2023 Hot Wheels Car Culture Race Day Mix of Five Cars Looks Like an Instant Classic

The first time I decided to get a Premium Hot Wheels, I opted for the complete 2017 Car Culture: Race Day set. It contained three Porsches: the '78 935-78, the 914-6, and the 962. But I also bought it for the Mazda RX-3 and Acura NSX, which reminded me of the ARTA NSX Keiichi Tsuchiya drove back in the day. I could never convince myself to release these cars from their plastic prisons, as I was too determined to keep them in pristine shape.

I gifted the RX-3 to my buddy Mike a few years ago, and I sold all the other ones except for the 962 to help fund my project car. If you're going to ask me now, I regret letting go of the 935-78, but you can always find one on the market for $40 or less. So the set I will be showing you today has struck a sensitive chord with me, and it will do the same for some of you too. Race Day is the fourth Car Culture set for 2023, and it's the third one for Mattel if you count the similarly-themed Track Day from 2016 as well.

Porsche 935 

The Porsche 935 is the first collectible here. Ryu Asada designed this for its 2022 release as part of the HW Turbo Mainline series. I bought the second iteration of this casting a while ago, but I haven't found the white and red Target Exclusive yet. You might also remember that Mattel chose this casting as the Super Treasure Hunt in Case N this year.

And now, collectors can finally get their hands on a Premium variation with a metal base and Real Riders wheels. Adding to the excitement is that the 935 is also the Chase item for Car Culture: Race Day, but only a select few will ever come across the black model once it comes out. The KW Suspensions livery in white and blue looks spectacular with the matching Real Riders Aero wheels, and most Porsche fans will probably tell you that the 935 is the best item in the new Car Culture set.

Aston Martin Vantage GTE

But there's a long way to go before we can determine any Race Day ranking. Sonny Fisher designed the Aston Martin Vantage GTE casting, which first arrived in 2022. Mattel has only unveiled two more variations since, which means the new Lime Essence Vantage GTE is the fourth one in the series.

Sporting the same color as the First Edition model, it's also the first Premium Vantage GTE. The graphics are slightly more complex, and the Real Riders 10-Spoke Modern wheels do a great job of emphasizing the racing theme. I'm sure Aston Martin fans will love this collectible, but for some reason, I can't get excited about it at all.

Audi R8 LMS

The Audi R8 LMS is the oldest casting on our list today, dating back to 2018. Mark Jones designed this for its Car Culture: Eurospeed release, and, shockingly, it has yet to make it to the Mainline series. This is the fifth iteration of the R8 LMS, and two previous ones were iD models. If you don't remember seeing either one in stores, you may be a newcomer to the hobby, as there has been a 2-year hiatus since the last release.

The livery on the new R8 LMS is nicely done and features a mix of white, blue, and red, with the same wheel design as the Aston Martin Vantage GTE. This casting is more exciting for me, given my years of driving various Audis, but the best part of the 2023 Race Day is about to begin.

Ford Capri Gr.5 

Whenever Mattel comes up with a new Hot Wheels series, collectors are eager to identify the latest castings and variations before deciding whether to order it. And the Ford Capri Gr.5 provides a strong incentive for buying the new Race Day set. It's a brand new casting, designed by Phil Riehlman. And it hits a sweet spot with people that love racing cars from the golden age of motorsport.

One can only hope that we'll get more of these iconic machines from the '70s and '80s from Hot Wheels shortly. Many collectors will surely vote this casting the best one in Race Day, and who can blame them? The Silhouette body features a white and blue livery with Ford Motorsport decals on the sides. The Real Riders 8-spoke wheel design is almost a Hot Wheels classic, as it has been around since 2011. My only questions are: Will Mattel opt to use this casting as a Premium-exclusive model? Or will we see it in Mainline sometime in 2024?

'94 AMG-Mercedes C-Class DTM Touring Car

I have developed a pretty special connection with the '94 AMG-Mercedes C-Class DTM Touring Car as of late. And not because of any Hot Wheels product, but because of Assetto Corsa. Using this machine to lap the north loop of the Nurburgring delivers sweet nostalgia, and doing a lap in less than eight minutes is not impossible. So I'd like to order Mattel's 1/64th-scale replica of this DTM icon.

But I'm sure that will send me down another rabbit hole, as I will also want to get the First Edition release of this casting. That one came out in 2022 as part of the Car Culture: Deutschland Design mix and featured a classic Metalflake Silver D2 livery. But let's remember that Mattel also has a Mercedes-Benz 190E 2.5-16 EVO II casting, with not one but eight premium iterations.

The new DTM machine features a bright yellow finish with Agip decals on the sides and black Real Riders European wheels. Mattel first used this design on the 2004 Ferrari 333 SP, but you only see it sometimes. Given the yellow paint job, I'm tempted to say this is the best item in the new Car Culture set, but I can't ignore the new casting presented by Hot Wheels this time.

One thing is for sure, collectors and scalpers alike are bound to buy this set when it becomes available in stores. And both categories will likely buy at least two sets: one for safekeeping and one to sell in a year or two for a decent profit. Prices for the whole set (Chase car not included) now vary between $40 to $100 on the free market, but there's a good chance it will be twice as expensive within the next 12 months.