait of Premiums that I love compared to more high-end collectibles.

Nissan Skyline C110 Van

Another keeper then. Which means I would need a bigger storage.

Cargo Carriers: VW T1 Panel Bus

The Volkswagen T1 Panel Bus has been a favorite collector piece for a long time. And while this is not the only Volkswagen bus that Hot Wheels has in their stable, it is one of my favorites. It retains that shape of the standard van. Windowless and slab-sided. However, it has a low-rider stance where it almost scrapes the floor. And as far as I can tell, based on my research, this has not come out as a mainline car. That means that all the variants of the casting thus far, are on metal bases and Real Rider wheels.

The VW T1 Panel bus is based on the Volkswagen Type 2. It is a van deep in its metal skin. The Type 2 came in several variants and were called different names depending on where in the world you are. It was called a Transporter, a Kombi, a Microbus, a Bus, a Camper and many other names. The Type 2 was introduced way back in 1950. It has achieved cult status in many countries for different reasons – unfortunately, some of those reasons were not as “good” as some people see. It was rear-engine and air-cooled. It evolved quite a bit from its utilitarian roots to become a proper people mover. Nostalgia probably helped to keep the timeless appeal of the Panel Bus, and the best examples of these vans are still alive and kicking now in 2021.

The Mooneyes Volkswagen T1 Panel Bus that Hot Wheels gives us is nothing really new. Or at least it is not something unexpected from the brand not the livery it carries. And that could potentially affect its collectability. Both the T1 Panel Bus as a vehicle and Mooneyes as a brand have their own respective following. Whether or not more people would want it is something that will drive the price of this piece after its release.

Lamborghini Gallardo LP 570-4 Superleggera

The Lamborghini Gallardo was in production from 2003 to2013. The 570-4 Superleggera was announced in 2010 which has significant upgrades over the vanilla Gallardo. 570-4 refers to the 570 PS of available power from the 5.2L V10 being channelled to all 4 wheels. Superleggera literally means super lightweight and this car weighs in at 1,340 kg and was touted as Lamborghini’s lightest road-going car in the range. Performance figures are what you would expect from a supercar of this status with 0-100 km/h at 3.2 seconds and a 329 km/h top speed.

So, did Hot Wheels do justice to the baby Lambo?

In a word, yes. Yes, it did.

It was introduced as a new model in 2011 coming out in green and metal flake yellow colours. Compared to the Lamborghini Gallardo 560-4 that Hot Wheels released in 2010, the Superleggera offered significant changes. The New Model 560-4 came out in a brilliant matte black colour. It had printed on headlights, taillights, a Lamborghini logo on the front, and the Lamborghini signature on the back. A beautiful rendition of the car. The Superleggera, on the other hand, trades those tail light details for the wing and engine cover. It also gets side tampos and a re-designed front air dam/splitter. It certainly adds to the flair of it being the Superleggera, but those tail lights on the 560-4 would surely be missed.

The best version of the 570-4 Superleggera thus far though, is the Fast and the Furious version. It comes back with the metal flake yellow paint job. This coming from the Premium series, it comes with the log printed on the front, the signature on the rear, the headlights, the taillights, and the side tampo. Additionally, it sports Real Rider RR10SPs in black. And while I’m still disappointed that they did not give the Fast and Furious Fast Imports set a better choice of car for the series, I am happy that this Lambo turned out just fine.

Treasure Hunts

Hot Wheels Treasure Hunts are a set of twelve Hot Wheels cars that are released in limited quantities together with the mainline cars. Currently, these can be identified by the Hot Wheels flame symbol that can be anywhere on the car’s body. The flame symbol can also be seen on the packaging hiding behind the car. While the Treasure Hunts are difficult to find, it has been sought after by collectors and scalpers pushing prices of some models to significant figures. But not all Treasure Hunts are created equal. Thus, not all Treasure Hunts command a high asking price. Some mainline cars even sell for more than a regular T-hunt in some cases.

I have some obscure T-Hunts that I managed to get from the pegs. Most of them are really nonsense cars and I just picked them up because they had the Treasure Hunt symbol even though they are ugly as heck.

The Fangster

The Fangster came out in 2014. It is a fantasy car that looks like a giant lizard with wheels. That’s all there is to say really.

Maximum Leeway

Maximum Leeway also came out in 2014. Maximum Leeway looks like a track car. Its lines look sleek and smooth and with racing livery on this Treasure Hunt variant, it looks the part of an actual racer. Too bad the entire body is made of plastic and only the base is metal.

Night Burner

Night Burner also came out in 2014. The Night Burner is also a fantasy car. This particular Treasure Hunt variant came in Hot Wheels racing livery and actually looks decent. The Night Burner also came with a gimmick where you can blow through the back of the car and a turbine will spin and make a whistle sound if you do it right.