id 20-15 Batmobile

Batmobile – id

Batmobile! POW! Here is another Hot Wheels Batmobile that is done really well. Batman started in the movie theatres in the late 90s. This was the first Batmobile of the new era in Batman trilogies. This Batmobile is not only nostalgic at this point (30 years old!) but it also carries several similarities to the essence of the original Batmobile. Extreme styling and a rocket engine, yet this vehicle is believable as a real car. The original 66 Batmobile was derived from a GTO, this version maybe a corvette? Yeah you see it. The newer versions are more like spaceships than cars and don't resemble any cars at all.

As you might have expected from the id series at this point, this one is not short of details. The car in the movies was flat black but the spectraflame black on the id release looks cool, almost a gunmetal color that gives it some flash while still looking menacing. It features a Batman logo on the side (period correct logo as well) and carries the black and yellow scheme from the period as well. The base, windows and thrusters are yellow plastic so when light hits it just right, it almost glows. There is a lot of detail like trunk louvres and the side panels where the machine guns popped out of in the movie.

Michael Keaton was the Batman for this one and we can probably debate for hours about who was the best Batman, but if anyone was to ask my opinion of the “Bat Cars” in the new era, this one is the best and it was the first (in the new era). Add this one to your collection quick, they have sold out 2x on the web and I have never found one in the stores. This Batmobile is a fan favorite in the Hot Wheels world as well.

              

Thank you,

Collector Quentin

I own the actual diecast pictured in this post. However, all packaging artwork, Mattel or Hot Wheels logos, paint descriptions, wheel descriptions and id logos are copyrights of the Mattel toy company

id 20-13 Pagani Huayra

Pagani Huayra – id

I recently started taking notice to Pagani automobiles and its incredible take on automotive styling. The Huayra is the latest model in the Pagani line. The real car approaches the $3 million mark to own and the service is around 15k per year so its not a practical car for guys like me. But when Hot Wheels added one to the id series line, I had to have a small piece of this historic car.

The id series Huayra is an honorable tribute to the real car. The livery is an actual livery available on the real car. The gold colored id wheels look like wheels you would actually find on the real car. The decal on the side of the car features the signature of Horacio Pagani, the designer and company owner himself. Headlights and taillights are highly detailed and the pinstriping on the car to separate the colors is the Italian tricolore made famous on many Italian supercars of today. The Pagani logos on the tail of the car are also finely detailed, mimicking the sense of detail in the real car.

I really would like to touch on the real car for a quick minute. As I started looking into this car, I quickly became captivated by the amount of thought put into every detail of all Pagani cars but most of all the Huayra. It has electronic wind flaps front and rear that lift as needed and independent from each other. The gear shift is not necessary but Pagani though it was important enough to include one anyway. The shifter features over 50 moving parts and it is open to view the parts moving as it is used. They even included an LED light to show it off in night conditions. The attention to even the most minor detail is unprecedented. Every titanium bolt is stamped with the Pagani logo, the dash assembly is hand made by an Italian watchmaker. Gloss coated carbon fiber is used in the front suspension area where only owners will ever see. Each Huayra is custom made to spec by the purchaser and even comes with a designer leather luggage set, also tailored to the owners spec. it may not be a practical car but it is a rolling piece of art and has the power to back it up. If you have time, look up Pagani Huayra and look at the details for yourself.

This car is a blast to drive in the app. I have used it several times. It is fast and handles like you would expect from a virtual Huayra! Much applause for the Huayra, both in real life and for the Hot Wheels id version. 

Thank you,

Collector Quentin

I own the actual diecast pictured in this post. However, all packaging artwork, Mattel or Hot Wheels logos, paint descriptions and wheel descriptions copyrights of the Mattel toy company.

Pagani and Huayra are trademarks of Pagani Automobili S.p.a.

id 20-12 HW50 Concept

HW50 Concept – id

The HW50 was released in the mainline in 2018 as a part of the 50^th anniversary of Hot Wheels. It is not clear if this casting is intended to be the next flagship car yet. The Bone Shaker remains the flagship for now. The HW50 joins the growing lineup of hot rods in the rat rod genre.

