2023 Hot Wheels Set of Eight Cars Looks Like Any Corvette Enthusiast's Dream

Corvette Month was on in November of last year, here on autoevolution. And it was quite an exciting period to be around. You might remember that we did an in-depth analysis of the world of tiny 'Vettes, as we looked at all the Hot Wheels replicas ever released by Mattel.

At the time, it turned out that there are 60 Corvette castings out there, with a total of about 950 variations in between. Given that the American icon is celebrating its 70th anniversary this year, we expect to see at least a dozen more different releases by the end of the year. And the new non-premium Corvette set is first in line, with a total of eight cars inside.

'55 Corvette

It all started back in the '50s, and few people could have predicted how successful this nameplate would be in the future. The first generation of the Corvette was powered by an inline-six engine, and it wasn't until 1955 that a V8 option became available.

And it just so happens that the tiny Hot Wheels replica is dated 1955 as well. Leeway Chang designed this casting for its 2012 release, when it was available as a premium model part of the Hot Wheels Boulevard: Ahead of Its Time series. You can still get this variation for less than $30 today!

The new yellow iteration is the 11th and most recent one you can find, and it features some minor changes that were first used in 2018. This release looks similar to the 2021 version, which used the same Aerodisc wheels. Still, that car had a different shade of color both inside and out and it didn't have the 55 decals on the side.

Corvette Stingray

The vast majority of Corvette enthusiasts are aware of the existence of the Stingray moniker, but chances are that not everyone is aware of the XP-87 Stingray Racer concept. Back in the late '50s, this was a preview of the second-generation Corvette, and you might have previously seen it at the Peterson Automotive Museum in Los Angeles.

Jack Chen designed this casting, which has been around since 2003. So it's no wonder that there are slightly more variations out there than compared to the '55 Corvette. Still, if you've only been collecting Hot Wheels for a few years, you might not have one at home yet. That's because 12 out of 14 iterations were released until 2013, with the last two coming out in 2021 and 2023.

That goes to show that Mattel can go back to using a certain casting even after a long hiatus, which brings hope for a long list of different diecast cars. Looking at the 2023 version of the Corvette Stingray, we come to realize that the 5-Spoke wheels are present on over 60% of all the casting variations. Mattel used the same design 20 years ago as well, but at least the ZAMAC body made it look more similar to the original car than the new white design.

'64 Corvette Stingray

The '64 Corvette Stingray casting was introduced about half a decade later compared to the aforementioned car, and it was designed by Larry Wood. The first two iterations featured a metal base and Red Line wheels, but we've only seen non-premium releases ever since.

This casting has had a production hiatus as well, with no new versions coming out between 2014 to 2021. With its Seafoam Green paint job and the Retro Slot Wheels, this is the 17th iteration of the model so far. And chances are it's going to be one of the highlights of the Corvette 70th Anniversary set, along with some of the more modern vehicles inside.

Once again, this vehicle serves as proof that simple designs work best, and it's great to see that it hasn't been ruined with unnecessary decals on the sides. The black stripes are subtle enough to not interfere with the overall look, but they do provide an extra edge in the grand scheme of things.

'69 Corvette

The '69 Corvette serves as proof that things keep getting better and better with this new set. The Dark Green paint job almost has a premium/Spectraflame feeling to it, and the fitment of the 5-spoke wheels is as good as it gets for a basic Hot Wheels replica.

Mattel asked Phil Riehlman to design the casting for its 2006 release, and it was so popular that 16 different variations came out before the year 2010! 14 more were introduced until 2018 when it was part of the 50th Anniversary Star & Stripes set.

But we haven't seen this design since, which is why it's probably going to attract a lot of attention from collectors around the world. And the art used by Mattel on the blister car might just convince you to buy two of these, in case you're the kind of person who deals in loose models and not carded ones.

'97 Corvette

For our next trip, we're going to jump 30 years into the future straight to the 1997 Corvette. That unfortunately means that there is no C4 Corvette inside this set, which seems like a lost opportunity given that there are eight cars included in it.

The C5 Corvette casting is the oldest design in this new set, having made its debut back in 1997. It was Dave Weise that worked on this project, and we're big fans of the First Edition Metallic Green release. If you feel the same way, you might be tempted to start looking for all the 40+ variations that Hot Wheels came up with until 2018.

That's right, this casting hasn't been used for the past 5 years, which means it has zero chances of becoming a peg warmer once it starts making its way into stores. Although this too uses five-spoke wheels, at least this time you're looking at the PR5 design instead of the 5SP one.

C6 Corvette

Chevrolet started production of the C6 Corvette in June of 2004, and you can bet that Mattel was ready to make a move at the same time too. The Hot Wheels replica of the C6 came out that same year, as Larry Wood had already been working on the design for some time.

The First Edition model featured an Enamel Bright Red paint job, PR5 wheels, and a Beige interior. We've seen 33 different variations of this casting so far, and the last one came out in 2018. Have you noticed a pattern here?

It almost feels as if Mattel stopped using some of these castings in anticipation of the Corvette's 70th Anniversary. And that's not a bad thing per se, as we all know that "food tastes better when you're hungry."

'19 Corvette ZR1 Convertible

The ZR1 was the last hoorah for the seventh-generation Corvette, and it offered enthusiasts a choice between a coupe and a convertible version. Somehow, only the latter was turned into a 1/64th-scale diecast car, but Mattel will likely change that a few years from now.

As you can imagine, the '19 Corvette ZR1 Convertible is one of the most recent castings in this set. Ryu Asada designed it for its 2020 release, and yet we've already seen five different variations so far. None of them were premium models, which means there might be one in the works for 2023.

This is the second item in the set to feature a yellow paint job, after the '55 Corvette. But this time the PR5 wheels have been painted black, and the result isn't half bad. For a basic model, this car looks quite decent, which just goes to show that quality levels have gone up in recent years.

Corvette C8.R

Last, but not least, we're looking at the Corvette C8.R! Ryu Asada designed this too, and it has only been around since 2021. Still, that was enough for eight different variations, including a Team Transport release and two more Car Culture models!

Chances are we'll be seeing at least an additional one or two iterations of it coming out this year, and you certainly won't hear anyone complaining about that. This is hands down one of the best-looking castings Hot Wheels has created in the past years, and we don't even mind seeing it in Metalflake Silver which isn't necessarily the most exciting color ever.

In case you haven't seen this set in stores yet, there are quite a few places you can get it online from. Some people are asking as much as $75 for it over on eBay, but a bit of research will reveal much cheaper options still. Either way, this set is bound to become a classic, and chances are its market value will double within the next two or three years.