BMW 320 Race Car Debuts in New Hot Wheels Car Culture Mix

I am on the verge of giving up on Mainline Hot Wheels cars for good. There are so many fantastic Premiums out there that it will be challenging to get them all under the same roof, but at least they are at a completely different level. If none of the stores around you have them in stock, it will be an even more expensive endeavor, but you have to live with that.

A few months ago, we looked at the new Car Culture 2-Pack release, which included a replica of Paul Walker's Toyota Supra from The Fast and the Furious. Mix 2 for 2023 also had two Gulf-themed Mustangs, but more importantly, the HKS Nissan Skyline GT-R. Mix 4 is also on the horizon, and it may include a new Bugatti casting. But let's focus on Mix 3 for the time being.

Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VI and '95 Mitsubishi Eclipse

You can either be mad or happy at Mattel for its marketing strategies. You'll probably fall in the first category if you already bought the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VI when it first came out in 2021. I'm sad I sold mine, so I'm happy to see it returning to Car Culture as part of a 2-pack mix. It's genuinely one of the most exciting castings out of El Segundo in the past few years, and the blue and white combo is fantastic. There is no difference between the First Edition model and the latest iteration, but that's not the point.

We've seen three variations in three years, so I expect a new design to come out in 2024. Mattel will probably opt for a Satellite Silver this time, but we'll have to wait and see. The '95 Mitsubishi Eclipse is the star of this pack, as it's the casting's first non-Fast and Furious variation. And that's wild to think of, considering it debuted in 2019. There's no more green for now, but the diecast manufacturer did retain the same Real Riders 6-Spoke Mag wheels used on the 2022 Replica Entertainment release of the Eclipse.

'73 Holden Monaro GTS and '77 Holden Torana A9X

I like the balanced situation of Mix 3, with two cars from Japan, two from Australia and two from Europe. JDM vehicles dominated the first two sets with an eight to twelve ratio, while the other collectibles were all of American origin. We've seen the '73 Holden Monaro GTS before; it was part of the 2022 Hot Wheels Boulevard series, but that's okay. After all, this is its second appearance, so people will probably be eager to find them in stores ASAP. At least the '77 Holden Torana A9X now features an iconic livery, reminiscent of the days when tobacco companies still had a significant role in global motorsports.

This tiny A9X replicates a Holden race car that won the 1978 Australian Touring Car Championship with Peter Brock driving. Brock and Jim Richards also won the Bathurst 1000 race that year, completing 163 laps at the Mount Panorama Circuit. If you don't live in Australia, you might never see one of these cars driving past you, so buying the Hot Wheels replica is the best way to own a tiny part of motorsport history.

'73 BMW 3.0 CSL Race Car and BMW 320 Group 5

Until 2011, Mattel had only released seven different BMW castings, two of which had Corgi origins. The '10 M3 is the first one to appear in the modern era, and things went into high gear from there. Four castings appeared in 2012 alone, with 13 more starting in 2013. So Hot Wheels collectors are always enthusiastic about seeing a new design whenever possible. That includes recolors of existing castings, as with the '73 3.0 CSL Race Car.

Fraser Campbell designed this one, and the diecast manufacturer has already developed ten variations. It was even part of the Super Treasure Hunt series in 2022, and there are two more Premium variations to look for. The new release resembles the Forza Motorsport iteration but is more refined. Watch out for the Ultra Hots model coming in for the 2024 series! But let's revert our attention to the highlight of the new 2-Pack mix: the BMW 320 Race Car.

Group 5 machines are always exciting; think about the Lancia Stratos (2021 casting) or the Ford Capri (2023 casting). If you ask me, Mattel's planning on a new Group 5-exclusive mix of cars, and collectors are bound to be all over it if it does happen. As expected, the 320 features the iconic BMW Motorsport livery with added Goodyear, Union, and Eibach decals to make it even more life-like. The new Bimmer could be one of the most exciting Hot Wheels castings in 2023, but we still have a few more releases before we can cast the final vote.