The original release wore HW blue colors and 50^th anniversary wheels. It was not released in the mainline in 2019 but it made the id series instead. The Hot Wheels blue plastic body is translucent and looks great with the silver flames all over the body. The chrome interior, windows and engine parts give the translucent body a cool glow in bright light. The all large id wheels give the HW50 an aggressive look that can handle any corner. The clearance is good and the HW50 does well on the orange track.

This car is great in the app. It is fast, responsive and does not need boosting to win races early on. I noticed that in the app, this car is depicted with treaded tires which indicates real riders (the actual casting does not have real riders) where most app cars have just regular plastic looking wheels. Interesting. This is one worth adding to the collection.

Thank you,

Collector Quentin

I own the actual diecast pictured in this post. However, all packaging artwork, Mattel logos, Hot Wheels logos, id logos and wheel descriptions are copyrights of the Mattel toy company.

id 20-11 Volkswagen T1 GTR

Volkswagen T1 GTR – id

Volkswagen T1 vans have been a hot item for Hot Wheels. It is no surprise considering that the most valuable Hot Wheels is a T1 van! (Pink Beach Bomb side loader) There are a lot of versions of the T1 in the Hot Wheels line up and I really like that they branched out with another version for the id series.

      The T1 GTR is not released in any other part of the Hot Wheels line up. I am confident that most collectors will like this version. Hot Wheels captures all the looks for this one, including a racing placard on the side, a carbon look to the roof and all the lights are highly detailed. The chrome smaller id wheels give the casting a lower center of gravity, but the lower stance and long wheel base are huge disadvantages on the orange track.

Interestingly, this model represents a recent fad in Europe where they actually put a high-end engine in the back of one of these – typically a Porsche engine – and race them. There are several videos on Youtube of vans similar to this one frustrating high-performance cars!

   

 

This casting is great in the app. I raced it a couple times. The T1 handles great for a bulky car and has great speed.

Thank you,

Collector Quentin

I own the actual diecast pictured in this post. However, all packaging artwork, Mattel logos, Hot Wheels logos, paint descriptions, wheel descriptions and id are all copyrights of the Mattel toy company.

id 20-10 Jurassic Jeep

Jurassic Jeep – id

Jurassic Park is now an all time classic movie that has been a part of the Hot Wheels line up since the first Jurassic Park. How would you suggest getting away from giant carnivorous lizards? A topless Jeep? Who cares as long as it got you far enough away from the gnashing teeth of dinosaurs right? This model implies the second Jurassic Park (2018) film and the batter rounds the plates for home.

The details are stunning. The Jurassic Park logos all clearly visible and the park ranger sticker on the bumper is a great touch. The headlights and taillights have the familiar id series high-level of detailing. The red id wheels look great and the Jurassic Jeep is the first to sport off-road tires in the id series.

The overall impression of the vehicle seems spot on to the movie vehicle and I can close my eyes and easily imagine some T-Rex or velociraptors chasing as I ride off in my id series Jurassic Jeep!

I did not scan this one into the app. I have a lot of cars in my virtual garage at the moment and don’t have a need for another just yet. Maybe when I get a portal, that will change.

Thank you,

Collector Quentin

I own the actual diecast pictured in this post. However, all packaging artwork, Mattel or Hot Wheels logos, paint descriptions and wheel descriptions are copyrights of the Mattel toy company.

#20-11 Bone Shaker

Bone Shaker

The Bone shaker. The latest flagship car for the Hot Wheels brand. Hot Wheels has always embodied and celebrated cool hot rods and custom cars. Flagship car – a car that Mattel / Hot Wheels has actually manufactured into a real-life car that tours to chows and collector events around the United States. In an episode of Jay Leno Garage, a Hot Wheels designer noted that there are 14 such cars. The Bone Shaker is one of those additions. Darth Vader is the latest.

     The Bone Shaker casting has been featured in the Xbox Forza Motorsport video game and is the only car in the id series app to have a different paint job for the app car than the physical casting.  

