#10 - Tesla Model 3

Tesla Model 3

    The year is 2019. Much to do is going on yet very quietly, a car company has emerged into the image of the next revolution in automotive history. Hot Wheels creators have recognized this fact and celebrate these innovators by including them in their line up. It is this bond between automotive design and current relevance that keeps our hobby and the Hot Wheels line available to us for 50 years and beyond.

Diecast
I have only witnessed a couple Teslas up close. I have however started to notice them on the streets more as time moves forward. I mentioned Mattel's celebration of innovation. This came from the observation of every detail about the Tesla Model 3 casting. The wheels are not like the real car but they are very close in design and suit the casting perfectly. Maybe Tesla should take note of this. The rest of the casting is detailed to a very high level. All of the Tesla logos are spot on, the lights front and back are tampos and the rear turning signals are also included. One feature that surprised me on this casting was the inclusion of a license plate. Upon examination with a magnifying glass, this is where they put the Hot wheels logo. Typically the Hot Wheels branding logo is not placed in an inconspicuous location. Not many Hot wheels castings in the mainline get this level of detail. The interior is difficult to make out through the roof "glass" but styling cues from the real car are clearly depicted. The only notable interior component on the real car is the giant (by comparison to what is currently used) monitor and Mattel's version is clearly included in the interior bay. The steering wheel looks good and the seating arrangements look spot on.

        As noted, this is a brand new, 2019 casting. There are other models represented and I will review them in future posts. This release comes close to the release of some news from Tesla motor company about a new truck that is attracting a lot of attention (hint hint nudge nudge Mattel). The Tesla castings are usually not to hard to find but this may bring new generations of Hot Wheels collectors to the pegs with this model leading the way and we may find this one to be a very popular vehicle over time. When considering that the Tesla car company started 10 years ago and already has almost every offering cast into a Hot Wheels, that has to say something for what Tesla and its offerings mean to the car culture.

Real World
10 years ago, there was only a few attempts at electric vehicles. Some held on (Prius) but most just silently went away like the life of a AAA battery in your TV remote. Additionally noted, the Prius is not modeled into a Hot Wheels offering. All the while, Tesla and a few other companies were working very hard and making progress in the all electric car industry. To that effort, Tesla now sits as the only American car company solely dedicated to only electric vehicles which also include Rigs, Suvs and performance electric vehicles. The success of this industry relies on the cars being affordable to the larger population of new car buyers. We will call this the average priced car. The Model 3 is Tesla's first entry into the affordable or average price market that has been dominated by Toyota, Honda and Chevrolet. It only makes sense. If you want to help the planet with less fossil fuel consumption, you have to have a car that the masses can afford and not the high end version that made up Tesla's prior lineup. The Model 3 offers spacious and futuristic interior appointments that have a minimalistic approach. Frilly items only add to the consumption of resources and negate the attempt at the save the planet idea that generated the Tesla in the first place. The beauty is in the technology. This is also a flagship model for Teslas automated driving software which is available but not fully implemented as of this writing. They seem to be selling well and if Tesla can continue to offer models at this price point, we will all be noticing the silent warriors more often. If Tesla helps make the world a quieter place, I think that deserves a pat on the back alone. If nothing else, Tesla is moving the bar upwards and forcing all of the other automotive companies to look harder at not only their own electric ventures but at design elements as well. Tesla is making the car industry interesting to watch again by actually doing something and not just gauging excitement with prototypes that never make it to market.

So thank you Mattel for recognizing the accomplishments what I believe is a coming revolution in automotive design and function. And for bringing new generations into our collections. My grandson was beyond excited to purchase a Tesla P100 Hot Wheels the other day and it has inspired me to bring him further into this adventure of not looking at them as simply toys, but iconic symbols dedicated to the preservation of the past, present and future of the automotive enthusiast.

Thank you all for stopping by and checking out this blog. If you are enjoying these reviews, leave me a comment and if there is any model you would like to see a review for, let me know in the comment section. additionally, if you have found any variations of the models depicted or have one you would like to share, post a picture in the comments.

As always, although I own the diecast pictured in these posts, all artwork, logos, car names, paint descriptions and wheel descriptions are copyrights of the Mattel toy company.

       

Model 3 is a registered trademark of the Tesla Motor Company