Hot Wheels Boulevard Mix 3 Is Bound to Sell Like Hot Cakes

And indeed, it was a 2019 model. I looked closely and found a 2008 Prototype H-24 with an impeccable card. Go figure, a 15-year-old Hot Wheels popping up randomly in a gas station. It's not worth a fortune or anything, and it's just a fantasy design inspired by LeMans racers of the '70s and '80s. But it is now the oldest Hot Wheels car in my collection, and that's why hunting for these machines can be so fun!

Finding premium items is more complicated, depending on where you live. The Hot Wheels Boulevard series has been around since 2020, and you can only get it in Walmart or various online markets. Mattel developed four mixes yearly for the first two years, each with five castings inside. The toy manufacturer turned up the heat for 2022, adding one more combination to satisfy the increasing demand.

So far, Boulevard has provided collectors with some fantastic cars such as, but not limited to: Nissan Skyline GT-R BNCR33, the 1991 Mercedes-Benz G-Class, Corvette Z06 Drag Racer, Lancia Stratos Group 5, and the 1997 Mercedes-Benz CLK-GTR. And I'll stop here, although I can still name a few more models I'm dying to add to my collection. Today's mix is the third one for 2023, which means Mattel will probably come out with two more before the end of the year.

'12 Mercedes-Benz C 63 AMG Coupe Black Series

The '12 Mercedes-Benz C 63 AMG Coupe Black Series is the first casting here, and you might remember the Stig tried to drift this one a few years ago. The car performed its duty flawlessly, providing a soundtrack that would make Oppenheimer's soundtrack creator Ludwig Goransson jealous. But let's get back to the tiny world and Hot Wheels and see what this tiny AMG is all about.

Lindsey Lee designed this casting, and we first saw it in the 2022 Car Culture: Deutschland Design series. Mattel also made a Chase version, which can cost as much as $130 today. The Boulevard release features a Solarbeam Yellow finish, and we're delighted no one decided to ruin it with any unnecessary graphics. For once, seeing black wheels on a 1/64th-scale car isn't annoying, as it creates a nice contrast for the final product. And you might have noticed that Mattel opted for 5-spoke rims this time instead of the previous 10-spoke model.

'77 Holden Torana A9X

The '77 Holden Torana A9X is the only brand-new casting by Hot Wheels in Boulevard Mix 3. Mark Jones designed this, and I can't shake the feeling that this is meant to be a replica of the car Daniel Szabolics built in Australia. That particular Torana had a potential maximum output of about 1,400 horsepower, which means it's probably an 8-second car when talking about quarter-mile (402 meters) racing.

The Torana A9X rolls around on Mini Real Riders 6-spoke wheels, a design that first appeared in 2021. Europeans might look at this casting and think about the Opel Ascona, but those cars never featured a 5.0-liter V8 under the hood. The A9X is undoubtedly one of the most collectible Aussie cars ever, and it's no wonder it can cost a fortune, given its low production numbers.

Toyota AE86 Sprinter Trueno

You will hear different things about this car depending on who's answering the question. Some will tell you it's one of the best rally cars ever; others will tell you it's just a slow, overrated machine. But for many, this is the car that Takumi drove in Initial D., And it's also one of the most famous drift chassis of all time. Despite that reputation, you don't see it competing too often, at least not outside Japan.

This variation of the HachiRoku appeared in 2020 and is also designed by Mark Jones. It's one of many castings depicting the old-school Toyota, but some say it's also the best. Its First Edition release was a Boulevard model in plain white and black. Several drift-themed, mainline iterations followed before a Premium Car Culture one appeared in 2021. You should watch out for the Initial D special edition that came out that same year; grab on to something before looking at the price.

Some eBay sellers have listed these for over $500, and you might be better off buying a Tomica item instead. In 2022 we saw a Mountain Drifters variation of the Sprinter Trueno with Itasha graphics on the sides. And Boulevard delivers another classic design with the black and red Advan Racing livery. The Hachi has the same wheels as the Holden Torana A9X, but we don't think anyone will complain. This could be the best version of the Sprinter Trueno so far, second only to the Initial D model.

Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VI 

The 2021 Car Culture: Modern Classics series was the "birth" place of the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VI casting designed by Mark Jones. I still regret selling my First Edition, Metalflake Blue variation, and I'll likely buy another one soon. The Forza Horizon Pearl White iteration showed up in 2022 but wasn't nearly as impressive as this new Boulevard design.

Any diehard Evo fan will instantly recognize this as the Tommi Makinen edition, a car I enjoyed seeing live almost ten years ago. Mattel opted to use the same wheels as they did with the First Edition model, and they couldn't have made a better decision. The Tommi Makinen Evo VI is one of the few cars I'd change to from my RX-7, and that means I'm a bit biased when saying that this is the best casting in Boulevard Mix 3.

'91 GMC Syclone

The '91 GMC Syclone is the last item in this new set and the only one representing the good old US of A. But it's good to note that Mattel always pays close attention when choosing cars for these sets. You'll get more Japanese cars, sometimes more from Europe, but there's always some balance at stake from one mix to another. Brendon Vetuskey designed the '91 GMC Syclone, and the first release was a simple mainline model.

An upgrade to premium came in 2020 with the Car Culture: Power Trip mix. I wouldn't say I like the color scheme for the new Boulevard release, but Preferred Series, Real Riders rims, are here to save the day. This is the tenth iteration of the '91 GMC Syclone casting, but we'll likely see another mainline variation soon.

There are several options for buying the new Hot Wheels Boulevard Mix online, and prices range between $60 to $100. There is always the option of getting one or two single items instead of the whole set, but that depends on your collecting philosophy. After all, we are talking about a top-rated series, and there's a good chance its value will only increase over time. So if you want to avoid spending double for it two years from now, you should get yours as soon as possible.