10 Hot Wheels Police Cars That Are Ready to Bring the Heat

I never had any inclination towards becoming a policeman when I was growing up, despite enjoying movies like Robocop, Police Academy, Die Hard, or the Vice City series. But I was always obsessed with cars, so there's that. We all know about the crazy vehicles of the Police force in Dubai, Italy, Japan, and Germany. They need those to sustain the pursuit and apprehend their suspects.

And it's crossed my mind a few times to wrap my FC RX-7 to have it look like a Japanese cop car. But today, I am here to talk to you about 10 Hot Wheels police cars ready to bring the heat. If you were a street racer on a 1/64th scale, some of these might be your worst nightmare. That could be an exciting plot for the future Hot Wheels movie. But for collectors, the following items are a must-have if you're a fan of the theme. Mattel has an impressive selection of cop cars, so this top reflects my favorite ones.

1. '69 Dodge Charger

The '69 Charger is one of eight Hot Wheels Dodge castings to feature a Police-themed variation. Dave Weise worked with Phil Riehlman on designing this for its 2004 release, but it wasn't until 2011 that the squad car came up. There are two seemingly identical variations, featuring a white and blue finish and Ocala, Florida Police decals.

Mattel equipped the first one with Manson Cheung-designed 5-Spoke wheels, while the second variation had a rim design reminiscent of the Red Line era. As these were simple Mainline items with a plastic base, you don't worry about having to pay a fortune to get them in your collection.

2. Police Cruiser

You can't have a crime-fighting collection without a Police vehicle, right? The Police Cruiser is more of a standard patrol car than the Charger above, even though this is based on the Holden Commodore. Larry Wood designed this casting, and Mattel only sold variations between 1996 and 2004. Out of the 22 iterations, only 14 had Police related liveries.

While I'm a fan of the three-spoke wheel design on the 1999 car, Real Riders are even better, and you'll find two such vehicles. Both were part of the 2003 New York's Finest Police series: the first was black, while the second had a light blue finish. You could get these two collectibles for $20 or less.

3. '71 Porsche 911

I recently underwent a deep dive into Hot Wheels Porsche castings, which might inspire you to start such a collection. The '71 911 had a Police variation, which arrived in 2019. It featured a white and green livery, the standard design back in the day. These days, the Germans have made the switch from green to blue.

The Polizei (Police) 911 was part of the HW Rescue Mainline series, featuring Chrome 5-spoke wheels. But a secondary, rarer variation appeared with more classic Basic Wheels. But I'm happy to report that both are affordable. I wish Mattel would develop a Car Culture: Polizei series with all-German fast Police cars.

4. '10 Camaro SS

Let's go back across the Atlantic Ocean for a sample of the Phil Riehlman-designed '10 Camaro SS. In 2011, Mattel sold it as part of a Police Pursuit 5-Pack, but wait, there's more. A slightly retooled version featuring a bull bar and a Police Light Bar has several more variations to keep track of.

The first one came out in 2012, but it wasn't until 2013 that it graduated to the Treasure Hunt series. The 2015 Highway Patrol iteration in Silver is pretty good, too, but don't expect a Premium quality finish with these cars. At least there's some diversity to the casting, and these are all quite affordable.

5. 2016 BMW M2

This is one of the more modern castings on today's list, and Ryu Asada designed it. It first appeared in the 2018 Factory Fresh Mainline series with a nice Metalflake Blue finish. Despite this being a German car, Mattel opted to use it as a British Police Hyperceptor in 2020. Unlike the '10 Camaro SS, the BMW M2 doesn't have any Police-specific add-ons like bumpers or light bars, but that would have made it a lot more complicated for the diecast manufacturer in the long run.

As I mentioned earlier, with the Porsche 911, Hot Wheels could easily make a series of BMW cop cars and sell them as part of one of the Premium lines. This would be an excellent opportunity to introduce the 8 Series casting!

6. Ford GT-90

The Ford GT-90 might be gone, but it is never forgotten. I remember driving it in Need for Speed II SE. Mattel introduced this casting in 1998 and ran it until 2010. A Cop Squad 5-Pack iteration appeared in 2003, featuring a black finish, an orange livery and windows, and 3-spoke wheels. There's a very sci-fi vibe to it, and it made me think of Silvester Stallone's Judge Dredd movie for some reason.

I wonder what would happen if you saw a Ford GT-90 Police car in your rearview mirror. I'd be tempted to pull over to see it up close! The only problem with this casting is that you might need help finding a carded model.

7. Lamborghini Aventador LP 700-4

I recently touched up on the subject of Hot Wheels Lamborghinis and found there are about 300 variations spread through 30 castings for a complete collection. Three of those castings featured a Police version, but I included the fastest one on this list: the Aventador LP 700-4. Mattel introduced this casting in 2012, and its 15th variation was the one to be tasked with chasing down the bad guys.

It replicates a Dubai Police Car, minus the Arabic symbols and light bars. The Aventador was part of the HW Police series, alongside the BMW M2, a Nissan Fairlady Z, an '85 Chevrolet Camaro, and a Golf Mk7. Congratulations to Mattel for the excellent graphics on those five cards, which should cost $30 or less!

8. Nissan Skyline H/T 2000GT-R

I've made it this far on a Hot Wheels list without recommending a Japanese icon. But I couldn't take it anymore and had to include the Nissan Skyline H/T 2000GT-R. Jun Imai designed this casting for its 2011 release, and there are three Police variations to look for. Two appeared in 2019, one in traditional colors and one in red. The latter is the least visually appealing, but let's go straight to number one.

Two years before the introduction of the Super Treasure Hunt 2000GT-R, Mattel came up with a Premium Police version of this casting. It was part of the almost legendary Car Culture: Japan Historics series and it's one of the best Hot Wheels Police cars of all time if you ask me. Not only does it have a metal base, but it also rolls around on a set of Classic 4-Spoke Real Riders wheels. That's why you might need to spend as much as $60 to own this collectible.

9. Saleen S7

I've left two of the fastest Police cars on the list for last. I've only seen a Saleen S7 once at the SEMA Show a few years ago. I don't have to tell you how amazing of a car it is, but think about it: this is what Jim Carrey drove after receiving God-like powers in Bruce Almighty. Mattel doesn't make this casting anymore, as it was only available between 2002 and 2011.

In 2003, it was part of the Roll Patrol series, alongside mostly fantasy castings. It featured a Flat Black finish, red windows, and red PR5 wheels. For once, this is a better color combo than it might sound like, and I can only imagine how good a RLC version of this car would be with opening doors.

10. Volkswagen Drag Bus

If all roads were perfectly straight, with no corners, the Volkswagen Drag Bus would be a terrifying Police car. This casting has been around since 1996, and there are a lot of unique variations to get for a complete collection. There are at least five or six variations that will require a budget of $500 or more each, so beware! The ones we are interested in today both came out in 2009 as RLC Membership cars, and both had Redline wheels.

Mattel only made 4,000 units of the Spectraflame Smoke and White Drag Bus and 6,000 units of the Military Police edition in Spectraflame Olive and Black. Buying these in bulk could cost between $200 and $300, depending on your negotiation skills.