The Bone Shaker was designed by Larry Wood and was first released in 2006 [1]. Bone shaker is the embodiment of the rat rod styling. A huge skull for a front grill, the skeleton hands holding the headlights in place. No frills interior, just seats and pedals are all you need. There have been a couple different versions of the casting. The main casting has an open roof. There is also a casting with a closed roof. There is a 1:48 scale release. 2018 collectors were treated to a limited run chase version with rubber tires painted like the real-life car and there were only 10000 pieces made, making it extremely rare and expensive when found for sale.

Bone Shaker has been in the main line every year since 2006 and has been featured in most of the Premium line including the 2020 Boulevard set which is a collector favorite (the boulevard sets have premium liveries and real riders with special wheels). There is also a special Batman 5 pack release that has not appeared anywhere else, the Joker Bone Shaker with purple paint and green wheels. Bone Shaker is a simple casting with not too much detail, but it doesn’t need a lot of detail, it is a true rat rod and that is how rat rods are meant to be. Bad to the Bone!!!

The real car is an exact replica (not sure which came first) of the 1:64 version. If you are curious about the specs and more images, check out this short article for more information:

https://hotwheels.mattel.com/explore/HW_50th/en/2011-bone-shaker

(photo courtesy of Google - labeled for reuse)

Take note that the real car is the open top version! There is no doubt that the Bone Shaker, weather in real life or on the pegs, will be sure to entertain and amuse all ages of Hot Wheels fans for many years to come.

Happy Peg Hunting,

Collector Quentin

       

I own the actual diecast pictured in this blog post. However, all Hot Wheels packaging artwork, Mattel logos, Hot Wheels logos, wheel types and paint descriptions in regard to the Hot Wheels versions are copyrights of the Mattel toy company.

[1] Casting information gathered from:

https://hotwheels.fandom.com/wiki/Bone_Shaker   

#20-12 Rodger Dodger

 Rodger Dodger

Its all in the name sometimes. The Rodger Dodger is a great piece of Hot Wheels history. The casting continues to be featured in the mainline including 2020 releases. With some stints out of production, the casting has been around for 21 years! (excluding the out of production years)

     The casting was first released in 1974 [1]. It had a short run up to 1979 and then was re-tooled and re-released in 2000. The re-tooling just brought it up into the new century. However, in 2015 it was re-tooled again and brought the casting closer to reality as the exhaust was relocated from the hood to behind the front wheels and now exits below the front fenders [2]. The versions with the exhaust pipes on the hood is really cool but not sure if I can even imagine being able to see past them!

     Rodger Dodger is another fantastic creation of Larry Wood [3].  The latest release in the mainline (2020) is a gorgeous steam punk livery with gold and silver accents on a matte black paint. This release also has Grey wheels, something fairly new but really adds to the look of the steam punk look. 2019 also saw Rodger Dodger get released in the new id series line up (see my feature in the id series). It is an Amazon exclusive release and has another gorgeous livery in white, black and gold.

  From a collector’s angle, this is a gem. The first releases in the flying colors line are very difficult to track down and there is a very rare blue version of the first release. Rodger Dodger has been featured in several collector convention releases and the coveted treasure hunt line in 2001 and again in 2005 [4].

    

                    

    I personally owned a 1973 Charger SE with a 318. It was a fun, big car. It was no where near the pavement bruiser that the Rodger Dodger represents but I do wish I had though to invest in recreating the Rodger Dodger. I imagine the powerplant would be a 426 or 440 big block. Reminiscing, I remember a lot of fun with this car even though it wasn’t much on power. 70s era chargers have gained a lot of popularity in the real car collector market and seeing one at a car show is always a treat.

                  

Happy Hunting,

Collector Quentin

       

I own the actual diecast pictured in this blog post. However, all Hot Wheels packaging artwork, Mattel logos, Hot Wheels logos, wheel types and paint descriptions in regard to the Hot Wheels versions are copyrights of the Mattel toy company.

Dodge and Charger are copyrights of Fiat FCA LLC.

[1] Casting information gathered from:

https://hotwheels.fandom.com/wiki/Rodger_Dodger