Inside the 2023 Hot Wheels Case G: New Super Treasure Hunt Model Is a '68 Corvette

Supply chain issues may or may not be a thing in your area, but either way, there are plenty of cool 1/64th-scale cars to look out for this year. It was about a month ago that we got to see a reveal of Case F for 2023, which had some amazing items inside. We almost didn't even care about the Renault Super Treasure Hunt, as the new Audi 90 Quattro and Porsche 911 Carrera RS 2.7 had all of our attention. You'll be happy to know that these have been included in Case G. And the same goes for the '72 Stingray Convertible.

'68 Corvette reaches Super Treasure Hunt status

But by now, you know the drill: we aren't going to focus on repeat items or fantasy cars. Still, there are some exceptions. That's because the new Treasure Hunt collectible happens to be part of the latter group. Rise'N Climb is its name and it has been part of the Hot Wheels lineup since 2018.

It has been a pretty sad season for collecting TH models, as this is the sixth fantasy car out of a total of seven items. We can only hope that Mattel's going to change that with upcoming cases. In 2022 the company used a total of nine non-licensed vehicles, so we haven't reached that point yet in 2023.

At least we can be excited that the same thing didn't happen with the Super Treasure Hunt model. The year started with the Classic TV Series Batmobile, which was a casting that some people chose to ignore entirely. And we have solid information that one of the next two cases will have another fantasy STH inside. Until then, the special item for Case G is a '68 Corvette - Gas Monkey Garage. This is the 11th iteration of a casting that was introduced in 2017, and one of many Hot Wheels designs perfected by Ryu Asada.

The color combo isn't all that exciting, with red Hot Wheels decals on the side and black wheels taking away from the Spectraflame paint job. But then again Mattel needed some diversity, as it had already released plain Spectraflame Gold designs before for this casting. Collectors would have probably been a lot more enthusiastic if Mattel had chosen the '72 Stingray Convertible for the job, but look at the bright side. The less attractive the design, the better the chances of getting it at a lower price.

More motorcycles are on their way

The '64 Nova Wagon Gasser is a pleasant surprise for Case G, and you might remember seeing it in the premium Dragstrip Demons collection a while ago. This is by far the best color variation we've seen in the mainline series, and we love both the choice of Metallic Purple and Supernova decals on the side.

The '18 Dodge Challenger SRT Demon continues the V8 journey into the world of 1/64th-scale diecast cars and once again we're happy to see a simple, uncluttered design. This Metallic Grabber Blue model is the 12th variation of the casting that first appeared in 2018.

Somehow I've never seen a real-life Mazda Repu before, but I do have a few tiny ones on display, thanks to Mattel's periodical re-release of the model. The manufacturer created 11 variations of this casting in a matter of just six years, and this light blue version is up next. At this point, it would be nice if it made its way to the Car Culture series, with blue rims just like Mad Mike's version that inspired it all.

The Honda CB750 Cafe might take you by surprise for two reasons. First, this is a brand-new casting for Hot Wheels. Secondly, this isn't the only motorcycle included in case G, which might signal Mattel's intention of diving deeper into the world of bikes. Muscle car enthusiasts will be excited to see the 2017 Camaro ZL1 in yellow, which is still a relatively new casting with only nine variations released since 2017.

Mercedes-Benz casting is the star of Case G

But the highlight for Case G isn't a replica of an American car. Instead, Mattel opted to create one more Mercedes-Benz casting: the '89 560 SEC AMG. Can you imagine yourself driving one of these around town while listening to 2Pac's- All Eyez On Me on full blast? One thing's certain, the 560 SEC AMG has no chance of becoming a peg warmer. And we can't wait to see how long it takes before it reaches Premium or even Super Treasure Hunt status.

The '88 Honda CR-X is back in Metalflake Matte Gray, but it's not the best iteration of the casting we've seen so far. Instead, we're more interested in seeing the new color for the Porsche Taycan Turbo S. This is the fourth variation of the casting, but two of the previous ones were part of the id Series. The First Edition Taycan was painted Metalflake Carmine Red, but Mattel has now switched to Metalflake Mamba Green. It's nowhere near as cool as a 911, but it will still make a good addition for EV enthusiasts.

We haven't seen the Mustang NHRA Funny Car since 2021 when it reached Treasure Hunt status. This casting first showed up in 2004, and it had a metal base up until 2011 when it was retooled. Mattel has never upgraded it to Premium which is somewhat strange, but you can always look at the '71 Mustang Funny Car if that's what you're looking for.

The 2023 Nissan Z casting was introduced in 2022 and there are already five variations of it around. In an unexpected twist of events, neither has been ruined by unnecessary decals. After yellow, white, and blue, we're now looking at a Passion Red Z which features the same J5 wheels as its predecessor.

Patience is a virtue

Mattel has also updated the color scheme on the Rally Speciale, and it now reminds us of the Alitalia Lancia Stratos. While we would have preferred the latter, the Rally Speciale is still ten times better than any of the usual fantasy cars that involve food or portable toilets. And we'll be seeing more and more of these original designs soon. The Baja Bison T5 is the perfect example to support that statement, and it will be sure to attract a few rally raid fans in the process.

This is an electric vehicle, and it's followed by the Fiat 500e which fits in the same category from that point of view. Last but not least, there's a new color for the Tesla Model Y. This Midnight Silver Metallic model is the third variation to be released in a matter of fewer than 12 months, and it further increases the percentage of EV cars inside of Case G. But it still uses the same 10-spoke wheels as both of its predecessors, so most collectors might just ignore it altogether.

The '72 Ford Ranchero is one of the last cars to emerge out of the new set of 72 items, and you might have a tough time remembering the last time you saw one of these in stores. That's because Mattel hasn't used this casting since 2019. The typical Art Cars livery won't suit everyone's taste, but it could have been worse still. If you're curious as to when this new case will arrive in a store near you, the decals on the Solar Reflex might provide a hint. It might be sooner than April 22nd, but we'll just have to wait and see about that.