Inside the 2023 Hot Wheels Case Q: The Last Super Treasure of the Season Is Here

First, let's look at the two special items that everyone will be looking forward to inside case Q. Your chances of finding the Regular Treasure Hunt are pretty good, as there is supposed to be one of these in each case delivered from the Mattel factory. Look for the Flame symbol on the Volkswagen "Baja Bug," an off-road-ready Beetle with muddy tires for show.

The Last STH for the 2023 Series

Mark Jones designed this casting, and we first saw it in 2019. A retooling has happened in 2022, as all the previous releases were Premium models. But let's talk about the main story here: the Volvo 240 Drift Wagon Super Treasure Hunt. It's the second STH Wagon for 2023, as the previous one was the Datsun Bluebird 510 from Case P. Mattel had Fraser Campbell working on the design, and this casting has only been around since 2022.

Until Case P arrives in stores, the First Edition model is the sole iteration you can find on the market. And that makes the new variation even more desirable. I'm not 100% sold on using mismatched wheels front and rear, but I guess that's Mattel's way of replicating something somewhat familiar in the drift world.

I feel this STH would have been twice as good without the rear-axle-mounted Steelies, but other collectors might beg to differ. As for what's going on on the market, you can already find the 240 Drift Wagon on eBay, with prices ranging from $35 to $150.

Let's see what else is hiding inside Case Q for 2023. But don't expect anything too crazy at this point. It is the end of the year, after all. We've seen three variations of the '80 El Camino casting in the past few months, and the new green one is just as cool as the Dollar General iteration. The GTV6 is back in Alfa White, but the First Edition Rosso Alfa livery is more iconic.

Mainline Models

Most collectors are enthusiastic about this new casting for 2023, but it's less epic than other models that came out this year. Over the past four years, Mattel has only produced four variations of the '84 Pontiac Firebird. The 2022 Stars & Stripes iteration is perhaps the best yet, but the new release in white with blue stripes isn't half bad either.

It's a shame we have not seen a premium iteration of this casting. The Land Rover Series II is a brand-new addition to the Hot Wheels line-up and part of the Baja Blazers Mainline series. The windshield is folded down and carries a surfboard over the passenger seat. This could be an exciting appearance for older collectors, but I don't know how the new kids on the block will react.

The 12th iteration of the Audi Sport Quattro is here, and it features the same livery as the previous one. The only difference is that the car is white instead of black this time. Indeed, whoever designed this could have created a more exciting color combo. The IMSA-inspired Quattro is also back with a new design after the tremendous success recorded by the first one.

The new livery is less iconic than the original one, but collectors everywhere are bound to snatch it up when it arrives in stores. Earlier this year, we all saw a list of the upcoming models for 2023. And everyone was ecstatic to see that a Porsche 911 Turbo 3.6 was coming up. What we couldn't predict was the fact that Mattel designed a Tooned variation of this legendary machine.

Tooned Hot Wheels on the Rise

This cute little thing should have some success, following Dom's Charger and Brian's Supra, but it would have done better in other circumstances. Sonny Fisher designed the 1986 Toyota Van for its 2022 release, and Mattel has come up with three variations since. A Target-exclusive iteration should be available soon, so this pink/purple Mainline machine will be the fifth different spec in two years. The second Gemera for 2023 is also the fourth one since its Mainline debut.

The Candy Apple Red machine features the same 10-spoke wheels as all the previous iterations so far, and I can't help but think these machines aren't as popular with collectors yet. Manson Cheung designed the brand-new McLaren Solus GT casting, and we will likely see plenty of these over the next few years.

This almost looks like a fantasy car, and I don't think collectors will be fighting over it as they would over an F1. Younger Hot Wheels enthusiasts might not recognize the Classic '55 Nomad at first glance, as few surfaced over the past few years. But this is one of Mattel's oldest casting, debuting in 1969! A complete collection of the Classic '55 Nomad won't be accessible, as dozens of variations are on the market.

And the most expensive one can cost as much as $2,000! We recently saw a Gulf version of the '69 Ford Mustang Boss 302 inside a Premium two-pack, and now we're looking at this Falken-themed model. This livery is always attractive to Hot Wheels enthusiasts, especially if they're also drift fans. A complete Boss 302 collection requires 15 items, so getting to that point could be fun.

If there's one item I didn't expect to see in Case Q, it's the Mad Mike Drift Attack casting. Many drivers have tried building drift cars with an RMR (Rear-Mid Engine, Rear Wheel Drive) layout. But it's commonly accepted that the FR (Front-engine, Rear Wheel Drive) setup is still the way for competitive drifting.

This is an interesting concept nonetheless, and we want to know if there's a deeper meaning. Mad Mike has been competing in RX-8s and RX-7s for over a decade, and he recently drove a Mazda 3 at Pikes Peak. His fans will definitely love this new casting, but what about the non-rotary crowd? And that about wraps it up for the 2023 Mainline series.

We've seen some cool cars this year, and I'll be sure to come back with a list of the best Super Treasure Hunt and Treasure Hunt items by the end of the year. Be on the lookout for 2024 items coming up in about a month or so from now. Some rumors about new castings and liveries are in the works at El Segundo, but we'll get back to you with more photos and videos as soon as they become available.